Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Johnn]

Hey everyone help a chicken lover save her hens! I copied this from her thread. they have 10 signatures and need fifty.

So I guess we didn't read the ordinances thoroughly enough, or we didn't consider 3 hens "farm animals," but apparently, the City of Joliet does .... and they've informed us that we have to get rid of our girls or be fined.

I'd rather fight than roll over and give up, so I started a signon.org petition, and was hoping some of you (especially those of you in Illinois) would sign your name to it.

You can find the petition here: Allow Backyard Chickens in Joliet, IL.

Thanks for your help and let's keep up the good fight!

DONE! I wrote a comment saying "let this poor person keep their hens!!". A chicken lover willing to fight for them deserved to keep them!, i could't imagine being told i had to get rid of my hens.But i don't think my uncle could be so cruel to me, if he was i would never speak to him again!!

 

[Johnn]

Hey everyone help a chicken lover save her hens! I copied this from her thread. they have 10 signatures and need fifty.

So I guess we didn't read the ordinances thoroughly enough, or we didn't consider 3 hens "farm animals," but apparently, the City of Joliet does .... and they've informed us that we have to get rid of our girls or be fined.

I'd rather fight than roll over and give up, so I started a signon.org petition, and was hoping some of you (especially those of you in Illinois) would sign your name to it.

You can find the petition here: Allow Backyard Chickens in Joliet, IL.

Thanks for your help and let's keep up the good fight!

also can you send me a link to the forum please...

 

[TheRookie]

I have several questions...
1 my broody is originally from a neighbors flock. They were not fed chicken food, they were fed scratch and scraps. So now my chickie Momma is teaching her children to ignore the crumbles. Im forced to feed them cracked corn, BOSS, and mealworms (thats the only other food I have and Im using it as sparingly as possible to see if they will pick up on eating the crumbles on their own...) What can I do? If I dont give the other stuff that is normally just used for treats, they dont eat. Am I going to have to take the babies away from Momma?

2 As my broody is from a flock where she was handled very minimally.. she is VICIOUS. Literally the only time I can get ahold of her babies is at night when they are sleeping. I have to wrap a towel around her and wear gloves so she doesnt give me blood blisters. Once again, is it just simpler to take them away from her so they will be touchable as adults?

I dont want to take the babies away from her. Goodness knows, mother doesnt want me to because that means theyll be in the house. This is why I am coming to you guys for help.

On a happier note, heres a couple pics of the babies


Chekov

Captain Kirk

 

[stonykill]

I have several questions...
1 my broody is originally from a neighbors flock. They were not fed chicken food, they were fed scratch and scraps. So now my chickie Momma is teaching her children to ignore the crumbles. Im forced to feed them cracked corn, BOSS, and mealworms (thats the only other food I have and Im using it as sparingly as possible to see if they will pick up on eating the crumbles on their own...) What can I do? If I dont give the other stuff that is normally just used for treats, they dont eat. Am I going to have to take the babies away from Momma?

2 As my broody is from a flock where she was handled very minimally.. she is VICIOUS. Literally the only time I can get ahold of her babies is at night when they are sleeping. I have to wrap a towel around her and wear gloves so she doesnt give me blood blisters. Once again, is it just simpler to take them away from her so they will be touchable as adults?

I dont want to take the babies away from her. Goodness knows, mother doesnt want me to because that means theyll be in the house. This is why I am coming to you guys for help.

On a happier note, heres a couple pics of the babies


Chekov

Captain Kirk

she sounds like a fantastic mother! Vicious as she should be. She SHOULD NOT let you touch her babies. This is NORMAL chicken behavior. ALL of my broody's, somewhere around 20 so far this year are like that. Last year I had 14 broody's all with the same behavior. You hen is a terrific mother!
On the food. Do they free range or are they confined to a pen? Here is why I ask. When I got my Sumatra flock 3 years ago they were simply ferrel birds. The owner fed them cracked corn. That is it. They forraged for all the rest of their nutrition needs. And laid 5 to 6 eggs a week each, went broody, hatched large batches of babies all raised that way.

So if your birds are free range I wouldn't worry about it. Are you sure she NEVER brings them to the crumbles? Many of my broody's are free range broody's. Crumbles are available. Only once or twice a day do they bring them to the feeder. Other than that they are foraging with their lil ones. They teach the babies to drink from mud puddles even though fresh water is available. When there are no mud puddles they bring them to the supplied water. This is all NATURAL behavior. Holding them is not natural.

Now if they are penned here is what I do. Spread the crumbles all across the ground. Toss pine needles, grass, something lightly over it to give mama something to scratch and then they will eat the crumbles.

Again, your hen is not only a great mother, but the BEST kind.

Always remember chickens survived 10,000 years without human help. All we have done is weakened them. They instinctually know what to do. Your girl certainly does.

And DO NOT TAKE HER CHICKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bobbieschicks]

 she sounds like a fantastic mother! Vicious as she should be. She SHOULD NOT let you touch her babies. This is NORMAL chicken behavior. ALL of my broody's, somewhere around 20 so far this year are like that. Last year I had 14 broody's all with the same behavior. You hen is a terrific mother!
      On the food. Do they free range or are they confined to a pen? Here is why I ask. When I got my Sumatra flock 3 years ago they were simply ferrel birds. The owner fed them cracked corn. That is it. They forraged for all the rest of their nutrition needs. And laid 5 to 6 eggs a week each, went broody, hatched large batches of babies all raised that way. 

       So if your birds are free range I wouldn't worry about it. Are you sure she NEVER brings them to the crumbles? Many of my broody's are free range broody's. Crumbles are available. Only once or twice a day do they bring them to the feeder. Other than that they are foraging with their lil ones. They teach the babies to drink from mud puddles even though fresh water is available. When there are no mud puddles they bring them to the supplied water. This is all NATURAL behavior. Holding them is not natural. 

    Now if they are penned here is what I do. Spread the crumbles all across the ground. Toss pine needles, grass, something lightly over it to give mama something to scratch and then they will eat the crumbles.

    Again, your hen is not only a great mother, but the BEST kind. 

     Always remember chickens survived 10,000 years without human help. All we have done is weakened them. They instinctually know what to do. Your girl certainly does.

         And DO NOT TAKE HER CHICKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

xs2 on what Stony said, and congrats on the chicks they are adorable.

 

[stonykill]

and congrats on the chicks they are adorable.

they absolutely are

 

[bobbieschicks]

Day 19 is about to be over. No early chicks. I'm a little worried there won't be any chicks at all.

Maran eggs! Why do they have to be so hard to see thru! Why can't eggs have like one of those pop up things to tell you they're close to hatching. Or maybe they could change color like the spackling that goes on pink and turns white when it's dry.

Those tight lipped broodies better start talking soon! They aren't letting on whether or not there's anyone growing under them. Ugh!

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I was just given a game hen and chicks, I was warned, she is also not tame. I am starting by just letting the hen to get used to me, no handling is needed right now. The chicks have begun to eat the chick starter-when they get hungry they will eat what you give them. Befriend the mama and tame her, the chicks will tame down too. They are better off with the hen.

 

[stonykill]

I was just given a game hen and chicks, I was warned, she is also not tame. I am starting by just letting the hen to get used to me, no handling is needed right now. The chicks have begun to eat the chick starter-when they get hungry they will eat what you give them. Befriend the mama and tame her, the chicks will tame down too. They are better off with the hen.

yes. With time the hen will trust you. I've said it before but I'll say it again. My best broody who I got as an adult 3 years ago is very friendly towards me. Friendly as in, she comes to me looking for food and lets me near her and lets me watch her. The ONLY time I ever held her was to catch her to bring her home 3 years ago. She is a friendly girl. BUT when she hatches a new broody, she always attacks me for the 1st 3 or 4 days before calming down. We go through this 3 to 4 broods a year. Her offspring behave exactly the same. Natural GOOD broody behavior.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

One hen I had would only settle for perfectly ripe strawberries, the only 'treat' she would take from my hand. Not something they are used to...I tossed a few over ripe tomatoes for them and I could have just been throwing rocks instead...guess I'm lax in the spoiling section. I figure they get really good food and free range forage, I'm happy they bother to come home.