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fisherlady said:
For me it's just an enjoyment of the broody hen process... and you can't beat watching a broody with her newborns, I could spend hours sitting in the coop just watching chick TV! LOL
Hatching also gives folks the ability to mix breeds easier. Many suppliers don't sell less then 6 or 12 chicks, and sometimes it isn't safe or practical to ship less than a dozen at a time (for warmth and to keep them from rolling around in the shipping boxes in particular) so being able to hatch allows more variety and flexibility in numbers and breeds.

and I think we get a sense of satisfaction out of being in some way responsible for the end results, even if we don't have a major role in the hatching (trust me, the broody gets all the credit at our place, but we are still pretty proud of those little ones! )
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Did you "force" broody, or did you get lucky?
If I had a broody, then by all means...I'd let her keep things and it would be AWESOME. Unfortunately, my girls don't seem very interested.
 
wlrabbitry said:
All my Ameraucanas want to be moms. I have a lavender hen sitting on 15 right now. her and a black split take turns on the eggs but mostly the lavender one.
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Apparently that gene gets left out with the Easter Eggers...they are, however, great at finding hiding spots all over the farm for their eggs.
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My BO's seem to last a day and then lose interest. The RIR are NOT interested at ALL. My Black Australorps don't want to either.
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Maybe I'll have luck with the new girls that I just got (Speckled Sussex, Barred Rock, Delaware, Brahma, Silkie)...
 
fisherlady said:
We just got lucky.... you can't really force them, though you can strongly hint with golf balls in the nest and such... but it's up to them.
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I read a thread that talked about forcing them. I'm pretty sure my rooster would have a fit. He doesn't even like when I take one of them to quarantine!
I put the golf balls in the nest to try to make them stop hiding their eggs and it didn't work. Maybe I'll leave them there longer and see what happens...
 
I hatch my own now that I have breeding groups of birds that are of the quality I want to keep.

I struggle to keep my Cochins and brahmas laying as they are always wanting to go broody. Sometimes it drives me nuts breaking them bc I don't want any more chicks:)
 
BorderBrigade said:
I hatch my own now that I have breeding groups of birds that are of the quality I want to keep.

I struggle to keep my Cochins and brahmas laying as they are always wanting to go broody. Sometimes it drives me nuts breaking them bc I don't want any more chicks:)
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Since I'm always drowning in eggs & never have enough bator space I never argue with a broody. She gets as many eggs as her little hiney can handle.
 
SilkieSensation said:
My last 2 broodies have been bantam EE's. I had 1 hatch out a bacth the end of October & have another sitting right now. She already hatched 5 chicks (which I stole & put in the brooder) & she's still sitting on 5 call duck eggs due in another week & a half.
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I can't even get most of mine to LAY, let alone sit on the eggs. I have 10 girls of laying age who output ~4 eggs/day. I just got the 15 (1 rooster, 3-4 not laying regularly yet) who are giving me 3 eggs/day.
 

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