Red Star Broody

[nuthatched]

thank you aart for your advice re Don't keep adding eggs.

i opened the door today to let the other hen(s) go onto her nest and lay more eggs.

I take it that you didn't care for aarts sound advice? Staggered hatches are usually a good way to loose chicks.

 

[Mrs. K]

No need for the crabby remark, nuthatches. I think the OP has some confusion how this works.

Once in a great while you will have a hen slip off to a hidden nest, lay an egg, and go back day after day, until she likes the nest, and then she settles in and is 'broody'.

At THAT time, once the eggs have been heated to about 100 degrees, for 24 hours, THEN they begin to develop into chicks. That way all the eggs hatch together.

Domesticated birds, often times just get the urge, and become broody. We notice them, when they pancake out, growl at us and do not leave the nest.

After the hen has settled for a day or two, I mark my eggs with a sharpie, and give her a clutch, all at one time. These eggs will hatch within hours of each other. The problem with a staggered hatch is that once she has live ones, she will leave the nest with the live chicks and move back into the flock. The late eggs, still not ready to hatch will die.

So adding eggs later is not a good idea. Also you need to limit the number of eggs you add. A hen stirs them up, moving them around. If there is too many eggs, the ones on the outer edge are not warm enough, and die in the shell, then she stirs them up and new ones are moved out to the edge, and you wind up with very poor hatches.

Personally, I don't lock mine in. Mostly I leave mine completely alone. Generally, I check every 2-3 days, to make sure stray eggs have not gotten in there. People worry about water and feed, but the life force is enough to get them out for food and water.

Mrs K

 

[SmotherHen]

No need for the crabby remark, nuthatches. I think the OP has some confusion how this works.

Once in a great while you will have a hen slip off to a hidden nest, lay an egg, and go back day after day, until she likes the nest, and then she settles in and is 'broody'.

At THAT time, once the eggs have been heated to about 100 degrees, for 24 hours, THEN they begin to develop into chicks. That way all the eggs hatch together.

Domesticated birds, often times just get the urge, and become broody. We notice them, when they pancake out, growl at us and do not leave the nest.

After the hen has settled for a day or two, I mark my eggs with a sharpie, and give her a clutch, all at one time. These eggs will hatch within hours of each other. The problem with a staggered hatch is that once she has live ones, she will leave the nest with the live chicks and move back into the flock. The late eggs, still not ready to hatch will die.

So adding eggs later is not a good idea. Also you need to limit the number of eggs you add. A hen stirs them up, moving them around. If there is too many eggs, the ones on the outer edge are not warm enough, and die in the shell, then she stirs them up and new ones are moved out to the edge, and you wind up with very poor hatches.

Personally, I don't lock mine in. Mostly I leave mine completely alone. Generally, I check every 2-3 days, to make sure stray eggs have not gotten in there. People worry about water and feed, but the life force is enough to get them out for food and water.

Mrs K

Thank you Mrs. K. You're right, Lucy and I are new at this part of raising chicks.

 

[Mrs. K]

Well it is confusing - and someone explained it to me. And failures are part of the game, just do the best you can.

 

[SmotherHen]

Doing the best I can figure for my broody Lucy as the other hens have shown her hostility. If she has any chicks and mothers them great, and if she abandons some I'll step in and raise them. I've raised chicks successfully several times. My main concern is that Lucy gets sufficient food, water, and a little daily off the nest time to stretch her legs, etc. thanks for all your suggestions folks. much appreciated!

 

[SmotherHen]

I could not find "Red Stars" on the Cackle Hatchery site. I was trying to get an idea of what type of Red Stars they are. Red Star is a marketing name, not a breed name. They should be red sex link hens but they may be commercial egg laying hybrids or they may be crosses between two standard breeds.

Any hen of any breed or cross can possibly go broody, but some are bred to hardly ever go broody. The Red Stars that are commercial hybrids can go broody but it is tremendously rare. They try to breed broodiness out of them. The Red Stars from standard breeds may or may not go broody. Part of that depends on which breeds they are made from. Many of these Red Stars are made from breeds that often do not go broody but many does not mean all.

Whether they are Red Sex links or Black Sex Links, them being sex links is related to down color only. There is nothing about them being sex links that affects how many eggs they lay, how big they grow, or whether or not they go broody. That depends on what traits they inherit from their parents.


I'm a bit confused about this. Is she still laying eggs while "very" broody? Still, that is what I do. When a hen goes broody she stops laying so I collect eggs for her to hatch from the hens that are laying.

I don't have a clue why it would be unhealthy for the chicks that hatch from her eggs? They will inherit traits from her and the rooster. They are normal chickens.


I don't know why someone would say something like that. I'm not sure what the context actually is for this comment. Regardless of breed or type, some broody hens make great mothers while some don't. It's an individual thing, not a breed thing. No matter what the type or breed or what the actual topic is you can find someone that will have something negative to say. I find that a lot of generalizations about behaviors of breed or type don't mean much. Each is an individual chicken and will do as she does.


Absolutely not. You can give her turkey or guinea eggs to hatch and she would probably hatch and raise them, let alone chicken eggs.


I had a broody hen that came off of the nest twice a day and spent over an hour off of the nest each time. I had one that came off once a day for 15 minutes every morning. I've had some that I never saw off of the nest but I knew they were coming off because they were not pooping in the nest. All these had great hatches.

Before a hen even starts laying eggs she stores up excess fat. Most of this is in a "fat pad" in her pelvic region but that fat can be spread around. This excess fat is what a hen mostly lives off of while she is broody. This way she can stay on the nest taking care of the eggs instead of having to go out often looking for food or water. As long as she has access to food and water she should be able to manage that.

I understand you have heard a lot of slander about red stars going broody. They often do not go broody. But if she is truly broody she should be like any other broody hen. Most broody hens are great, some not so much. But trust her and you will probably do fine.

Good luck!

thank you RidgeRunner for addressing many of my concerns. I'll try not to be so much of a "SmotherHen" and trust my hen more.

I could not find "Red Stars" on the Cackle Hatchery site. I was trying to get an idea of what type of Red Stars they are. Red Star is a marketing name, not a breed name. They should be red sex link hens but they may be commercial egg laying hybrids or they may be crosses between two standard breeds.

Any hen of any breed or cross can possibly go broody, but some are bred to hardly ever go broody. The Red Stars that are commercial hybrids can go broody but it is tremendously rare. They try to breed broodiness out of them. The Red Stars from standard breeds may or may not go broody. Part of that depends on which breeds they are made from. Many of these Red Stars are made from breeds that often do not go broody but many does not mean all.

Whether they are Red Sex links or Black Sex Links, them being sex links is related to down color only. There is nothing about them being sex links that affects how many eggs they lay, how big they grow, or whether or not they go broody. That depends on what traits they inherit from their parents.


I'm a bit confused about this. Is she still laying eggs while "very" broody? Still, that is what I do. When a hen goes broody she stops laying so I collect eggs for her to hatch from the hens that are laying.

I don't have a clue why it would be unhealthy for the chicks that hatch from her eggs? They will inherit traits from her and the rooster. They are normal chickens.


I don't know why someone would say something like that. I'm not sure what the context actually is for this comment. Regardless of breed or type, some broody hens make great mothers while some don't. It's an individual thing, not a breed thing. No matter what the type or breed or what the actual topic is you can find someone that will have something negative to say. I find that a lot of generalizations about behaviors of breed or type don't mean much. Each is an individual chicken and will do as she does.


Absolutely not. You can give her turkey or guinea eggs to hatch and she would probably hatch and raise them, let alone chicken eggs.


I had a broody hen that came off of the nest twice a day and spent over an hour off of the nest each time. I had one that came off once a day for 15 minutes every morning. I've had some that I never saw off of the nest but I knew they were coming off because they were not pooping in the nest. All these had great hatches.

Before a hen even starts laying eggs she stores up excess fat. Most of this is in a "fat pad" in her pelvic region but that fat can be spread around. This excess fat is what a hen mostly lives off of while she is broody. This way she can stay on the nest taking care of the eggs instead of having to go out often looking for food or water. As long as she has access to food and water she should be able to manage that.

I understand you have heard a lot of slander about red stars going broody. They often do not go broody. But if she is truly broody she should be like any other broody hen. Most broody hens are great, some not so much. But trust her and you will probably do fine.

Good luck!

You asked about what kind of Red Star Lucy is. This is the info. that I got from the Cackle Hatchery website when I ordered her May 2023:

Red Sex Link Chicken​

A production chicken – but bred with two parents only, the RR rooster & the Pure Delaware hen.

Description​

The Red Sex Link hybrid chicken is the result of crossing two heritage chicken breeds, one of our best Cackle Hatchery® production/bloodlines of pure Rhode Island Red chicken rooster with one of our best Cackle Hatchery® production/bloodlines of pure Delaware chicken hen. The results are a color sexed baby chick and chick offspring of vigor and health. The chicken cockerels are shades of light colors and the chicken pullets are shades of red. This hybrid chicken is made from two of the best heritage chicken breeds with a long history of egg production. A great choice for raising backyard chickens and chicken breed for eggs or chicken fun. The Red Sex Link chicken is well suited for small chicken coops, larger chicken houses, tractor chicken pens and free range chicken farming. See the chick video for chick identification for male and female chicks.

Breed Facts

• Poultry Show Class: Not applicable
• Weights: Hen—–6-7 lbs
  Rooster—–8-9 lbs
  Pullet—-6 lbs
• Purpose and Type; Egg laying;Production
• Egg Shell Color: Light Brown
• Egg Production: 200-280 depending on the cross (estimates only
• Egg Size: Large
• Temperament: Active
• Broody: Non Setter
• Mating Ratio: 10 Females to 1 Male
• Roost Height: 2 to 4 feet
• Country of Origin: United States
• Breeder Farm Source: Cackle Hatchery® Poultry Breeding Farm has been developing our bloodline or strain of Red Sex Link since 1992.

 

[Ridgerunner]

A production chicken – but bred with two parents only, the RR rooster & the Pure Delaware hen.

Yes, a cross between two standard breeds, not a commercial egg-laying hybrid. That creates a lot of confusion on this forum. Many people think a Red Sex Link has to be a commercial hybrid but obviously they don't have to be.

Good luck with her as a broody.

 

[SmotherHen]

I have 4 Red Stars bought from Cackle N. and one named Lucy has gone very broody. I thought this was uncommon among sex link hens? I know it's not healthy for the chicks if they come from her eggs, so I have been slipping eggs under her from the purebreds hens. I have a purebred Barred Rock Rooster for breeding. Should I expect any problems with letting her try to raise eggs that aren't her own? She is content sitting on them. She's in an oversize nest box that i've attached a small dog pen to that holds her feed and water. She isn't interested in leaving the nest at all and I'm concerned she'll get dehydrated. I've tried wetting her beek with my finger to get her to drink. I can see her iris changing shape rapidly but she's not being defensive with me. Thank you!

Happy 4th of July Everyone! Lucy now has 4 lively Barred Rock/cross chicks and a 5th one is on the way! One more to go and that makes 6! The lively 4 are very active and learning to drink and eat chick food. They are staying close to Mom but have no problem climbing on her! Such fun! Thanks for your advice! It takes a crowd to get the job done sometimes. Lucy is a good mother so far and doesn't get upset when I check things out.