Stella's Social Club

[robhuncor]

The

was for them, not you!

I just went out now and Lukka was pacing in the coop, clucking and flapping, no babies in sight. I found them, one nest box over, under another broody! I gave them back to Lukka. By the time I finished feeding the other animals the babies were back under the other broody, sitting on eggs! Not sure how I am going to work this one out. I may have to move Lukka back to the Icelandic coop even though it isn't baby proof. Jeeze.

It sounds like leaving babies with broodies is more trouble than raising them yourself in a brooder! Years ago I had several broody mommas and tragedy occurred with all of them. And the babies that survived were very unfriendly. I like having more control of the situation, I guess.

 

[speckledhen]

Really depends on the broody and if she is left in the flock. Dottie has raised her five 9 week old youngsters in the broody pen, which is inside the Orp coop (separated from that side). They take their cues from her and she has taught them that we are the good guys so they are super friendly and personable and now, very educated. She is full time free range when she gets outside with them until they are large enough to go in with the adults. She gets my vote for Broody of the Year for 2014. Penny and Carly are almost as good, but they are in with the rest of the bantams and it's more chaotic in there.

 

[ronott1]

It sounds like leaving babies with broodies is more trouble than raising them yourself in a brooder! Years ago I had several broody mommas and tragedy occurred with all of them. And the babies that survived were very unfriendly. I like having more control of the situation, I guess.

It helps to feed them treats. I have a Broody raising 5 Partridge Penedesneca chicks(did I post the video here?) She walks up to me and calls the chicks over. Soon I will start hand feeding them to get the chicks more friendly.

Really depends on the broody and if she is left in the flock. Dottie has raised her five 9 week old youngsters in the broody pen, which is inside the Orp coop (separated from that side). They take their cues from her and she has taught them that we are the good guys so they are super friendly and personable and now, very educated. She is full time free range when she gets outside with them until they are large enough to go in with the adults. She gets my vote for Broody of the Year for 2014. Penny and Carly are almost as good, but they are in with the rest of the bantams and it's more chaotic in there.

It is not a good idea to leave chicks and Mom in with the other big girls. Someone mentioned that, as a long time poultry person, they had never heard of leaving Broodies and babies in with the flock.

My Current Broody has the main part of the back yard to raise the chick. They will be two weeks old tomorrow and doing very well. She has not lost any of them so far.

 

[speckledhen]

....

It is not a good idea to leave chicks and Mom in with the other big girls. Someone mentioned that, as a long time poultry person, they had never heard of leaving Broodies and babies in with the flock.

My Current Broody has the main part of the back yard to raise the chick. They will be two weeks old tomorrow and doing very well. She has not lost any of them so far.

That also depends. The Belgian D'Anvers do very well with babies in the flock. The males father the chicks and the other hens usually are put in their places quickly by the broody. The chicks can run up to almost any hen in the flock without fear of being hurt. I'd never do that in my LF flocks, but it works 99% of the time with the D'Anvers. I've done it many, many times, in fact, almost every time a broody has chicks. I may during the first couple of days keep them separate until the chicks get their land legs, but sometimes, I don't. Remember, wild flocks raise chicks within the flock, the natural way of things, though I realize our domesticated flocks are a big different.

I think also that many old poultry breeders do not free range their flocks so they do things differently than I do all round. All of my LF broodies do raise their chicks free ranging because I do not have separate pens for them.

 

[kathyinmo]

I have a few broodies with chicks. Let's see..... ummm, only 5 now I think. I gave away a bunch of broodies AND their chicks. Anyway, I was outside today and I did video them running around. I will get it uploaded later. I did upload this little video though.....
My grandson, Kayson, just cracks me up. He watched this video and said, "Awww, that is adorable...... AND silly."

(He says a-doy-able)

 

[speckledhen]

Aimee went to a nest instead of to roost. She's gone over the edge. So, officially, 5 of the 6 beginning of spring broodies are doing it again.

 

[mlm Mike]

I have a few broodies with chicks. Let's see..... ummm, only 5 now I think. I gave away a bunch of broodies AND their chicks. Anyway, I was outside today and I did video them running around. I will get it uploaded later. I did upload this little video though.....
My grandson, Kayson, just cracks me up. He watched this video and said, "Awww, that is adorable...... AND silly."

(He says a-doy-able)

That is "a-doy-able"!

Aimee went to a nest instead of to roost. She's gone over the edge. So, officially, 5 of the 6 beginning of spring broodies are doing it again.

Oh, no.

 

[The Sheriff]

He must have felt like he was really high up!

 

[Cynthia12]

Kathy .. he is right, that is adorable! I had a red head..it was auburn red, he's now in his 30's, has lost some, and, is now more of a strawberry blonde. I love red heads!

 

[kathyinmo]

Kathy .. he is right, that is adorable! I had a red head..it was auburn red, he's now in his 30's, has lost some, and, is now more of a strawberry blonde. I love red heads!

We love redheads, too! We are a family of redheads. Me and 3 of our 5 children have red hair. This is me, Mike and our oldest 3 in 1975. The 2 kids by me have red hair.