Stupid broody

[Mvan42]

Welp, I wasn't planning on getting the incubator out. But the hen who argued with me for three days that she wanted to be a mama, decided to leave the nest for the roost..

I caught it in time, out of 8 eggs 5 are alive and well 2 the shells are to dark to be sure and onw well I an not to sure about it.

Darn hen anyway...

 

[Debbie292d]

I chuckle as mine used to just lay the eggs and hatch them, but after having to raise their babies for them so they could be broodie again, I quit and bought an incubator. Now we have four of them.

I presume that was her first time? Usually, they get better in subsequent hatches. I just got tired of being handed back the babies at only 4-5 weeks old.

 

[BoundlessLove]

It won’t hurt to leave them all in the incubator and keep an eye out.
Best wishes with the hatch!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

just got tired of being handed back the babies at only 4-5 weeks old.

Our hens weaned their first chicks at 4 weeks and the chicks were fully integrated with the flock at that point, sleeping on the roosts and everything.

This second batch (21 chicks) got weaned just a little later than that but they did not follow the hens into the Big House. About two weeks later we locked them out of the brooder and they, very confused, figured out (with a bit of our help) that they needed to find a spot in the Big House. But during those two weeks they were totally on their own. They sure didn't need us!

 

[Debbie292d]

Our hens weaned their first chicks at 4 weeks and the chicks were fully integrated with the flock at that point, sleeping on the roosts and everything.

This second batch (21 chicks) got weaned just a little later than that but they did not follow the hens into the Big House. About two weeks later we locked them out of the brooder and they, very confused, figured out (with a bit of our help) that they needed to find a spot in the Big House. But during those two weeks they were totally on their own. They sure didn't need us!

Ours beat them up in the "Big House," including their own mother, so this was when the first growout pen was built. We now have an additional coop and three growout pens.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Do they hang out with the flock from an early age? Ours were with the flock, with their mothers of course, from just a few days old. They got pecked a little in the Big House, but not beat up.

 

[Debbie292d]

Do they hang out with the flock from an early age? Ours were with the flock, with their mothers of course, from just a few days old. They got pecked a little in the Big House, but not beat up.

They did, but they cowered in the corner of the coop, on the floor, were the last ones in at night, and the first ones out. I was having to put a separate feeder and waterer right outside the coop so they'd get to eat and drink, and in fact, I am doing that again with 4-5 month old silkies we just integrated into the coop.

 

[BoundlessLove]

They did, but they cowered in the corner of the coop, on the floor, were the last ones in at night, and the first ones out. I was having to put a separate feeder and waterer right outside the coop so they'd get to eat and drink, and in fact, I am doing that again with 4-5 month old silkies we just integrated into the coop.

Is this a silkie trait?
I’ve always had LF until this year.
I just raised four silkies which two are pullets.
I’m really hoping they will be good mamas, as I’d like to use them instead of an incubator and brood pen.

 

[Debbie292d]

Is this a silkie trait?
I’ve always had LF until this year.
I just raised four silkies which two are pullets.
I’m really hoping they will be good mamas, as I’d like to use them instead of an incubator and brood pen.

I'm not aware if it is a silkie trait or not as that's all I raise/breed. I do know I've tried many different things and nothing else works any better so we just keep doing the same thing a couple of times per year.