Our first broody hen was quite a September 2018 surprise. An F2 Olive Egger (9mo old "Baby") decided to set, and that got the attention of a 6 month old Speckled Sussex named Marceline to be the alternate while Baby got food and water. It was decided to give Marceline some eggs of her own, about a week behind baby. This was exciting times. Luckily, they were in a coop that is connected to the main coop, and was, at the time, open for pass-through. We closed it off to give the future mothers privacy, and a perfect see-through fencing for reintegration.
Above, Baby and Marceline with the hatchlings. 10 born, all buff or red in color except for 1 black girl and 1 white boy. Sadly, this hatch turned up 8 boys and 2 girls. I never had any intention of keeping any of the males, but my DW took a liking to the lone white cockerel, which we passively named him White Bread.
As he grew up, we rehomed the other 7 cockerels, and let the ones left to free range at times with the 2 mothers. I kept thinking that he would have the target on his head for the Hawks were always a big threat, as we live on a mountain next to an open field, but about 219 ft shy of the peak where the hawks monitor all below. That was okay for me, as I really didn’t want to lose a layer, and cockerels are the biggest problem with housing for me. To my astonishment, he was very alert, and got everyone to cover when the hawk swooped to just 6 feet from the ground... many times.
By being raised by hens, and sent out in the open early, he learned so much more than our first 3 roosters ever hoped to. He was a cross of a F2 Olive Egger (1 part Ameraucana 2 parts Maran, named Poe) and an outstanding production White Leghorn (Sweet Dee), both of which have mild temperaments.
Poe (WB’s dad) with his girl Castle
Sweet Dee at molt (WB’s mom)
Fast forward a few months, and we want to consolidate everybody and put the girls back, so we rehomed our Buff Orpington Rooster (Biff, good guy, just not protective) and put everyone together. White Bread, being young, took his lumps from experienced girls. But he learned, and didn’t hold a grudge*. Eventually, he earned his #1 status, without a fuss. Before the additions of other breeds nearby, he crowed only as necessary.
In April or May, I was alerted by my DW that WB was in nesting boxes, like he was thinking he could lay an egg, too! But that wasn’t the case, we just didn't know that a really good rooster will make a nest for his special ladies to lay.
White Bread and Amelia on a fresh bail
And it was in May, that his hatching mother Marceline decided to hatch some more chicks. Although I let her hatch in the main coop, I moved her to the adjacent coop because the of the nesting boxes she hatched in being metal and too cramped to raise chicks.
Besides, they could still interact through a fence. She raised the chicks for 6 weeks, and I reintroduced Marceline and gang minus the cockerels. WB welcomed Marceline back and was protective of the chicks. Such easy integration among all the mean girls.
Fast forward to September 2019, at only 18 months, Marceline was broody for a 3rd time! We did not want any more chicks this year, as we are refocusing on breeds. We tried everything for 3 weeks to break her, including 20 minutes in ice water multiple times , in September in the mountains of western Maryland! We finally gave up for her health. Gave her some WB x F2 and F3 Olive Eggs. October 6th, she hatched out 5 eggs. We immediately moved her to a new cattle panel tarped coop we coined The Hospital. She not only raised her 5, but also took on 5 more a week later that a young English Orpington had hatched but didn’t seem interested in mothering them. Marceline didn’t bat an eye, she raised every one as her own.
On December 6th, 2019, we just moved Marceline and the 4 of 10 that were pullets, overnight to the main layer coop. When the coop awakened Dec. 7, there was minor chaos during the low light morning, even with WB. But once it brightened up, he danced around Marcy... and once the deed was done, he protected her, and the 4 pullets she was protecting, from all who haven’t scene Marcy in 2 months. The only issue all day, was Marceline keeping the little girls indoor and scaring off her previous hatched girls coming in to lay eggs.
BTW, after hatching a few of WB’s seeds to light brown layers (tinted), we’ve figured out his color. Also, his offspring lay proficiently due to the white leghorn blood, I assume.
Sadly, on December 30, 2019, during a 60-70 degree rainy week (very abnormal), White Bread fell ill and I had to put him down. We believe he found mushrooms, as that run has been known to sprout them overnight in warm moist times. We weren’t doing our daily morning ritual of seeking them at first light, as it was December. It should be noted I started writing this in early December, and this is the only paragraph written since.
Things I’ve learned:
- A good rooster is a good rooster. Can’t get rid of him. Here for life.
- A good mother is a good mother. Can’t get rid of her. Here for life.
- The grudge I put the * asterisk next to. WB being our 4th rooster in 3 years, we’ve learned that the previous rooster’s #1 girl will resist the new guy at all cost. Poe’s #1 girl was Castle, a beautiful F3 Olive Egger (really a blue maran at this point) did not take to his replacement, a Buff Orpington name Biff that’s #1 was a Buff Orpington named Buffy (yes...we’re really creative, shrug). Now Buffy wants zero to do with WB, and hasn’t been very productive. She’d be getting rehomed if she wasn’t such a good chaperone. Every time we introduce young pullets, she hangs with them and shows them things, never aggressive. Loving like a grandma that knows she can give them back. Castle, Poe's #1, still going strong with grade 5 Maran eggs.
Above, Baby and Marceline with the hatchlings. 10 born, all buff or red in color except for 1 black girl and 1 white boy. Sadly, this hatch turned up 8 boys and 2 girls. I never had any intention of keeping any of the males, but my DW took a liking to the lone white cockerel, which we passively named him White Bread.
As he grew up, we rehomed the other 7 cockerels, and let the ones left to free range at times with the 2 mothers. I kept thinking that he would have the target on his head for the Hawks were always a big threat, as we live on a mountain next to an open field, but about 219 ft shy of the peak where the hawks monitor all below. That was okay for me, as I really didn’t want to lose a layer, and cockerels are the biggest problem with housing for me. To my astonishment, he was very alert, and got everyone to cover when the hawk swooped to just 6 feet from the ground... many times.
By being raised by hens, and sent out in the open early, he learned so much more than our first 3 roosters ever hoped to. He was a cross of a F2 Olive Egger (1 part Ameraucana 2 parts Maran, named Poe) and an outstanding production White Leghorn (Sweet Dee), both of which have mild temperaments.
Poe (WB’s dad) with his girl Castle
Sweet Dee at molt (WB’s mom)
Fast forward a few months, and we want to consolidate everybody and put the girls back, so we rehomed our Buff Orpington Rooster (Biff, good guy, just not protective) and put everyone together. White Bread, being young, took his lumps from experienced girls. But he learned, and didn’t hold a grudge*. Eventually, he earned his #1 status, without a fuss. Before the additions of other breeds nearby, he crowed only as necessary.
In April or May, I was alerted by my DW that WB was in nesting boxes, like he was thinking he could lay an egg, too! But that wasn’t the case, we just didn't know that a really good rooster will make a nest for his special ladies to lay.
White Bread and Amelia on a fresh bail
And it was in May, that his hatching mother Marceline decided to hatch some more chicks. Although I let her hatch in the main coop, I moved her to the adjacent coop because the of the nesting boxes she hatched in being metal and too cramped to raise chicks.
Besides, they could still interact through a fence. She raised the chicks for 6 weeks, and I reintroduced Marceline and gang minus the cockerels. WB welcomed Marceline back and was protective of the chicks. Such easy integration among all the mean girls.
Fast forward to September 2019, at only 18 months, Marceline was broody for a 3rd time! We did not want any more chicks this year, as we are refocusing on breeds. We tried everything for 3 weeks to break her, including 20 minutes in ice water multiple times , in September in the mountains of western Maryland! We finally gave up for her health. Gave her some WB x F2 and F3 Olive Eggs. October 6th, she hatched out 5 eggs. We immediately moved her to a new cattle panel tarped coop we coined The Hospital. She not only raised her 5, but also took on 5 more a week later that a young English Orpington had hatched but didn’t seem interested in mothering them. Marceline didn’t bat an eye, she raised every one as her own.
On December 6th, 2019, we just moved Marceline and the 4 of 10 that were pullets, overnight to the main layer coop. When the coop awakened Dec. 7, there was minor chaos during the low light morning, even with WB. But once it brightened up, he danced around Marcy... and once the deed was done, he protected her, and the 4 pullets she was protecting, from all who haven’t scene Marcy in 2 months. The only issue all day, was Marceline keeping the little girls indoor and scaring off her previous hatched girls coming in to lay eggs.
BTW, after hatching a few of WB’s seeds to light brown layers (tinted), we’ve figured out his color. Also, his offspring lay proficiently due to the white leghorn blood, I assume.
Sadly, on December 30, 2019, during a 60-70 degree rainy week (very abnormal), White Bread fell ill and I had to put him down. We believe he found mushrooms, as that run has been known to sprout them overnight in warm moist times. We weren’t doing our daily morning ritual of seeking them at first light, as it was December. It should be noted I started writing this in early December, and this is the only paragraph written since.
Things I’ve learned:
- A good rooster is a good rooster. Can’t get rid of him. Here for life.
- A good mother is a good mother. Can’t get rid of her. Here for life.
- The grudge I put the * asterisk next to. WB being our 4th rooster in 3 years, we’ve learned that the previous rooster’s #1 girl will resist the new guy at all cost. Poe’s #1 girl was Castle, a beautiful F3 Olive Egger (really a blue maran at this point) did not take to his replacement, a Buff Orpington name Biff that’s #1 was a Buff Orpington named Buffy (yes...we’re really creative, shrug). Now Buffy wants zero to do with WB, and hasn’t been very productive. She’d be getting rehomed if she wasn’t such a good chaperone. Every time we introduce young pullets, she hangs with them and shows them things, never aggressive. Loving like a grandma that knows she can give them back. Castle, Poe's #1, still going strong with grade 5 Maran eggs.
always tough on the heart when they are gone.
