To my fellow enablers

[jadip4]

Morning all ...

I may be excited and putting the cart before the horse here .. but the past couple days, my EE hen has been hogging both the nest boxes and filling them with feathers. She's been so ornery to the other gals, they've started laying in the floor. She puffs up and grumbles and growls, but walks off if I so much as look at her funny. This makes me question how committed she is. I've been saving out her eggs since she's still laying just in case . Mind you, we have a BA with 9 EE chicks that are 3.5 weeks. Really .. I need to be subtracting. Not multiplying. I know this ... I really really know this.

But (of course there's a but) Of the current chicks that are still so so young, 5 are already showing some awfully pink combs. I have a friend that's asked for some birds, so she'll take some, for sure. All the cockerels will go to freezer camp. I could always sell extra stock, too.

Decisions, decisions ...

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Morning all ...

I may be excited and putting the cart before the horse here .. but the past couple days, my EE hen has been hogging both the nest boxes and filling them with feathers. She's been so ornery to the other gals, they've started laying in the floor. She puffs up and grumbles and growls, but walks off if I so much as look at her funny. This makes me question how committed she is. I've been saving out her eggs since she's still laying just in case . Mind you, we have a BA with 9 EE chicks that are 3.5 weeks. Really .. I need to be subtracting. Not multiplying. I know this ... I really really know this.

But (of course there's a but) Of the current chicks that are still so so young, 5 are already showing some awfully pink combs. I have a friend that's asked for some birds, so she'll take some, for sure. All the cockerels will go to freezer camp. I could always sell extra stock, too.

Decisions, decisions ...

How old is she? My gals always give us clues a few days ahead of broodiness and sometimes start sitting before the last 1 or 2 eggs have exited their station.

If you have the semi short term space available and no problems with freezer camp and selling extra stock... I would enjoy the broody craze. Though broody's are certainly not without any effort or work on our part, you probably already know that. But it's a labor of love.

Her making your other gals lay on the floor would be an issue for me, over the 21+ days of brooding. And nest hopping is a mess in the making and could end up with half developed eggs that accidentally got left behind. But if you're ready to deal with the challenges... Well, I AM an enabler!

 

[jadip4]

I just knew I'd get some help talking myself into this. She's just over a year old. I've been grabbing eggs a few times a day so the only thing she's trying to hatch is a golf ball.

I have our current mama bird and chicks in their own section of the run. She's been pacing the fence the past couple days and I was going to see this weekend if she was ready to move the babies in with the rest of the flock ... sooo, I could just rotate possible broody into that pen and basically start over. Babies are only staying long enough till I have a better idea of the sex and they'll be moved out accordingly.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Sounds like it could work.

My mums raise their chicks with the flock from day 1. Roosters rock at calling them to treats and such, usually. I would let the pacing gal out. It's best if the chicks can be integrated before mom boots them to the curb and have to fend for their own safety. Of course each and every situation is unique. I don't take babes away until mom has booted them by her own choice... usually. I did confiscate some after losing to many to a hawk. I felt bad for mom and babes as both were upset but it was a life and death situation.

I very often try to talk people out of letting broody's set so long and lose condition. But her age is good and you seem prepared to deal with the boys without the big dreams of finding every single one of them a happily ever after home. So I'm not sensing disillusion you should be steered away from.

Also... if I wanna try new breeds... I adopt feed store chicks ALL the time to my gals. My ladies will brood air! As if the shavings will hatch out or something.

Hope your adventure goes fantastic!

 

[jadip4]

Hmmm .. I could see how it goes tonight. I was concerned about them getting hurt. Mama is pretty good to them, and I can provide places for them to hide.

But her age is good and you seem prepared to deal with the boys without the big dreams of finding every single one of them a happily ever after home. So I'm not sensing disillusion you should be steered away from.

Happily ever after in my belly... we eat so much chicken it only makes sense when there's an overabundance in the back yard.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Mama is pretty good to them, and I can provide places for them to hide.

While she will still defend them is good. The babes quickly learn who to avoid in your flock and if they've been where they can be seen then they will probably be good.

IF I have issues... it's most often with the younger pullets or cockerels who are still trying to make a place in the pecking order. But a peck to make them run away is no big deal. A relentless chasing bully, though.... well they better shape up or they WILL ship out quickly. I got no room or tolerance for chick bullies! Attitude DOES breed forward. I usually supervise the first day mom brings babes "out" to see how things are gonna go. Also she will be able to teach them to roost and all that good stuff still. It's always a little scary since chicken dynamics can be brutal. But broody hormones work VERY well to give mom the upper hand. You should have seen some of my LF ladies missing all their front neck feathers from messing with my Silkie. She just opens up a can of crazy mama on them!

 

[jadip4]

Thank you, @EggSighted4Life .. they've only been separated by some chicken wire. Full view this whole time. The EE would stay close and watch them. I thought it was ominous at the time, but now I'm thinking she was getting baby fever

... and gracious they are fast little buggers that are scared of us. They run and holler behind Mama who hides them anytime we come near.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'm thinking she was getting baby fever

I'm actually pretty sure it IS contagious! It seems to spread like wildfire.

It's true most broody raised babes are taught to avoid us. The ones who are going to friendly up do seem to snap out of it later in life though. Getting your gals used to handling by you while they are still on the eggs so they can chill a little helps a lot. And she WILL teach them to come running for treats every time they see you if you bring some... even just once. I start while the chicks still don't care anything about her broody squealing and don't yet see me as a threat before she leave the box. I pet her and them and just keep my hand in the box a bit, maybe run my finger through the feed. But they always seem to go through a more sketchy phase and settle back down as developmental changes take place. I don't handle much when they have lots of pin feathers since it's uncomfortable for them. And ya, they are a bit faster than the big kids as long as they don't get cornered. I sure can't catch them speedy little buggers either!

 

[jadip4]

The ones who are going to friendly up do seem to snap out of it later in life though

That's good to know. The whole point to hatch out the first group was to replace one EE hen we lost. Hoping whichever hen(s) we keep on don't run from me in terror.

 

[jadip4]

She's totally broody
I took her eggs and left her sitting on her golf ball until I can get her spot ready.

Now .. I may have a problem ... or dinner

A relentless chasing bully, though.... well they better shape up or they WILL ship out quickly

I let mama and littles into the run with the biguns tonight to see how it would go. Mama laid into anyone who got too close, including the rooster. He managed to peck a chick and that hen pummeled him. I was so proud .. but then he wouldn't let up with her. It looked like he didn't like her trying to push him around and wanted her to submit. I don't know how old he is .. was grown when we got him from a fellow church member.