What r my chances of rearing chicks natural? no incubater

[joann]

I have 7 White Rock, 1 Roaster and 2 banty's.

I wait to raise them for meat and eggs.

Will they repoduce all by themself and rear own young?

 

[SoccerMomof7]

That's what I was wondering, that will they reproduce with no intervention from me.

 

[ginasmarans]

They will as long s your hens go broody. I think white rocks are a broody breed,but that is no gaunantee that they will.It depends on how much you plan on depending on them. Most hens can cover 12 eggs fairly easy. The problem is that you can't schedule them. They go broody on their own schedule. I have 4 broody marans hens now and they care not one whit that I am selling the eggs they are supposed to be laying.

 

[MissPrissy]

In 20 years I have only had 1 broody hen. One. 1.

I would love to do it nature's way but nature won't cooperate!

There is no gaurentee you hens will ever go broody. Some just don't.

I hope you get at least one and the others will lay eggs for you.

 

[zippychickens]

Oh my! I had a little "picture" in my head about some of my hens just laying eggs and some of them hatching out little fluff balls and everything just perfect. The fact that miss priss has only had 1 broody hen is totally squishing my picture heehee, thanks for the reality check maybe I'll be investing in a incubator after all.

 

[ginasmarans]

Porr MissPrissy, on the other hand,I have 4 broody hens right now. I usually have 12-15 go broody each year.

 

[BeckyLa]

I've never had white rocks so I know nothing about them, but my banty hens are raising their second brood already this year. First time I let them raise their own breed, oegb banties, but on the second time one hatched 4 Polish for me and the other hen is setting on 4 Barred Rock eggs.

 

[panner123]

Best incubator going is a good silkie hen. She will try her best to hatch a marble if it is her nest. Mostly it depends on the breed, but ALL hens will go broody. If they didn't, we would not have any chickens today. We didn't have incubators a undred years ago. If you handle your hens to much they won't go broody. They must be left alone at this time. If they are disturbed, they will go to another nest and keep moving until they either hatch an egg or stop brooding. Last year I had 275 haens go broody at the same time. They his their nest in the field away from the coops. Never want that to happen again, although the money from the chicks was good. Put a fake egg in your hen's nest and leave her be and she will go briidy is waht I am saying.

 

[SoccerMomof7]

Well I have 3 california whites and a black austrolorp and a SLW (I think) does anybody know those breeds usually go broody? I only want a few more so I can't get crazy my DH will go crazy!

Oh that's a good idea (plastic egg thing)!

 

[coffeemama]

I've had lots of bantams go broody over the years, but like people said, it's unpredictable. I would invested in a bator or buy chicks