When is the Best Time to Allow Hatching?

[GardenNovice]

In June, I will be in 1 year raising chickens. I ordered my chicks from Meyer and with the exception of winding up with 5 roosters out of the 18 hens, they have done great. Getting up to a dozen eggs a day or every two days.

I live in Houston, and plan on allowing my hens to hatch some of their own. Since this is still new to me, my questions are:

Living in a warmer climate, though right now we are 39 degrees, is there a better time of the year to allow them to hatch?

Will I need to give the chicks any shots or can they remain free from any vacs?

Will I have to separate the mother and babies from the rest of the birds until they are larger?

Thanks in advance...

 

[familyfarm1]

I don't think it's a problem hatching chicks now, but I have only done is in April/March living in VA. I've never given my chicks any shots and they turned out fine. Yes you should separate the mother hen from the rest of the flocks till the chicks are older. Here is a GREAT article about hatching and raising chicks with a broody hen: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/guide-to-letting-broody-hens-hatch-and-raise-chicks

 

[GardenNovice]

Thanks....I appreciate it...Great article!

 

[maddog3355]

What kind of chickens do you have? More than likely the ones you have wont go broody. Anymore you need mixed breeds or Bantys to raise your own.

 

[GardenNovice]

I have Buff Orpingtons, Rhode Island Reds, and Black Australorps...The roosters I kept are an Bard Rock and a Buff Orpington. I ordered this type based on advice from Meyer for broodiness, so I've got the scale of broody covered...

 

[familyfarm1]

Buff Orpingtons are AMAZING broody hens. Rhode Island reds rarely become broody.

 

[RoosterDon]

Hey MADDOG, how do you know the ones he has won't go broody? Are there specific breeds that go broody more often?

We started raising chickens a little over a year ago. We pretty much have a mixed bunch of chickens. Our Americauna went broody but her eggs did not hatch. She never tried again.

We continued to hatch eggs from our own hens, further mixing the breeds, and one of our blue egg layers went broody and successfully hatched an egg, but the chick was eaten by a hawk (I have since solved that problem). That hen has not gone broody again.

I figured when a hen went broody that they would do it over and over? But this is not the case with ours.

Logically it seems that broodyness has been pretty much eliminated due to us taking over the hatching process with large scale hatcheries and of course the small hatchers like ourselves.

Anyway, just curious as to your expanded thoughts on this.

 

[GardenNovice]

Yep, that's why I ordered they way I did...some broody some not so much...

 

[maddog3355]

Meyer might have not bred the broodiness out of there stock but a lot of them have. They breed for egg production. It's annoying to some to have there chickens sitting all the time. Good luck and let us know if they still have the motherly instinct in them.

 

[GardenNovice]

A couple of my hens appear to want to sit on their eggs, but I am not ready for that to happen yet. But in any case, I will let ya know how it comes in a few months...