Why is she perching here??

[slordaz]

Could she be feeling lonely because our mother hen isn't still raising her? One of the hens raised her along with our other Polish.

from what I've seen with the polish they are quite motherly, a friend got some and then we got baby chicks of a non crested breed and they wanted to raise them until they started tugging on their crests through the divider. I don't really think it's something to worry about

 

[KikiDeAnime]

from what I've seen with the polish they are quite motherly, a friend got some and then we got baby chicks of a non crested breed and they wanted to raise them until they started tugging on their crests through the divider. I don't really think it's something to worry about

Would she go broody once she's mature? Is it possible for her?
I didn't plan on buying more chicks this year and our 3 cockerels are the same age as her so they aren't old enough to breed the hens/pullets yet.

 

[slordaz]

Would she go broody once she's mature? Is it possible for her?
I didn't plan on buying more chicks this year and our 3 cockerels are the same age as her so they aren't old enough to breed the hens/pullets yet.

Most likely if she's already moving over to the brooder area where you have 2 hens brooding and she is approaching laying age, if one of the older hens has eggs and they want to brood they will accept other eggs and do it. better to not get chicks find some fertilized eggs to give to her

 

[KikiDeAnime]

Most likely if she's already moving over to the brooder area where you have 2 hens brooding and she is approaching laying age, if one of the older hens has eggs tand they want to brood they will accept other eggs and do it

What should I do if she does decide to go broody? Since she's young, would it be easier to break her out of it?

 

[slordaz]

What should I do if she does decide to go broody? Since she's young, would it be easier to break her out of it?

depends what you want to do on that. I've found our hens we break on first broody when they want to tend to not want to brood later at a rate of about 75/25

 

[KikiDeAnime]

depends what you want to do on that. I've found our hens we break on first broody when they want to tend to not want to brood later at a rate of about 75/25

I think breaking her out of it is better because I was told that I have to wait until spring to get more baby chicks.

 

[slordaz]

I think breaking her out of it is better because I was told that I have to wait until spring to get more baby chicks.

That's your decision based on where your at, I am up north and had a determined broody sneak in a late brood and hatched out late November and she raised them just fine even when they thought the snow was evil

 

[KikiDeAnime]

That's your decision based on where your at, I am up north and had a determined broody sneak in a late brood and hatched out late November and she raised them just fine even when they thought the snow was evil

When should I expect the cockerels to start mounting the hens/pullets? If she doesn't go broody until after the boys start breeding the girls, I could allow her to hatch some chicks out.

 

[slordaz]

When should I expect the cockerels to start mounting the hens/pullets? If she doesn't go broody until after the boys start breeding the girls, I could allow her to hatch some chicks out.

just depend but usually roosters mature sooner than the females and mine started trying about a week before hen of pullet of same age started laying, My heritage breeds just started laying and we tossed first 3 days of eggs in incubator as they are on conservancies threatened list, and we had 1/4 that is actually fertilized. you would probably be best but chickens didn't read the rules book to know the rules to wait a month after she starts laying or see if anyone around has some fertilized eggs if she truly goes broody, a true broody will not be picky about the eggs under her and raise them as her own. Mine started with first egg but had to get some practice in obviously lol

 

[KikiDeAnime]

just depend but usually roosters mature sooner than the females, My heritage breeds just started laying and we tossed first 3 days of eggs in incubator as they are on conservancies threatened list, and we had 1/4 that is actually fertilized. you would probably be best but chickens didn't read the rules book to know the rules to wait a month after she starts laying or see if anyone around has some fertilized eggs if she truly goes broody, a true broody will not be picky about the eggs under her and raise them as her own. Mine started with first egg but had to get some practice in obviously lol

2 years ago our #1 mother hen, who is currently raising chicks with another hen, tried to hatch out golf balls when she first when broody