Woohoo! It's official!

[Year of the Rooster]

My first Non-Silkie hen has succumbed to broodiness!!!

It's my Black Australorp girl, Audrey, who is just over 2 years old. Took her long enough

 

[lauralou]

Congrats!

 

[MeatKing]

Congrats!

 

[Mahonri]

Got fertile eggs? under her?

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Quote:
Not yet. We're debating on letting her hatch since we have limited room and with winter coming up I'm not sure if the chicks will grow fast enough.

 

[gryeyes]

Oh, I would let the poor thing hatch some eggs! It would be so much easier for her to take care of chicks in the winter than for YOU to brood 'em.

It's been my experience (yah, one chick so far) that the broody hatched chicks feather out faster, learn SO much more from mom, and if she starts setting on eggs tomorrow, she'll have chicks on the 26th of October, and they'll grow fast and become independant much more quickly.

Besides, if you don't let her do it NOW, what's to say she'll still be in good condition to last the incubation period well, LATER? And what if she doesn't go broody when you WANT her to, in the spring?

Think early birds, worms, and all that. (I kinda thought it was an appropriate comparison, sort of...)

 

[Year of the Rooster]

I just might let her. I was just excited because all of my other broodies who have hatched and raised chicks were Silkies