Bee~ Journal of then...

[Farmfresh]

I had just the hen for you! She was an Indian Game bird (precursor to the Cornish) and what a good broody she was. She sat tight, hatched her eggs and would fight off the devil. She was odd in another respect as well, if frightened she would freeze in cover, like a wild bird and hold until the danger passed. In addition she taught her babies how to do the same thing, no matter whose babies she raised! She always raised all her babies to adult hood.

There was just small problem... The first hatch she raised 3 pullets and 4 cockerels, so when they got large enough I separated the cockerels to be fattened for slaughter. All went incredibly well UNTIL it was time to clean them. I reached in the pen and caught the first cockerel to clean - instantly I was attacked by all of the other cockerels at the same time! Momma taught them to protect each other! That really took me by surprise! After a problem the first time I learned to just be careful at the end.

Like I said, just the broody hen for you!

 

[keljonma]

Congratulations on the broody, Bee! I agree, a move at night is a good idea, since she will be settled anyway.

You forgot to mention the Broody Poo! SMELLY! If you have a broody hen, you will certainly be able to smell it!

Sometimes a first time broody is not a good candidate for hatching eggs. But if your hen turns out to be a good one, it is a wonderful thing!

Our biggest problem is that our roo loves to break the eggs when the hen is off the nest once a day to eat, drink and do the BP thing. So we always end up bringing mama and the eggs into the mud room to hatch. But once her eggs hatched, our hen would fight off all the other hens to protect her chicks.

A good mama hen is a worthy treasure.

 

[TanksHill]

Oh, thank for all the info it helps. sounds like you have a great plan Bee and you sticking to it. Survival of the fittest. I wish I could cull my flock. I have not got to that point yet. I know I have a couple really old hens out there. Uggg... Maybe this summer.

 

[Beekissed]

Well, we went out tonight and transferred Big Mama to a broody pen with her own private nest in a nice,dark dog house. She can nest to her heart's desire! We have found two broken eggs under, so I'm guessing the metal nest box compartment just wasn't big enough for this big ol' gal and all those eggs. This way she can have more room to be more careful of the eggs. Poor thing was nearly too big for the metal nest anyway! :/

I loaded her up with some real thick-shelled NH eggs and she may lay some more of her own. Its really in her hands....er..claws... now, and I don't care about the outcome, she's no good to me while she's broody anyway and nothing but a nuisance in the coop. I'll be pleased if she succeeds, but not too disappointed if she doesn't. Either way it should be fun to watch!

She transferred without a peep and I'll check on her in the morning to see if she chose to stick with the new nest. Isn't this a miracle of life? It will take my breath away to see little chick heads peeking out from under this big, white, fluffy hen. Those White Rocks are big ol' gals, I tell you!

 

[freemotion]

So cool, my dream! Broody hens and broody turkeys! And a broody goat!

 

[Beekissed]

No kids yet, free? Well, it takes as long as it takes, my granny always said..... I'll probably be just the same way when my sheep lamb....I just want to be there and get to see it, be a part of it, to help if needed and to be able to say I was able to handle it. Does that cover it?

I would like very much to slip about 4 goose eggs under a broody this summer and see if I can hatch my own geese!

 

[freemotion]

I'm checking every two hours, you'll be just as obsessed if not worse! I am pooped and will give her three hours this time. She is so sweet, sniffs my face thoroughly each time I see her. Her udder is so much bigger and tighter than it was earlier today.

Since I am checking on her so often, she will probably keep her legs crossed until mid-morning. But it is drafty and cold, so I will keep checking. zzzzzzzzz.......

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

No kids yet, free? Well, it takes as long as it takes, my granny always said..... I'll probably be just the same way when my sheep lamb....I just want to be there and get to see it, be a part of it, to help if needed and to be able to say I was able to handle it. Does that cover it?

I would like very much to slip about 4 goose eggs under a broody this summer and see if I can hatch my own geese!

Would you like some Embden eggs when mine start laying?

 

[Beekissed]

I would LOVE them! I will pay your price and shipping, if I can afford it at the time! My sis has the weeder package of geese....but her geese are laying all over and she doesn't keep track of anything and one could never know how old the eggs were, you know? She has offered to hatch out some in the incubator, but she is so mismanaged over there that she wouldn't be able to tell what eggs came from what geese! I would like to have Embden or Toulouse geese if I could.


And then, Quail, I would have to have a broody that wants to set at the time......if I get one this spring and you have eggs to sell at the same time...maybe we could pull this off!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Check your pm's!

I know they've been mating, and I am hoping they start their laying in the next week or two. The male most certainly does NOT like for me to be in their pen at all!