Broodies on the Homestead

[Beekissed]

She sounds like a good hen and she's gorgeous. I wish one of mine would go broody for me. Though I'd have to get eggs from elsewhere for them to hatch. I don't have a cockbird any more.

If you didn't live so far, Miss Sumi, I'd send you some WR eggs to hatch. You could hatch with a heating pad if you had a mind to do so. Just too far to send eggs and still expect them to be viable for hatching, though.

 

[Beekissed]

Beekissed, apart from that, the paperwork to import eggs is a nightmare on both ends! I looked into getting some eggs from the States and good heavens… Big hassle and even more $$$

If my hens decide to cooperate, I'll probably go get some eggs from our nearby travellers. They have some lovely games.

You live near travelers???? How interesting!!! Do you get to observe their lives much? Do they still use the traditional horse drawn caravans and use gypsy draft horses and all?

 

[Beekissed]

Checked tonight if she was still on the nest or on the roosts...on the roosts, so she may just be feeling a tad broody but not full on in earnest yet. Whew! I wasn't quite ready for a broody this early, though it would be nice to get early chicks for an earlier fall finish to maturity.

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Yes, I used live very close to a group of them and being me, went to visit so I can see their chickens. The poor people were so shocked! They are just, just tolerated here. They have a bad reputation for petty crimes, bad attitudes and rough living and they are not doing themselves any favours by living up to that reputation often. They usually have horses, which they take out on the roads with little buggies, just for sport, and many of them keep chickens too (gamefowl for fighting). Most of them live in trailers, which they park on any piece of vacant land that is suitable. Sometimes near motorways, sometimes on private, unoccupied land. The group I knew got kicked off their patch last year, because the owner wanted to sell up.

That is horrible I wish people would simply let people be ugh I have always dreamed of seeing a group of Travelers\Gypsies living simply with nature of course there are bad apples in every bucket but I hate that all are hit with that brush

 

[Beekissed]

I don't expect broodies until around the end of April, first of May! That's when I normally get them...but this year I'm betting it will be earlier. Everything is earlier this year.

 

[Beekissed]

Caught a hen sneaking out of a wood's nest...found 14 eggs in that nest from 3 different chickens~WR, BA and EE/WR mix. Blocked the nest, destroyed the site a little. Too far away from the protection of the dogs to be a viable broody nest, though it was one of my best WR hens laying most of the eggs in it.

If she establishes one up closer to the dog's boundary, I'll let her keep it and see if she'll follow through on developing a brood site and sitting. But, I'll be selective as to what eggs remain in that nest...no green eggs, that's for sure.

 

[Mini Horses]

no green eggs, that's for sure.

AWWWW. No fun!

You probably mean that because of the crossbreed but, as far as production my EEs give me great eggs, harder shells, large sizes -- and my egg customers love them. Partly they like opening the carton to find a lovely, colorful display. If they have young kids it's often fun for them to pick the egg they want cooked. LOL. They are also hens that people ask for when buying some for backyard flocks. Again, their kids love the "easter egg hunt" colors. Some colors are from the purebreds like dark ones from Marans & Welsummer, too.

I do pen certain hen breeds to maintain control of the roo/hen crosses for the purebreds. It's a pain but, necessary for that purpose. It's not all year, only when I am collecting eggs for THAT type. Then, some are penned just to create those colored eggs. It's my marketability thing here & not anything to do with dual purpose. Those buyers just want pretty eggs. They all free range and taste great.

If we could just get brown goats & cows to give chocolate milk !

 

[Beekissed]

You probably mean that because of the crossbreed but,

I mean it because, so far, they aren't showing me the quality of laying I like to see in pullets~should have started in the fall or winter like my WR mix pullets did~ and also because the cross with the EE produces a small bird and I eat my layers when they are done. I also breed them for males that I also use for meat here...meaning I want big males, so the hens have to have some good dual purpose genetics going on before I allow them to breed and reproduce.

The only reason I hatched the mix of from this particular EE was due to her stellar laying at her age(she was given to me by a sister, she was 5 at the time and still laying in good cycles in laying season~this season she's starting up but not laying too regularly, which will likely place her on the cull list before she develops issues)but that doesn't always come out in the next generation. This time it didn't. They lay average for most backyard chickens and probably average for their breed, but I don't keep average layers in my flock.

 

[sumi]

Ahh, look at them! I love broodies with chicks. Best part of chicken keeping in my opinion.

 

[Beekissed]

Those are wonderful! How many eggs did she set on? Is that a White Rock?

She is a WR but the chicks are WR and mostly WR/BA mix chicks. I've been having a very poor hatch rate last year and now, it would seem, this year, as I gave her 20+ eggs and only 8 made it to life after hatching.