Broodies on the Homestead

[Beekissed]

Got a broody hatch tonight, to which I added 6 feed store pullet chicks. Also added two older FS chicks to the other broody's family, to give her an even 10 chicks to brood.

Got 3 BA, 2 Welsummer, and 3 Sapphire Gems...yeah, I never heard of them before tonight either, though I knew they were a sex link bird I'd never really seen a pic or did any research. They are WEIRD looking as adults but seem to come from Plymouth Rock genetics, which can't be all that bad.

I've never really seen much good out of sex link birds but I hope these are different as they add visual interest to the flock's colors.

Sapphire Gem....

 

[Beekissed]

Here's tip #1....broodies sit better and you'll have more success in your hatch if you isolate your broody where other hens cannot lay in her nest and she cannot get confused and move to another nest with eggs in it.

This isolation also prepares her for the hatch, when she will want to be alone with her little family for the first few days or first week. This helps her keep track of them, keep them warm, keep them from other curious hens, and teach them to follow her, respond to her vocalizations and to scratch for food.

If you simply HAVE to let her brood in the coop nests, be prepared to mark the original clutch of eggs clearly with something that will not wear off and then check under her each evening to remove fresh eggs that were laid in her nest during the day. If you have a docile broody, that's not too hard to do...if you have a dragon broody, wear heavy gloves and long sleeves and possibly even have a partner to distract her until you can grab her. In all of these disturbances of the broody to remove the fresh laid eggs, breakage of eggs can occur....hence the advice to just give her a private place to brood, so you can avoid the daily drama.

That place can be as simple as a pet cage right there in the coop or a whole separate pen.

Here's my current maternity ward, the best I've ever managed to have, but constructed almost entirely of reclaimed lumber(FREE), scavenged materials, or very cheap materials. Before that, this was just a space to store lawnmowers and tools and has went through a few changes over the years to finally get to this state of being. The dogs like to sleep and lounge there in the winter months and I store hay there then too. I also use this pen as a holding pen for free birds out of local ads that I kill for meat, for penning the rooster to give the hens a break, for breeding certain pairs, for breaking broodies, etc.

I really need a good way to section it off for broodies in different stages of brooding eggs and chicks but haven't gotten around to that yet. But...I will.

I had previously built in this side of the shed porch with pallets and reclaimed lumber, but that wasn't working well.

Now it all looks like this...the main door slides on a track and can be lifted off, while the other door is on hinges, so both can be opened for better access.

 

[Mini Horses]

One broody hatching a set....began yesterday RIGHT on time...I swear, their calendar is great!! Coming in last night had one just so fluffy and cute yellow chick. Getting ready to check on other eggs in a few. Hard to leave her alone and not disturb but, no window like on incubators.

Another broody due to hatch 6/8.

The 11 who have been emancipated are still doing great & several have the fluffy EE cheeks. Which is great as customers get a kick out of the colored eggs. Many are black but, I have several Black Ameraucana and BCM. You can see some with a light feathering on legs.

It's fun to watch them develop. Of course, I have a couple favs. But I don't tell them that!

 

[Mini Horses]

Congrats on the chick surprise, NH. Hens can be fierce.
Hinotori, sounds like you may be able to have those 2 hens foster the ones that hatch in the incubator - yes?

6 eggs, 6 chicks! Cute, fluffy, active. Can't ask for more. Her sister setting another small clutch of 7 (I think) & hatch date 6/8. Right now, that's it.

Hope for pics tomorrow....not posed & great like the silkies. So, dont get excited. Just lucky to get any.

I will post this one....it had been raining, this roo jumped up on the fence next to me. Had my phone out!

this guy was hatch last Spring from eggs I bought locally. So tame but...odd bird. He & his bro kind of divided the girls. His are in a coop at night that he won't roost in. Each morning he meets me and walks to the coop with me to open it. At evening, he calls them in, then leaves. Roosts in the machine shed/goat barn you see in pic. This is every day for him. Stays with them all day. Yep, he's dad to several chicks on ground. Sweet & handsome roo.

 

[Mini Horses]

YES --he's a keeper.....

New family..........

 

[lcertuche]

I just came out to check on the nest when the meanest hen was off the nest and there was a little black fluffy butt hopping around the red broody. She was puffed up and growling (?) so we backed out and left her alone with the baby(ies ?).

 

[Miss Lydia]

We have at least 3external pips this morning on day 19.

 

[lcertuche]

DS (14) bought me 3 one week old chicks this morning at Trade Days 1st Saturday event we have every month. Our two broodies just held up their wings and they flew in with their other 5 chicks. The man who sold us the birds said two were Swedish Flowers and one was a blue maran. The maran is more than two times bigger and taller than our other fuzzy butts.

 

[Miss Lydia]

We had hatch day yesterday finally got a look at them today

 

[Hinotori]