Broodies on the Homestead

[Mini Horses]

Well my hens have done far better than I with hatch rates. The two hens with chicks 9 days apart are very protective. The single "musical chair" chick is/has proven to be too old for last hatch hen, too young for first. Guess who is now a single chick mom !! ? Tried to put the 4 day old in with 24 hr olds one night. Ok for night, pushed away in AM. Tried with 6 dy older chicks, that hen tried to kill it. I take it out for exercise and play it follows me and talks, I am sad for it...need a couple more it's age for playmates. Last time I will salvage an egg.

Right now I am looking at sooooo many BLACK chickens. Gotta order those leg bands!!!!!!! Have 2 more hens who are now broody -- don't need to set more but, may. After all, they aren't laying....might as well do "something". It's not like I don't have fertile eggs! Not like I don't have space & could sell or butcher . Do I want to do more? Life has challenges

 

[NH Homesteader]

Whoa... Woke up to 5 new chicks!! Go mama! She's a keeper. Funny, she's the one we got for free because our friends were culling her and I thought she was too pretty to eat, lol. She is low in the pecking order but a fierce broody. Love her!

 

[Mini Horses]

Well my musical chair one....certain he's a roo! .... believes I AM his mom. I put my hand in his inside box, he steps on it, we go outside & he runs right along with me as I walk around. I stop, he runs over -- trying to be airborne now -- time to go in & he comes when I call, into my hand. I HATE he will be a roo, as a tame hen I would keep. Sorry, pal.

The 11 from early May hatchings are great! It appears that 9 are pullets One definitely a roo & one ?? unsure. Thrilled with the ratio. Too soon to tell about the other 11 out there, not able to keep them still long enough but "appears" 8 are likely pullets. CAN NOT believe the good fortune from these 2 roos with fertility and female results. Now I have enough replacement pullets. YEP -- keeper roos.

The plus -- they are non aggressive, easy to handle. Nice.

30 out of 36 is a great hatch!!!! Congrats.

 

[sumi]

I personally don't have an issue with them (having seen much worse of humanity in South Africa, I think they are o.k.), but they are a bit rough and otherwise, to put it mildly and it's not helping them a bit. And then of course they do like to break in and steal stuff, which is not common here. Crime rates in Ireland is low generally.

With that said, some of the travellers here are lovely people and I had some wonderful chats and visits with them, despite warnings from people to stay away. Once I convinced them that I am sincere they welcomed me to their camp and proudly showed me all their chickens. I even got a few birds off them.

 

[milkmansdaughter]

We recently we're were given 5 Golden Comets. On day 2, one disappeared. A week later, suddenly she showed back up. I found out yesterday she had gotten separated from the group, and hung out at a widowed neighbor lady's house for a week. She even went up on her deck and laid an egg for her delighted host. Now I'll know where to look the next time one goes missing.

 

[milkmansdaughter]

I agree.

@sumi, you NEED a few of these...

 

[Mini Horses]

Color variance always adds interest. Plus helps tell them part if missing and/or the culprit in crime. I have a lot of black right now. But, last year I did get some lovely colors on a few of them from the influence of my BR, BO & some EEs. I do enjoy the different ones.

So, today the hen in the trailer is hatching eggs. Unfortunately either she or another (found a hen up there when I went out) killed a couple. Appears they were after the shells and the little ones hadn't gotten totally out. I removed those and also the ones still wetish but not harmed. Placed them is a suitable location to finish coming into the world. More are pipping, so will be a lotta trips back & forth today. Will prepare a pen for her & the chicks so I can transfer her tonight.

#2 hen in barn decided she'd take the one chick I had not collected and be a mom. Took 3 eggs left and scooted them under #3 who is in the stall feeder. We will see how that goes. If unhatched in week, will take away and leave her with the other ones.

Right now, if I could find some day old chicks of a breed I wanted, I'd buy and foster them with mom now hatching. May look on CL. Guy near me often has Cream Legbars & I'd love a few of those. Don't need any more chickens but you all know about the "math"

 

[milkmansdaughter]

Mom's got her chicks out in the yard free ranging now. Mom seemed to very thoroughly enjoy a dust bath today. Her first in a month. Just in time too as it's raining now, and her spot is now muddy. The oldest chick is 8 days old. Max did get kind of close today, but he backed away fast when mom came after him.
Suddenly all the hens want to be broody. I threw them all off the nest. Some nests will have two fighting for the nest. Only one repeatedly returned no matter what, all week, so she got a nestful of fresh eggs today, and I put her in the other pen. She's upstairs with her eggs, and mom and chicks are downstairs. All others are in the other pen.

 

[Mini Horses]

I LOVE to watch them! When I threw some scraps out today, the hen with one chick...yes, ONE!!...ran and grabbed some and took it to her chick! Dropped it down for the chick and clucked to it She has a nest in the barn, takes it there at night and had actually scooped loose hay up into a nice outer mound for a nest. The one with 6 chicks (these two shared) is on full attack if you even look her way. Great mom, 2nd yr in a row. I will band her to know which one as I have several white with some black spots. Want to keep her!

 

[baymule]

I had a broody hen and a broody Muscovy. But a 6 foot rat snake cleaned them out. I found him curled up, called my husband and I hated to, but we killed him. Then Paris jumped on him and wore herself out shaking that snake. We finally had to throw it over the fence so she wouldn't keep shaking it.