Broodys all over the place!

[Beekissed]

So... I have a weird question. Is linebreeding a big deal in poultry? I don't mean repeatedly, but I do have a couple of hens that are the daughter of my roo and we didn't separate them out before all this broodiness happened. I won't repeat that, obviously, but should I consider all offspring chicken soup? Or is it ok for one generation like it is with goats? They're backyard mutt layers, for the most part (except my Dominiques)

Line breeding is done all the time with poultry...even seems easier to do that with poultry than with other animals. My current male is breeding his mother, his aunt, his sisters and now his daughter.

We'll see how that all turns out. So far I'm getting excellent traits being passed along and we'll see how it pans out in the long run. I don't have room nor the inclination to keep two roosters here all the time, so no matter what male I have, he'll be related to his harem in all ways.

 

[Beekissed]

I let the new broody mamas out today with their babies. They have joined broods and are brooding them together, which I love to see....that's twice the protection for each family.

Now I still have a broody sitting on empty in the coop, that I need to transfer soon, I just want to get the right eggs to put under her.

 

[sumi]

I'm starting to wish one of my hens would go broody. It's been awhile since we had chicks around here and judging the cutest baby fowl contest for BYC (over 900 entries) did NOT help any…

 

[Beekissed]

Currently have two White Rock broodies sitting on clutches and one that hatched out a small family already, which I supplemented with a few feed store chicks, not normally something I do, but I did this time for some strange reason.

I have a White Rock rooster and half my small flock are standard bred WR and the other half are Black Australorp from hatchery source. Then I have an ancient EE of my sister's, along with one WR/BA mixed hen. The eggs under the broodies are what I call "coop choice" eggs...not selected for the WR breeding, just any ol egg I pulled out of the coop when I wanted to load up some broodies.

I use the offspring for replacement layers and meat, but am kind of trying to develop my own standard bred WR in a loosey goosey sort of manner. I'm not a dedicated breeder but hope to maintain a level of "good" with this line in some manner, just with judicious culling of the breed/offspring.

My maternity ward....

One of his ladies and babies last year....

Y'all got broodies working this year?

 

[NH Homesteader]

I have 2 broody turkey hens and a broody (although confused) Dominique who finally has chosen a nest... I hope. She kept moving, lol!

 

[Beekissed]

Oooooo, broody turkeys!!! That's a lot of meat on the hoof being raised up there!

Had a wild hen turkey in the front yard for a long time this morning...but she didn't look like she was fully wild. Maybe a cross with a silver breed of some kind, as she was a very beautiful gray/silver with white markings on some wing tips. I don't know of anyone within a few miles that have chickens, let alone turkeys, so not sure how she got here.

 

[NH Homesteader]

We have domestic/wild crosses around here, someone let their flock loose years ago and you still see the occasional funny looking eastern wild turkey!

My turkeys are mother and daughter and are directly next to each other, it's kind of cute. We are rushing to build a hoop coop for the tom and the other hen before the poults arrive! Last year our tom (different one, he passed this winter) killed all our poults this will not happen again!!!

 

[NH Homesteader]

I have chicken chaos. I believe there are 4 sitting on eggs, but two of them are confused. The original is settled on a nest and should be hatching next week.

That is a good mama you've got Bee!

 

[Beekissed]

NH, we'll have hatches together!!!!

It's so very fun to have broodies and babies, though a pain at times, it's still a miracle to watch them each year. God sure made them ready for life right out of that egg!

Last year black snakes got 20+ chicks right after hatch, so this year I'll be thanking God over and over when these hatches actually make it.

 

[NH Homesteader]

snakes! We've never had a broody hen. This is a first! My husband had chickens as a kid that all raised their own, he never had an incubator. But none since we've had chickens. It's exciting!