Our First Home Hatched Peep

[k0xxx]

This year we had our first broodies, which was one of the reasons that we decided to get Buff Orpingtons. Being her first time, we were unsure if the broody would stick with the eggs long enough to hatch. We left two eggs each day for a total of six. My daughter marked the eggs with a different symbol for each of the three days, to see which ones ended up hatching, if any.

Yesterday we had our first pip, and last night it hatched. We also have a total of three broody hens at the moment, all jostling to sit on the eggs. I believe that was the cause of two eggs getting broken. There is another of the eggs that we believe isn't viable, leaving two more that may possibly hatch. Next year we plan to have a separate area for each broody hen to tend to their eggs, instead of them being in the big coop, and then we can see how they do at raising them.

Anyway..., we're excited to have our first home hen hatched chick.

Our three broodies.

Pip

Hatched

We have chick!

 

[ksalvagno]

Cute! I take it you are not letting mom raise it?

 

[k0xxx]

Not this time. Right now we only have the big coop, and I'm not sure how it would work out with the other hens and the roo. Next year we hope to be able to have a separate area for the hens to raise broods.

 

[framing fowl]

New chicks are so cute! Those three mamas look like they mean business.

 

[old fashioned]

Yay for peep! Is that marbles in the water tray? Is that so they don't drown? Just curious.

 

[k0xxx]

Yay for peep! Is that marbles in the water tray? Is that so they don't drown? Just curious.

Yes, just to keep them from falling into it. Peeps will just fall asleep where ever, and we've had them just drop their heads into the waterer. We're hoping that this will keep peeps from drowning. After the peeps grow a bit, we take them out.

 

[old fashioned]

Great thanks, that's good to know

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Congrats! And from my experience, the broodies do a great job raising them! We only have 1 coop as well, and NONE of the other chickens (roosters included) dare to mess with them! Broody hens are very protective and do a great job with them!

 

[ksalvagno]

Aggie - so you have never had a problem with keeping the hen & chicks in with the rest of the chickens? I too only have one coop and just have no where else to put hen/chicks. I've been toying with getting a rooster and start hatching my own too but have been too busy and too chicken ( ) to try it. We accidently had a rooster with our first batch and he got so mean that we put him in the soup pot. I would need to have a nice rooster.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Aggie - so you have never had a problem with keeping the hen & chicks in with the rest of the chickens? I too only have one coop and just have no where else to put hen/chicks. I've been toying with getting a rooster and start hatching my own too but have been too busy and too chicken ( ) to try it. We accidently had a rooster with our first batch and he got so mean that we put him in the soup pot. I would need to have a nice rooster.

No, I've never had a problem. When I was a kid our hens would hide nests all the time, and they'd all run in the same flock. My super broody hen, Wanda, usually hatches them and stays somewhat isolated (stays in the coop while the others free range during the day) then after a day or two she'll bring the chicks outside. Now, my chickens all get let out of the coop during the day. I'd imagine they'd be ok in the coop 24/7 as long as they had plenty of room. Sometimes broodies get a little crazy and will go after others, so if they're cramped together it might drive her nuts trying to protect them so much.