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[thebdj]

Hi,

 

I have been keeping chickens for about 4 months now and whilst I have read an absolute tonne of books and websites, I still consider myself very novice. I have also learned vast amounts just by tending for my own flock!

 

Anyway, said flock consists of 10 chickens and my aim is to do some very small scale breeding. I would love to do this naturally with the use of foster mothers (all my chickens are ladies) and as such I have 5 silkies which should be good broodies. They are still fairly young (about 6 months) but thus far have showed no interest in brooding at all.

 

My 3 oldest ladies (only 7 months old) are cross-bred egg layers, one of which, my best egg layer, is a Black Rock. On Friday, she disappeared into the nesting box at about midday and just stayed there all day on one solitary egg. I checked on her and she was puffed out filling a massive surface area and gave me a funny squawk! Alright, fine I thought, just a one off.

 

On Saturday she came out in the morning for about an hour then went and sat on the nest again. She also repeated this today and in the vain belief that she has gone broody, I have now moved her to a rabbit hutch/run for 2 reasons. 1 - If she is broody, I want her segregated for her own peace and isolation and 2 - The nesting box she has been occupying is the only one my other chickens lay in and since she took up a more permanent residence they haven't laid.

 

I'm assuming that I haven't got over excited at this point and my chicken has indeed gone broody. What confuses me is that she is still young and also I was led to believe that cross-breeds designed for egg laying (which the Black Rock clearly is) simply don't go broody, short of finding a flying pig.

 

Could someone confirm that this is possible and that I'm not being a mentalist. Could someone also tell me whether or not it is advisable to put some eggs under her? I have also read that she may just give up bring broody halfway through.

 

Cheers

Justin

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Hi Justin,

 

I am by no stretch of the imagination an expert, but I can share what I have gleaned........

 

* a hybrid, although they are much less likely to go broody will do if they so wish

* stick a couple of golf balls under your girl for a day or so & if she stays, get some eggs under her....I did this with Buffie, my Orpington & as I also had heard the risk of vacating the nest, I bought half a dozen Lt Sussex eggs for £5 from a local man so there was little financial risk (when you consider the other eggs I looked at were £150 for 6 chocolate orp bantams - gorgeous!!) should she get bored & go back to the WIR with the others

As it happens she stayed with it & has 3 lovely little yellow powder puffs dancing around her...well they are asleep under her I hope at this hour of the night

 

I am a total Buffling bore so you will now get a photo.....

 

 

If you have the space & time to hatch a batch of chicks, then go for it...just be sure you have a plan for any boys, and possible access to an incubator should she decide to get bored part way through.

 

Have you read the "stickies" at the top of this section, they are full of excellent advice.

 

Good luck,

 

Sha x

[Egluntyne]

I don't buy this notion about hybrids not going broody.

 

I have a Pepperpot which is pretty much the same as a Black Rock, and has been broody at least three times and is now sitting on some Pekin eggs - due to hatch any day.

 

My other Pepperpot has been broody, as has one of my Fenton Blues, who became a surrogate mother to Electricbarbarella's chicks.

 

I've never had a ginger hybrid go broody though.

 

Stick a few 'sacrificial' eggs under her, or some golf balls as has been suggested and put her in separate accommodation. If she is still 'sitting' in 3 or 4 days, replace them with fertile eggs.

 

Before you start hatching though, it is important to have a clear plan in place for any cockerels that might hatch.

[Lesley]

I agree with Sha and Egluntine - test her for a couple of days and then replace with fertile eggs if she's staying put.

 

We've had a broody hybrid as well - and recently had two trying........we didn't want any more hatchlings though so we kept turfing them out.

[Daphne]

3 sets of neighbours have hybrids. 3 sets of neighbours have broodies. But not the ginger mob - you're right. So far its Columbines, Sussex Star (no surprise there then) and something based on a legbar (bit more surprising). One of them has a theory its because we have a cockeral they can all hear! But in my defence none of the cockeral's ladies have gone broody (they probably wouldn't risk sitting down near him for too long....he has...erm....healthy appetites...)