Will hoey

[beccauk]

Hi

im sure this has been asked a million times, not sure whether I should be posting here or on chickens really.

 

ive had chickens for 2 years, and want to get new ones due to having 2 losses over that time, ive already tried to mix newbys twice which isnt easy, thought I might try hatching or can you make a chicken broody trouble is 4 of mine are hybrids and read they dont go broody, can chickens except chicks at all or would one go broody with fertile eggs.

 

sorry its abit out there think I know the answer too, but thought id see what others experiences and advice are?

 

becca

[sjp]

sadly you can't make hens broody. some hybrids will go broody and make good mothers. and some pure breeds( I include cross breeds ) think they want to be broody but won't sit for love nor money some broodies will except chicks but non broody hens won't. basically it's all down to hormones

[Olly]

If you bought chicks you wouldn't be able to mix them with adult hens until they are a lot older. Hybrid hens are deliberately bred so that they don't tend to go broody - it can happen but it's much less likely than with a pure breed. You could use an incubator to hatch fertile eggs, but raising chicks is quite a lot of work.

 

You also have to consider what you'd do with any male chicks. Hatching is not something to enter into lightly, there is lots of good advice on here and on the FAQs if you want to go down that route but there is a reason why most people buy POL pullets.

[Space Chick]

I agree, hatching is very hard work and can be harrowing when you can't find homes for boys and need to sort them yourself (although the meat is amazing!)

 

I'd advise careful introduction of some POL hens.

[beccauk]

Well I didnt think I had a broody chicken, shes a amberlink ihave realised she hasn't laid for a while least a month and she goes to sit every monring without faillays nothing even will go later, when the coljmbine had laid the other day and she was in there too the columbine came out I checked to see if they hsd both laid and there was only 1 egg and the amber link had rolled it over to her side and was sat on it, but she doesnt sit all dayor for hours , also noticed that same day she had put some of her soft fluffy feathers into the straw like nesting!

 

possibly not a broody hen, anyone know what may be happening why shes not layin the other 4 are and she was laying earlier on in year.

[Beantree]

Sounds broody to me Beccauk. A 'silent broody' can be spotted by placing an egg in front of her in the nest box. If she gently rolls it under her wing and settles down you know she is broody.

 

Danger with broodies is being sure they will go the distance as many lose interest halfway through. As well as the health risk to the hen which can 'burn out' and die on a clutch. Incubators are expensive and a painful learning curve. I agree with Space Chick. Get some POL's.

[miller30]

I don't think shes properly broody if shes not sitting all the time and I can have upto 17 or more broodys a year never lost one yet I don't mind letting them hatch chicks as I cull all the boys as you may only get the odd one lucky to find a home its upto you at the end of the day if she does become broody and you want to hatch the broodys do most of the work but you need to have a plan for the boys and its pot luck really to how many or if you get any girls I had a broody sit on 13 eggs last year should have took that as a bad omen she hatched me 11 boys and 2 girls leanne