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I have three Bantams two light sussex and on black Wynadotte the light sussex have gone broody(both of them.....) What I was thinking of doing was ordering some eggs(I dont have a cockeral) and have them sit on them. As I am new to this I am not sure how it would work. I have hatched eggs in an incbator and then put them under a heat lamp but I am not sure how nature would do the same job. I am also not sure what set up I would need I have an old rabbit hutch that was set up for the bantams but made something bigger would this do? Would they need a run? Could I keep the two broody light sussex together or would they need seperate runs? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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You MIGHT get away with having 2 broodies together, if they are really good friends, but on the whole safer to separate them.
Give each of them a nestbox (separated from the ones which are laying, but it doesn't need to be big) and something egg-like (rubber/pottery egg, or some improvised version) to sit on. Sometimes a moved hen promptly decides she isn't broody after all. If, after a few days in her temporary home, she sits tight on her 'egg', you can put purchased hatching eggs under her.
Make sure she is free from skin parasites before she is fully settled on eggs.
Once she is sitting tight, give her a short time off the eggs each day, to eat, drink and poo.
There is plenty of more detailed advice in assorted other threads about broodies, including some tales of what could have worked better.Flowers come in too many colours to see the world in black-and-white. -
Oh dear...my sympathies!!!
My bantams seem to think their role in life is producing chicks- not eggs!
I have 8 new chicks- and within 6 hrs of hearing them 2 other hens have gone broody - and stopped laying!
If you want chicks then getting fertile eggs will be great.
I've had 2 gals share a nest and it did work- but only because both gals are very sweet natured and one was much more sensible than the other mom.
I have a rabbit hutch I plan to bring back over here and use for that purpose when I go 'home' in a couple of weeks. Mine free range so maybe it's a bit different for me???
I'd be interested to hear what the others say.
My last ( and first) batch of babes were fine with the other 3 hens and 2 cockerels- but I've got 2 stroppy teenage cockerels now, and I'm not quite sure if I'd trust them with the new babies.
Certainly get your order in for eggs asap
"Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple
Location....Normandy FranceComment
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Thanks appreciate that. This may sound silly but once they have hatched do I just leave the hen to it or do I put them under heat.Comment
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Hi,i have just had one of my warrens go broody so put her on 6 duck eggs in this run that i built,she's doing just great with 4 ducks.Originally posted by walldanzig View PostComment
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Hi Walldanzig,
All you need to do is to let the Mother Hen look after he chicks. She will keep them warm and teach them how to look after themselves. Provide Chick Crumbs for the chicks and you could mix some grain into them for Mum. Make sure that for the first few days that their water is not deep enough for them to drown in. Then let nature take its course.
Best of luck.Gardening requires a lot of water - most of it in the form of perspiration. Lou Erickson, critic and poetComment
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Thanks Roitelet. I am going to give it a go. I will let you know how it goesComment
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On a seperate note which is both Chicken and Allotment related. I went to my allotment on Saturday to find all the tops of my onions had been eaten and my cabbages had been munched. I went into my potting shed and the biggest meanest looking light sussex cockrel jumped out at me and bolted back through the hole he had come from(next doors plot) I had to have a sit down as I never expected thatComment
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I think your neighbour owes you a few favours
"Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple
Location....Normandy FranceComment
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I dont think they are the kind of neighbours who botherComment
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Oh well...maybe you can 'borrow' him when they're not watching - so you can have babies!!!
Last edited by Nicos; 26-05-2009, 04:57 PM."Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple
Location....Normandy FranceComment
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If their cockerel is wandering about on his own he'll soon be dinner for Foxy!Originally posted by walldanzig View PostComment
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If it was my veg he was stealing, he'd be MY dinner, never mind Foxy!Originally posted by Suechooks View PostFlowers come in too many colours to see the world in black-and-white.Comment
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Although I hate to make a fuss about things...often far easier to have a little grumble behind their backs than to cause aggrievances(sc?)...but on this occasion I think I'd try to get something done about it...even though your chooks may not be causing a nuisance,sometimes all it takes is for one irresponsible plotholder/chook keeper to spoil it for every one else and a few complaints from other plotholders about his chooks eating their crops could result in the site deciding it's easier to blanket ban keeping chooks than deal with the one individual causing the problem!
...but then I do have a tendancy to be paranoid at times!
Maybe have a quiet off the record chat with your field secretary.
In the meantime,I think Nicos' idea about "borrowing" him for a bit of fertilising is quite a grand one!
the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.
Happiness is not having what you want,but wanting what you have.xxComment
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I had 3 pekins. One non broody and 2 broody. The broodies shared 9 eggs and hatched them all. The fox got one mother and 2 babies one night by chewing the house wall. The other mother brought up the remaining 7. I kept 2 babies and rehomed 5. This year I gave the other mother 9 eggs and she hatched 4 maran bantam chicks. She was a brilliant mother and her story ended sadly when someone forgot to close the door one night when I was away for the weekend. So sad. The baby from the previous hatch now 2 decided to go broody, so the chicks followed the never been remotely broody hen. She looked quite chuffed to have a little retinue. I have rehomed 2 cockerels and one hen and have one left following her "mother". They enjoy each other's company.
All my control regarding hatching chicks has gone to pot with my daughter's influence. We ordered 6 light sussex bantam ,hatching eggs from ebay. Then the broody appeared to lose interest so we quickly ordered an incubator. Then she went back to brooding so we ordered 6 Japanese bantams, so we could have some under the hen and some in the incubator. The problem of how to introduce the babies has to be faced, am a bit nervous.
Can somebody tell me how long to leave the eggs before incubating them after coming through the post? Thank you.Comment
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