I have a broody hen

I have around 18 Bielefelder hens but my only rooster died in an accident before he matured. So I have no cock a doodle do and no fertile Bielefelder eggs. I think I miss the cock a doodle do and watching the antics of a rooster more than anything.

But suddenly one of my hens went broody! This breed is not supposed to do that but chickens like humans are individuals. I can buy fertile Bielefelder eggs on Ebay and if this hen turns out to be a good mama I can make my own rooster. This time of year isn't the best time of year to raise chicks but the chances of success is much better if the babies have a mama to watch other them like the proverbial mother hen.

Sounds like a nice fall project Liz :)
Pat

There is nothing like watching a mama hen take care of her babies. It's like watching your Discus babies attach and defended by their parents. If it fails it fails but I'm looking forward to trying.

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Originally Posted by LizStreithorst

There is nothing like watching a mama hen take care of her babies. It's like watching your Discus babies attach and defended by their parents. If it fails it fails but I'm looking forward to trying.

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If I had hens I would do it Liz :D and plenty of pics please!
Pat

Today is 13 days since I put the eggs under their adoptive mama. This morning I put a couple eggs to my ear and I could hear the chicks moving around inside the egg. I've never been a mama before myself but this must be a similar but not as strong feeling as it is when human mamas feel the baby moving around inside their tummy. It's a simply wonderful feeling. In a few more days I'll hear chicks going "peep, peep, peep". In around 8 more days I'll have little exhausted wet chicks hatching. It's hard work for a little chick to peck it's way out of the egg. They actually appear almost dead. But with a real chicken mama to dote on them they'll dry off and start getting their strength back to walk around and start eating and drinking.

Ok this sounds very interesting. And being a city boy my one question is how do you make your own rooster?? Is there more to it than just buying the eggs and hoping ones a rooster? Wishing you the best of luck! Will the chicks stay inside for the winter?

All you can do is put a bunch of fertile eggs either under a broody hen or stick them in the incubator. The chicks will be fine with there mama with our fairly mild winters here. When they're little mama keeps them close and they get underneath her warm belly to keep warm when they need to. Respiratory problems are common when the chickens are kept totally confined all the time.

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Originally Posted by LizStreithorst

Today is 13 days since I put the eggs under their adoptive mama. This morning I put a couple eggs to my ear and I could hear the chicks moving around inside the egg. I've never been a mama before myself but this must be a similar but not as strong feeling as it is when human mamas feel the baby moving around inside their tummy. It's a simply wonderful feeling. In a few more days I'll hear chicks going "peep, peep, peep". In around 8 more days I'll have little exhausted wet chicks hatching. It's hard work for a little chick to peck it's way out of the egg. They actually appear almost dead. But with a real chicken mama to dote on them they'll dry off and start getting their strength back to walk around and start eating and drinking.

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Excited for you Liz :D and look forward to pictures :D
Pat

I'd take some of her on the nest but she's in a dark nook.

Good one Liz, sounds like good times to be had! DIY rooster, that pretty cool! :thumbsup:

Here's the sad state of affairs as of this evening. The first chicks hatched out 2 days ago. The mothers (there were 2 broodies and they shared the nest) killed 2 babies and I rescued one that had been pecked and tossed from the nest that was still alive. I stuck it in my boobs to warm it's little cold body up until the incubator came to temp. It was a little boy.

I put the new chick as well as the rest of the eggs in the incubator. Yesterday a little girl chick hatched out. I put them up in a cardboard box brooder in the fish room where it's warm and put a heat lamp over them and made their brooder the 95 degrees. The little girl was up and about in no time. My boy was not doing well. He had lost the use of one of his legs. He was drinking and ate a gruel I made for him, but not dry chick starter. Just after WC I found that he had drowned in the chick waterer. Chick waters are designed so that the chicks can't drown in it but this guy did it because he couldn't get around.

That is not the end of it. I have another dang Bielefelder hen who has gone broody. I've been debating whether to spend another $45. for more potential heart break or my stubborn will to succeed in making a rooster. I know which way I will go. My Discus have taught me that I'm bad at giving up.

Little girl chick.

What a cutie Liz, sorry for all your recent trouble.
Pat

I am Shasta scourge of the chicken coop. I escaped my yard and ran into the coop. All the chickens ran in first. I mascaraed 8 hens. It was glorious. I no longer live in Texas I moved to Oklahoma. I have new humans that have another husky. I showed them how good I am at eating couches, :)

Been recouping from this, happened a few weeks ago. Coyotes showed up next. No longer able to free range them which was so much fun. Bob my favorite Americana Rooster got eaten by the coyotes. Now all integrated into Hen House with 10 x 20 run attached. Luckily Bob fathered a few chicks before he got eaten. But dam that sure hurt our egg production. Went from 6-10 a day to 3-5. Juveniles have another month or so before they will be layers. Luckily the Ducks hid under the Hen House


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I'm not getting any eggs to speak of either with 3 hens molting, and 3 sitting on nests. I've been through the dog thing, the coyote thing, the possum thing and the worst, the bobcat thing. It hurts.

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Originally Posted by LizStreithorst

I'm not getting any eggs to speak of either with 3 hens molting, and 3 sitting on nests. I've been through the dog thing, the coyote thing, the possum thing and the worst, the bobcat thing. It hurts.

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Bobcat thing, dam. We had a hawk fly right in the coop. Wife scared the crap out of it. Possum and coyotes trying to tunnel in now. Bastards.

The bobcat was the worst. You can't imagine the carnage. Feathers and parts everywhere. Early on with these Bielefelders, shortly before they started laying I had a coyote. He snagged 2 at different times. I saw both, but she was so fast there was nothing I could do to stop it. She looked to be about starving to death, poor thing. I haven't seen the coyote since.

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Originally Posted by LizStreithorst

The bobcat was the worst. You can't imagine the carnage. Feathers and parts everywhere. Early on with these Bielefelders, shortly before they started laying I had a coyote. He snagged 2 at different times. I saw both, but she was so fast there was nothing I could do to stop it. She looked to be about starving to death, poor thing. I haven't seen the coyote since.

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We put ours in a coop and the neighbors chickens got ravaged by a pack of coyotes. We went searching and found the feast area. Feathers, legs, etc everywhere. Big hawk got a couple from them also. Really pissed my wife off she raised all but 3 for the neighbors. Stock from our roosters and hens. I think like brine shrimp, everything thinks chickens are delicious.

I moved Miss Chickie to a 75 gallon tank I had sitting outside. She has room to run around more. I take her out of the tank and let her sit and play with me on the fish room sofa. She's especially fond of my terry cloth bathrobe so when I take it off I'll often put it on the sofa. She has her chick food and water but I can't resist doing something that "they" say should not be done. I give her treats of meal worms. Absolutely no more than 5 a day though. I wanted to get pics of her hunting them and eating them but she's so fast I was only able to get one poor picture of it.

Have you ever seen such a sweet innocent face in your life? The day after Thanksgiving I found out that my nephew who lives in London died suddenly of a massive heart attack. The news was devastating to me and I found my self in great need of something small and helpless to care for and I had Miss Chickie.

Liz I am very sorry to hear of the sudden loss of your nephew, that is devastating news. My deepest condolences sis :(

Thanks, Danny. His name was Tom. He was my best friend and I was his.

Hugs Liz and sorry to hear about Tom. :( Glad Miss Chickie is there for you, she is super cute :D
Pat

Sorry to hear about your nephew Liz. Miss Chickee is lucky to have you. :)

Thanks Fritz. I'm lucky to have her at this time. She is very entertaining. She's just a little tiny chick but she has managed twice to fly up and get out of her tank. The tank is 21" tall so she is quite the athlete. The first time it happened I was in bed reading and I heard the peeps of a chick in distress. The door to the fish rom was open and I went down to find my dog Big Head carrying her around in his mouth. He's the dog in my avatar. Dumb as a stump and as gentle as can be. He dropped her and I scooped her up and put her on my chest in bed. I think she actually passed out but after 1/2 hr. she got up and started acting normal. The second time was just this morning. I went down to feed the fish and she was happily cheeping, scratching, and pecking around on the fish room floor. I'm going to have to figure out something for when she's older. I can't have chicken poop all over the fish room floor.

wow she's pretty athletic. The dog sounds awesome. lol.

She is the cutest chick I have seen Liz! Glad she is a pet chicken for you, she will be well spoiled!
Barb

I was not prepared to raise a single chick. But as the only chick she needs a friend, and I'm the only friend available to her. And yes, she will be spoiled.

So here she is after lights out in the fish room except for the night light. This is where she likes to sleep. The peace lily is so healthy I don't think anything could kill it let alone Miss Chickie. Do you think she's spoiled?

Too cute Liz and one content little chickie. :D
Pat

very cute picture Liz. :)

I love that birb!

OMG how cute is she

This was todays haul of eggs. We have diversified our flock and now have eggs of many colors. Still have to keep them in the run which sucks but havn't had a murderfest in awhile. :)

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Mine are just starting to lay again now that the days are getting longer and their feathers are growing back from their molt. I got 6 yesterday.

Miss Chickie is still in the fish room. The weather has been warm. I've been thinking of locking her in the hen house for a few days then letting her opening the chicken door. I'll feel sorry for her because I know how mean the big hens will be to her. But I can't let her stay in the fish room for her entire life.

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Originally Posted by LizStreithorst

Mine are just starting to lay again now that the days are getting longer and their feathers are growing back from their molt. I got 6 yesterday.

Miss Chickie is still in the fish room. The weather has been warm. I've been thinking of locking her in the hen house for a few days then letting her opening the chicken door. I'll feel sorry for her because I know how mean the big hens will be to her. But I can't let her stay in the fish room for her entire life.

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No hurry, let her get a bit bigger and the days get warmer. Ya the production is very much improving with the longer days. Had a couple of our hens molting also. You would think they would do that when its warmer. Go figure.

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Chickens really getting going now. Averaging 10 -12 a day. ;)

Me too. My eggs are all darkish brown and large Some have spots. The yokes are medium orange not yellow. My nephew used to say that they taste like sunshine. It's because the chicken get to eat bugs and grubs and worms and grass or whatever else they find while scratching around. They are spoiled rotten. 3 of them have chosen places in the house to lay their daily egg. Chickens must get rid of all their poop before they lay because these 3 never poop on the floor.

I still don't have a rooster.

grubs are thick right now, my wife shovels them up and tosses them in the coop. The chickens keep a real close eye. lol Kids love our eggs, the say ewwww, when looking at store eggs. Get a rooster have to have one on craigslist. :)