|
Post by chookchook on Nov 3, 2008 21:42:38 GMT 8
OK - broody chook - check - 2 actually separate pen (well, hopefully by the weekend )- check enthusiastic kids & mum wanting cute chickies - check.
Sooooo......questions,
1) I have 2 broody chooks at the moment - can both of them nest and hatch chicks in the same enclosure without attacking the other's chicks? Or should I just use one and the other one go in time-out to break the broodiness? (I'm leaning towards choosing the little bantam as Mum- she's been lovingly nesting on her golf ball for a couple of weeks now, poor love. When I reach in and move the "egg", she carefully nudges it back under herself, poor love! ) 2) Are fertilized eggs a seasonal thing, or are they pretty much available as long as breeders' hens are laying?
Any advice would be muchly appreciated! cheers Jane
|
|
|
Post by horses7 on Nov 4, 2008 5:59:42 GMT 8
Question 1 In my VAST ;D experience of a total of having 1 clucky hen hatch some chickies, seriously though from what I have read I would lean towards separating them completely as I should imagine there could be some egg napping going on from one chooken to the other and also you could have some problems when the chickies actually hatch. But there are quite a few members that use cluckies a lot so hopefully they will be along shortly and can give you some experienced advise.
Question 2 There are 2 parts to the equation of fertilized eggs a) the hen does need to be laying and b) the rooster needs to be fertile, just because he might be working doesnt mean that the eggs are fertile, as far as I know the fertility rate of the rooster should be better in the warmer months, but saying that I hatch eggs all through the year with reasonably good hatching rates, except this year for some reason the Silver Wyandotte rooster is firing blanks. If a rooster is sexually active there is usually redness in their legs but this does not confim that they are fertile.
Go for it, what can you loose bar a few eggs
|
|
|
Post by fluffychook on Nov 4, 2008 6:54:25 GMT 8
Hi Jane, love your title. I too have not had any broodies together and have read that it can be fatal to the chicks as the mums fight over them. But also have read and seen two hens raise babies in the same enclosure. So my reasoning is that it is purely upto the hens and their temperment. For my up and coming two mums I will separate them as they are the blue silkies I bought so will not risk it.
|
|
|
Post by farmchooks on Nov 4, 2008 6:58:09 GMT 8
We have 2 broodies at the moment and house them in 2 separate pens just for the incubation and rearing of chicks. These pens are up by the house so we can keep a close eye on them.
|
|
|
Post by Cluck N Waddle on Nov 4, 2008 10:30:08 GMT 8
I always keep my broodies separate, just to be on the safe side. You'll find if you try to set the hens together, as horses7 said the hens will steal eggs off each other or the dominant hen will end up taking all eggs for herself lol. Even though sometimes you will find that some hens (especially silkies) will quite happily incubate and rear chickies together its best to keep them separate. On the eggs question, I hatch eggs throughout the year and always have pretty good fertility. So as long as the hen is laying and the roo is fertile and doing his job properly (ie- I dont know what breed you've got but some breeds have trouble because the vent area of the hens is too fluffy and therefore fertility can be down. Mind you, I've never had that problem with my silkies and their butts are very fluffy lol) then you should be right. As horses7 said, might as well give it a try, what have you got to lose bar a few eggs
|
|
|
Post by beck on Nov 8, 2008 15:49:49 GMT 8
Hey chookchook i agree with the others i seperate mine as they fight over the babies as well and i have had my nasty bantams so busy bashing each other i lost about half my babies was soo sad but i learnt that is for sure good luck though with yours
|
|
|
Post by chookchook on Nov 8, 2008 20:33:16 GMT 8
Thanks for all the advice, peoples! Completions on extensions of the Poultry Hilton Nursery is postponed til next week, so in the meantime, little black bantam and big black chook are still buck-bucking crossly as I turf them off the nest once a day. Am finally getting the odd big egg from the battery girls - someone told me the other day not to expect too much from them while they are still in moulting mode, so hopefully I don't actually have an egg eater after all!
|
|