Author Topic: too late to be broody? (Read 6274 times)

Buffy the eggs layer · « **Reply #15 on:** October 08, 2010, 06:44:48 pm »

Oh dear..it's catching.

Dotty the wyandotte bantam is now feeling broody ( what is wrong with them ...its nearly bonfire night for heavens sake!) unfortunatly she cant be trusted with hatching as she is far too absent minded but extremly sweet. I don't know anyone with eggs or day old chicks so I'm struggling a bit.

Buffy

Heather · « **Reply #16 on:** October 09, 2010, 10:42:55 am »

good news, my 2 bantam/x hens have hatched one brown chick, yesterday.

I'm thrilled, and a bit scared. They have an outdoor hut and secure covered run, the netting will keep out crows etc. I just hope the 2 hens don't fight over the chick, like they did the eggs. They had 2 'real' eggs and 3 pretend ones. Now I'm a mother!
I've been told you can feed mashed-up boiled egg to the chicks. Any other advice out there (don't include heat lamps - not an option)
Heather, Yorkshire

Buffy the eggs layer · « **Reply #17 on:** October 10, 2010, 09:43:17 am »

Hi and well done you!

boiled egg is fine, the chicks dont eat for the first 24 hours then they need chick crumb in a low dish. the broody will keep the chick warm so you dont need a lamp. Just make sure they stay dry and that they cant drown in the water dish. Mum will do everything else, you can put your feet up. If they are in a run rather than ranging they will need fine grit and you may want to put some leaf litter in for them to scrat about in and learn about bugs.

Mums will really appreciate a dust bath too.

Buffy

Buffy the eggs layer · « **Reply #18 on:** November 04, 2010, 06:31:40 pm »

Well as expected she's done it again.

After 4 weeks of brooding without any eggs a friend gave my determined little bantam ( Snowy the sussex

) 5 of her fertilised eggs to see if she could prove that it was not too late to be broody. Snowy was of course delighted with the cluch and despite allready being broody for ages and the fact that they were hens eggs not bantams (so they needed incubating for longer) she sat tight and hatched 2 out of 5!

I'm not sure how they will fare over the next few months with the Autumn weather but if anyone can brood them, Snowy can. The weather is fairly mild here at the moment if a little wet so fingers crossed she will make a go of it.

Will keep you posted....,

Buffy

Hardfeather · « **Reply #19 on:** November 05, 2010, 07:00:52 am »

These young chicks will need to be brought in to a place where light can be supplied. They won't need heat if the hens are rearing them, but the nights are too long for them to be able to feed enough to thrive.

Buffy the eggs layer · « **Reply #20 on:** November 05, 2010, 08:12:33 am »

Thanks for the tip,

can I put a light in the coop or would you bring them indoors? Should the artificial light be at the start or the end of the day? And how many hours day light do they need?

They certainly arent as perky as the ones in summer, I think they are constantly trying yo get under her to keep warm rather than pottering about and eating. At the moment they are remaining in the coop where all the food and water is along with their broody. I might try bringing them in the house today just to see if they move about a bit more.

Buffy