Advice please re broody

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SusanH
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Advice please re broody

Post by SusanH » Wed Aug 15, 2018 10:37 am

Miranda is determined to sit, whether there are eggs or not. So I am thinking it would be fun to put some fertile eggs under her and give this unknown territory a try. So I have a couple of questions...
1. Are Wyandottes good mothers, or will I have to brood the chicks indoors?
2. How many eggs would you buy if hoping for small number of chicks, like 3? Four too risky?
3. What is the usual hatch time? I am guessing around a month? So I would have day olds in mid to late September? Will they be hardy enough in time to handle winter? Or is my timing totally wrong?
4. If you were me, or I guess the question is, if I were you, what would I do in terms of breed? I have kind of a black/white theme going on with my Columbian Wyandottes and white crested black Polish. Kijiji seller does $12/dozen for mutt eggs including bantams. I don't see anything else. Maybe I need a couple of mutt bantams?

I don't mind if your advice is, throw Miranda off the nest and wait till spring, or wait and see if any of the Polish is a rooster. I am kind of hoping for some Polish over Wyandottes experiments. The Polish are still not showing any gender specific physiogomy or behaviour. If they are all girls I might have to give a couple away.
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Ontario Chick
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Re: Advice please re broody

Post by Ontario Chick » Wed Aug 15, 2018 11:22 am

Wyandottes are very good mothers will bring the chicks out right away, no need to brood indoors.
Hatch time still 21 days :)
I would give her at least 6 eggs, in case some get "lost" you don't want to end up with a single chick.
They will be plenty hardy going in to winter.
The only thing you have to keep in mind, some will be roosters. ;)
Good luck
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Killerbunny
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Re: Advice please re broody

Post by Killerbunny » Wed Aug 15, 2018 12:30 pm

You may want to check out some eggs from @windwalkingwolf or @Kbr42 Jan has pretty jewels and Karen has silkies and Polish?
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Beltsville Small White turkeys.
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Farrier1987
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Re: Advice please re broody

Post by Farrier1987 » Thu Aug 16, 2018 7:24 am

Fine time to do it, they will be laying as winter ends, good and strong. Set six or eight, they don't all make it. Go for muts, they can be various colours and personalities. Or EE/ Americauna with the pea comb is good in ourt climate, decent layers and big enough to eat the roosters.

GO FOR IT. If you have never set a broody, you need to. One of life's great pleasures.
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Farrier1987. South of Chatham on Lake Erie. Chickens, goats, horse, garden, dog, cat. Worked all over the world. Know a little bit about a lot of things. No incubator, broody hens.

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Killerbunny
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Re: Advice please re broody

Post by Killerbunny » Thu Aug 16, 2018 7:37 am

Got to agree with @Farrier1987 it is the best thing ever to watch Mum and the kids. Caution though, if she hatches and does well you may not get any chores done.
5
:iheartpto:
Beltsville Small White turkeys.
Mutt chickens for eggs
RIP Stephen the BSW Tom and my coffee companion.
RIP Lucky the Very Brave Splash Wyandotte rooster.
RIP little Muppet the rescue cat.
:turkey:

:bat:

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kenya
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Re: Advice please re broody

Post by kenya » Thu Aug 16, 2018 1:02 pm

Yes I agree with above statements, hatch extra you can always sell extra chicks but its a bummer if you only get one chick.
Silkies sell really well so usually do ameraucana or easter egger.
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