In the old days, a chicken flock was self perpetuating, that is, the hens laid eggs and hatched them to produce new birds every year. This provided eggs for the farmer and meat at the end of the summer when the roosters and old hens were butchered. The chickens lived in coops not well insulated if at all. Some farmers would pile straw over the building, but most did not. The body heat of the birds had to keep the coop warm enough for them to survive and they had to be hardy.
The Fat Ewe Farm Flock is a flock of various breeds chosen for three things: winter hardiness, foraging ability and egg laying, but broodiness is a factor as well. The Chanteclers, both the Partidge and the Whites, are excellent brooders. I have two Silkie hens and they too are known for being great setters.
In addition to these birds, there is a Khaki Campbell on a nest, which is considered rare for that breed. They were bred for egg laying and the broodiness trait was left out, but I have a strain of the breed that will hatch their own, thankfully. Every year, one or two of the Khaki Campbells hatch babies. There are also two Muscovies sitting on nests and a half bantam hen that I know of. That does not mean there are not others. Last year there was a hen who hatched 12 babies under the sheep shelter, and I was not aware of that until she came out with them. That is the true meaning of free range chickens. You never know where the heck they are! Every day is an Easter egg hunt too, because they are inventing new nests and laying anywhere but the nest boxes which are now mostly occupied by brooding hens.
I am thankful for the hens and their ability to raise their babies without me having to incubate and brood the chicks myself. Isn't nature so grand?
The Fat Ewe Farm Flock is a flock of various breeds chosen for three things: winter hardiness, foraging ability and egg laying, but broodiness is a factor as well. The Chanteclers, both the Partidge and the Whites, are excellent brooders. I have two Silkie hens and they too are known for being great setters.
In addition to these birds, there is a Khaki Campbell on a nest, which is considered rare for that breed. They were bred for egg laying and the broodiness trait was left out, but I have a strain of the breed that will hatch their own, thankfully. Every year, one or two of the Khaki Campbells hatch babies. There are also two Muscovies sitting on nests and a half bantam hen that I know of. That does not mean there are not others. Last year there was a hen who hatched 12 babies under the sheep shelter, and I was not aware of that until she came out with them. That is the true meaning of free range chickens. You never know where the heck they are! Every day is an Easter egg hunt too, because they are inventing new nests and laying anywhere but the nest boxes which are now mostly occupied by brooding hens.
I am thankful for the hens and their ability to raise their babies without me having to incubate and brood the chicks myself. Isn't nature so grand?
The Bantam Blue Silkie hen has one baby so far. The other eggs are already 3 days behind this little fellow. Perhaps they are not fertile, but the hen usually will throw them out of the nest if she knows that and somehow they do.
Yes, you are not seeing things. There are two chickens and a Muscovy duck sharing one nest. This happened last year and they raised 6 Guinea keets, because I stole the eggs and put in the Guineas. The rest of the summer, the three mommas followed and guarded those keets with their lives. It was the oddest thing to see. I don't have much hope of anything hatching under these birds. There were some Muscovy eggs in the nest that I put in, but the chickens contributed to the nest as well. Who knows what will hatch?
The White Chantecler hens and the Partidge in with the duck and another white Chanty, are the best broody hens. If looks could kill I would be slayed. And Heaven forbid I try to get my hand or any other appendage near her nest.
I just replaced the few eggs that were under the Silkie hen with fresh ones, so I know she will hatch them for sure. They will be Chantecler/ Ameraucana crosses, excellent winter hardy birds that forage extremely well and also can fly.
The Mottled Houdan is sitting on two goose eggs and 4 Muscovy eggs. She laid one egg in the box and I replaced it with two goose eggs because the goose was nesting there for a while. This little girl gets off the nest when the goose comes to inspect "her" nest, but she has not laid any eggs in it. There is anther half bantam in the sheep shelter and her chicks should be hatching any day. Who knows if there are more? We shall see.
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