All things being = hybrid hatchout idea

[electrycmonk]

So to set the stage effectively.

- I have read several threads on choosing when is "best time" to let the broody hen setup and hatch out eggs....
- do to loss of several chickens the last 12 months.....
- (cheesy grin) chicken math
- taking advantage of when a silkie goes full blown "pancake mode" again

As I already had the silkie-tag-team thread that - (sigh) yeah, it does need an update again w/pics... It's part of where I'm going with this posting.

1) We have a forecasted nice & bright "green light" from The Farmers Almanac.
2) Just don't know which silkie will be "in broody mode" when the agreed upon best time to start with furtilized eggs.
3) the silkie will have a silkie egg or two but, her primary batch will be our big girl hens eggs (1 is a Jersey giant, a few sexlinks, a few RiR, & several EE)
4) we have 3 silkies who are repeatedly cycling in and outta broodiness

If you could choose which week to start a broody hatch along.... What week would you choose.

--- Not date. Only week please.

(To give you geographic location for proper weather awareness)
We live on the North side of the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area.

I'm leaning towards a late January starting week or late February. So that would be (blindly estimates by not looking at a calendar yet)
2021 week 5-6 or 10-11?

Suggestions and by all means express why you choose such a week....

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

So to set the stage effectively.

- I have read several threads on choosing when is "best time" to let the broody hen setup and hatch out eggs....
- do to loss of several chickens the last 12 months.....
- (cheesy grin) chicken math
- taking advantage of when a silkie goes full blown "pancake mode" again

As I already had the silkie-tag-team thread that - (sigh) yeah, it does need an update again w/pics... It's part of where I'm going with this posting.

1) We have a forecasted nice & bright "green light" from The Farmers Almanac.
2) Just don't know which silkie will be "in broody mode" when the agreed upon best time to start with furtilized eggs.
3) the silkie will have a silkie egg or two but, her primary batch will be our big girl hens eggs (1 is a Jersey giant, a few sexlinks, a few RiR, & several EE)
4) we have 3 silkies who are repeatedly cycling in and outta broodiness

If you could choose which week to start a broody hatch along.... What week would you choose.

--- Not date. Only week please.

(To give you geographic location for proper weather awareness)
We live on the North side of the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area.

I'm leaning towards a late January starting week or late February. So that would be (blindly estimates by not looking at a calendar yet)
2021 week 5-6 or 10-11?

Suggestions and by all means express why you choose such a week....

Why I chose: ASAP as soon as the weather's nice. Broody mama's are hilarious and chicks are adorable.

 

[electrycmonk]

Here's the Farmer's almanac generalized forecast picture

 

[electrycmonk]

I plan to update with the recommendations of the Old Farmer's almanac in the next day or so.....

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Monk I said 13 weeks, because that gives the hen 3 months to build up her strength so that she can remain in good health while she broods and cares for little new born chicks. Don't know if this is the best answer or not. But I wouldn't want my hen to suffer malnutrition from sitting on a nest for 23 hours everyday. Good luck, let us know what you decide and how it works out.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

just re read your post. I would start a clutch as soon as I had a hen go broody, unless you expect freezing whether this winter.

 

[Mrs. K]

Once a couple of years ago, I had a hen go broody and hatched out in late October. I live in western SD, and she raised 4 chicks through weather at 2 weeks of age hit negative 20 degrees. I nearly pulled them, but each time, I went down, they were running around, alert, active, curious, and eating well. I did make extra sure that water was offered both morning and mid afternoon.

So if I had a broody, and I wanted chicks, well I would slip them under her ASAP. And I live much farther north than you.

If you think it is going to be very cold, I would reduce the number of eggs I put under her.

Mrs K

 

[electrycmonk]

So if I had a broody, and I wanted chicks, well I would slip them under her ASAP. And I live much farther north than you.

If you think it is going to be very cold, I would reduce the number of eggs I put under her.

Mrs K

just re read your post. I would start a clutch as soon as I had a hen go broody, unless you expect freezing whether this winter.

Okay ladies. Here's my roughed out thoughts.
A) I want to give the pancakes the best possible chance at a healthy success.
B) the Farmer's almanac has a 80+% nationally accurate forecasting history over the last 5+ years that I have watched & read. In a critical POV that I have kept over the last 13+ months --- to almost 90% accuracy for our area of North Texas. The Almanac was that good at forecasting our week to week forecast to this day.
C) I 1st need to get the Roo's and hens comfy together so that I can leave them all together for at least a couple weeks for them to get to the point where mating will be a forgone conclusion and all hens should be furtilized.
D) I have to get the giant dog crate setup in the coop again so I can have it setup and ready for her to set on the big hens eggs.

E) So I'm currently looking at late January as the time slot I'd like to use --- for the start of letting the broody go full pancake.