New Member

[Gallina Gal]

Hi! I am fairly new to the farm world. We have a small backyard chicken coop we started in March, '23. We have 4 hens (1 Rhoad Island Red and 3 Orpingtons) currently. A few weeks ago, one became broody (before we re-homed our Rhoad Island Red rooster) and just yesterday, we got our first baby chick! Mom is sitting on around 12 more and we are excited to see what nature has in store for our small, albeit growing farm! I know it's rare for chickens to brood in the middle of winter, so we are labeling this as a good omen!

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

It's actually not uncommon for pullets to go broody their first winter with their first hormone surge.
What are your plans for the cockerels in the hatch?

 

[Jenbirdee]

hello and welcome!!

 

[Gallina Gal]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

It's actually not uncommon for pullets to go broody their first winter with their first hormone surge.
What are your plans for the cockerels in the hatch?

Hi and thank you!
I did not know that about hens getting broody on their first winter. So glad I joined here!
Honestly have no idea what to do with the cockerels yet... I do not know how to tell them apart from the pullets. Plus, the mama is being a little overprotective right now, hard to see exactly how many we have. I hope to see if she will let me get closer today to investigate!

 

[janiedoe]

Welcome to BYC. Congratulations on the new chicks!

 

[N F C]

Hi, thanks for joining us!

 

[Kenneth Zweerink]

Welcome to BackYard Chickens. And a Big Hello from Eastern Nebraska!

 

[RoyalChick]

Welcome to BYC. Sounds like you have a good mother there. How exciting not knowing what you have!

 

[BantyChooks]

Welcome and thank you for introducing yourself. Congratulations on your recent hatch!

 

[sourland]

Good morning, and welcome to BYC.