Why do we Question Old Mother Hen?

[Eggseronious]

As each generation passes the broodiness of our flock is diminished.

We have "failed the old mother hen"!

She never has the the time to graze and do as she pleases, we "steal" her eggs and cram them in an incubator! They hatch and are grown up without a mother! Without adults leading and teaching them She has never drank from a clear stream or a spring! She has been in jail most of her life and has no desire to do anything! We take all these things away from her and question her broodiness...... How many generations will it take to get back to the basics of the Old Mother Hen?

 

[Ellie]

Well, I for one, with the help of the forum am attempting to bring the old and natural way back. My chickens came from Ideal Hatchery and are now 7 months old or so. I had one broody, got fertilized eggs from Speckled Hen and let my Lacy brood and raise. She did it all.

Now, I have another one broody and I again got 5 eggs from Cynthia aka Speckled Hen and am letting her sit and raise.

As soon as I figure out which are roosters, I will keep one and then when a hen goes broody, give her one or two eggs. I don't want to be irresponsible and just let them hatch dozens given the room I have for them.

I think many on the forum are doing the same thing, but you are right, "we" have bred much out of the chicken for the sake of egg production.

Ellie

 

[Guitartists]

I am hoping for some broody hens! Hopefully my cochins from Frizzledhen or maybe some of my others down the road. I would rather old mother hen do it her way, the natural way! But it is nice to be able to access new breeds via shipped eggs...... without the ability to incubate eggs... I wouldn;t really have access to much of anything.