Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

[Florida Bullfrog]

The broods of number #2 and #6 are almost identical even down to number and color. I thought they were the same hen last couple of days until I just saw them both at the same time and realized one hen has a red head. I will compare pics, but they’re probably the same 2 that started off last year.

 

[Ridgerunner]

1) Can I add eggs to her nest from other hens today or tomorrow so that she hatches a variety?

I would not. You would be creating a staggered hatch of the eggs are fertile. The hen would almost certainly have to take the first chicks to hatch off of the nest in search of food and water before the later ones hatch. That will be stressful to you and possibly to the broody hen.

2) If so, do I have to wait until she leaves the nest to add them?

It sounds like she is a committed broody after three days. If she is truly committed you should be able to add more eggs at any time, assuming she has room for more eggs. There is a risk you can break her from being broody by scaring her off of the nest, but I consider it a very low risk.

3) Should I try to move her & her eggs to a protected crate for the brooding period, or would that likely distress her too much? She is safe from weather where she is. She would be vulnerable to snakes. She *might* be vulnerable to raccoons, etc., but it's very close to the house and we have a big dog (who doesn't harm the chickens), so it's likely the larger predators will stay away.

Most hens will accept a move but some will not and will break from being broody. If you move her, move her at night and lock her in that crate for the duration. That gives you the best odds of success but I certainly do not give guarantees.

 

[Wild Iris]

I would not. You would be creating a staggered hatch of the eggs are fertile. The hen would almost certainly have to take the first chicks to hatch off of the nest in search of food and water before the later ones hatch. That will be stressful to you and possibly to the broody hen.

That makes sense. If I did it, and the regular chicks hatched and the later eggs weren't hatched yet, could I take the later eggs and sort of finish off the incubation myself with a box and a heat lamp, then put them with the other chicks?

 

[Ridgerunner]

People make homemade incubators. You'd need to control the heat and the humidity. That's possible with a box and heat lamp but I'd want a thermostat set up to manage actual temperature. There are threads on the forum on how to build a homemade incubator. Some people are tremendously successful with that.

Another potential issue is that the eggs can get dirty when the first chicks hatch. Dirty enough that bacteria can grow on them and kill the embryo inside. "Can" does not mean "always" but it is a fairly common occurrence. It's another reason I hate staggered hatches.

If you do hatch them you can try adding them to her brood. Some broodies will accept more chicks a few days later but many will not. So that is another risk. Three days later would be a high risk to me but it might work.

If you want chicks from those other eggs I'd suggest you either wait until you get another broody or build or buy an incubator and hatch them yourself, planning to raise them yourself. You might be able to pull it off but I wouldn't try. I don't like that much stress and drama in my life. Some people do.

Since it has been only a few days, you can collect all of the eggs you want her to hatch from whatever source and replace the ones under her with eggs started at the same time. Some people would have trouble tossing the eggs she has already started.

 

[Wild Iris]

People make homemade incubators. ...

Thank you so much for explaining it further. i don't know whether i'll chance it or not, but it helps to know what risks i'm taking and where to look for problems.

 

[LaurenRitz]

It doesn't hurt to learn how to set up a heated box, making sure you can maintain the 96-100 degrees necessary. You may need it at another point even if not this time.

 

[Wild Iris]

It doesn't hurt to learn how to set up a heated box, making sure you can maintain the 96-100 degrees necessary. You may need it at another point even if not this time.

Very true--thanks.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

#7

 

[LaurenRitz]

There are distinct behavioral differences between the various mixes. The Ranger babies (JG, RIR, Ranger) didn't want to leave their brooder. When I left the door open they wouldn't go near it for days. They still don't want to leave the coop.

The JGxRIR and the back-cross came out but stayed close to the brooder unless either myself or one of the roosters was there. Then they figured it was safe. They were also quick to scuttle back to the brooder at the first sign of danger, while the Ranger crosses are just oblivious.

The (((JGxRIR)xRIR)xBA) are hanging at the brooder door, waiting to dart past me if I open the door. They want OUT. RIGHT NOW. They're also far more alert than the other groups. Not panicked, just watching.

They can't come out yet, though. They have a little sister who is almost two weeks younger*. I can't risk it until she's at least a week old.

*A friend had a failed hatch with only 1 survivor, so since I had a full brooder she gave the baby to me.

 

[LaurenRitz]

That was fast. It took those BA crosses less than 2 minutes to figure out the door was open. They're zipping around, getting pecked and scratching in the grass while the older (RangerX, 7 weeks) chicks sit in the coop.

One of them is already challenging the adult hens, and he's NOT the one I already know is a boy. So far I've seen him jump at two hens, trying to take something they'd just found. Got pecked, remained undeterred.

These chicks are 3 weeks old. The BYM I also suspect is a boy, just from behavior.