Natural breeding thread

[NanaK]

This is misinformation that has spread, they aren't like turtles where temperature decides the sex. Birds have clear sex chromosomes with females having ZW and males having ZZ. Once a bird egg has been laid chromosomes don't just randomly change shape completely. Also if this was true don't you think the egg industry would just stop hatching roosters so they don't kill them at 1 day old?

Exactly why when I first read it I didn't give it much thought. I thought sex was determined at fertilization so timing and temperature would not matter. I also agree, the egg industry would have perfected this.

When Perris wrote "I don't rush to let them brood as I (and others) have found that earlier broods typically have more males and later broods have more females."
My first thought was earlier hatches would be during cooler weather, later hatches would be during warmer weather. I was just interested in his or others experiences.

 

[TOMTE]

Exactly why when I first read it I didn't give it much thought. I thought sex was determined at fertilization so timing and temperature would not matter. I also agree, the egg industry would have perfected this.

When Perris wrote "I don't rush to let them brood as I (and others) have found that earlier broods typically have more males and later broods have more females."
My first thought was earlier hatches would be during cooler weather, later hatches would be during warmer weather. I was just interested in his or others experiences.

It must have more to do with the hen's reproductive cycle then?

 

[Perris]

My first thought was earlier hatches would be during cooler weather, later hatches would be during warmer weather.

that's a natural assumption, and a nice example that correlation isn't causation. I think the phenomenon isn't even properly recognized let alone explained: so little work is done with natural breeding. Perhaps those of us with intentions to set this summer should design an experiment and do some citizen science on the topic?

 

[Skyeknight]

Perhaps those of us with intentions to set this summer should design an experiment and do some citizen science on the topic?

I am very open to the idea of setting up an experiment!

 

[NanaK]

Perhaps those of us with intentions to set this summer should design an experiment and do some citizen science on the topic?

"Citizen Science" gave me a chuckle. Thank you!
I used this term many times when I was homeschooling my grandson. He loved those projects!

Would like to follow the experiment though I will only be adding a few chicks this year hopefully hatched under a broody. I'd help anyway I can.
I also at present do not have a rooster but hope to find or hatch a cockerel this year. I've already been watching 2 local breeders pages waiting to see what I can get.

 

[Sloane Chickens]

Our first hatching experience was with a broody mama years ago. I loved it!
It was less stressful than incubating (which I just did / am doing and Lordy, I am a mess).

 

[BDutch]

True, bantam chickens have more predators than bigger breeds. Birds of prey,

Yes

corvids and rats are an additional potential threat.

Corvids and rats are only a threat for chicks. And I don’t trust cats either with chicks. Corvids, cats and rats are no threat for bantam adults.

Maybe with bantams it is better to generally keep them locked up or free range with supervison like you have been doing. I don't have experience with bantams though.

I free range my adult bantams unsupervised several hours between 10 am and sunset if i am at home.
Mothers with chicks and juveniles are supervised or kept inside the run until they are (almost) full grown. Because I can divide the run in 2 compartments I can divide my flock when the adults free range.

 

[BDutch]

I'm pretty sure you can buy urine spray online. Spray it around the border of your property so predators recognize that this "territory" is already occupied. Not foolproof but scent markers are an important type of communication between animals.

I can ask the neighbours to walk their dog behind our garden in the morning if my chicken are still closed in, in the run.

Human urine works too but depending on where you live you can't just drop your pants and pee around your property

The neighbours will think I’m getting a bit weird.

but some people will pee in a container and dump it at the bases of trees and bushes etc. Sometimes I do go next to the run. Not often but when you gotta go, you gotta go, and if it could help keep predators away then why not?

Possible. Thanks for the tip.

 

[BDutch]

Only since 2015 do we have a wolves in the Netherlands, before that I think the fox was the biggest predator.

No. Dogs.
If sheep get killed they its far more often dogs than wolves.

I know these threads are going downhill once somebody starts talking about peeing to scare off predators. If you're having to buy urine to protect your chickens, you've gone down the wrong road and need to turn around.
So far removed from the original post of using a broody hen to naturally raise chicks.
To the person that says only trained livestock guardians that have been bred for 100s of years are trustworthy... gimme a break. I could easily find 10 examples eon this site of LGDs killing chickens and 10 examples of mutts that are good at protecting chickens.

Thanks for reminding us this thread is about broodies and raising chicks.
I got carried away bc for me it is alway nerve wracking to let the chicks free range unsupervised.

April is broody month. Don't know how true that is but it was someone with experience with broodies who told me.

Spring. Best from March til the end of June, also depending on where you live of course. Follow the nesting /broody period of wild birds. They breed in Spring, bc this is the best time of the year for all baby birds to survive. In summer the chicks have to grow and get strong to survive the next winter.