Success Stories Through the Years
With baby chick season upon us, I thought it'd be a good time to share some of my successful hatches from over the years.
I've never incubated eggs. I have always followed nature's lead and intuition. I first began hatching chicks when we rescued a rooster from an abusive situation. He was a beautiful and friendly Ameraucana.
Meet Big Papa
He definitely had a way with the ladies, and in the beginning of 2019, he inspired more than one lady to become broody. It was that year, we saw two mamas work together to sit and raise babies not just once, but twice.
It was so awesome to see the two mamas work together and support one another. It was a nice lesson in life, and reminded me how thankful I was (and am) for my fellow mama gal pals.
January 2019 - The First Hatch
Meet The Mamas
Our two Speckled Sussex took turns situating themselves on the eggs. They even used their beaks to nudge the eggs under each other when they seemed to be too exposed.
It was such an incredible experience. I felt like a midwife bringing life into the world. The mamas never pecked at me and seemed to understand that I was there to help.
To learn more about hatching chicks with a broody hen, check out the happychickencoop.com.
Meet the Babies
They were adorable and a unique mixture. At the time we had about seven different types of hens and the Ameraucana rooster, so we knew we'd get some beautiful babies.
Awesome Mamas
The mamas didn't stop after the chicks were hatched. They raised them together and spent time each day teaching the babies how to forage and roost.
They were such friendly mamas.
July 2019 - The Second Hatch
When the first set of chicks were a few months old and pretty self-sufficient, our two mamas were back on the nest looking to hatch another set of babies.
Just like before, the mamas proved to be doting and loving. I was so proud of them, and so incredibly thankful to be able to increase our flock by letting nature take its course.
And our new egg supply was awesome!
They all continued to grow and lay such cool colored and great tasting eggs.
If you're not sure whether or not you should allow a broody hen to hatch chicks, check out some great reasons at homestead-honey.com.
Our Teenagers from the January Hatch
Pictured below is Reggie, a young rooster who went on to increase the flock of one of our friends. He was a good looking guy when he outgrew his gawky teen years.
One of the teenage roosters we decided to keep, mostly because he became inseparable from one of the hens.
Meet Angela and Dwight (pictured below). Dwight would never be more than a couple feet from Angela at all times. Dwight was a black Australorp rooster and Angela was a small little white hen mix.
2019 was such a fantastic year of hatchings. I loved all the colors and personalities of the babies. There is no way it would have been possible if we didn't have two incredibly sweet Speckled Sussex mamas who were up for the challenge. It was great to let nature take its course, and we were blessed to be able to be a part of it.
If you're looking to learn more about hatching and raising baby chicks with a broody hen, chickenpedia.com is an excellent resource.
I've love to hear some of your best stories on hatching chicks.
