[too many girls]

Will my hens ever go broody? i've read somewhere that my ex barns are hybrids and have had the broodiness bred out of them, if i wanted to breed would my hens not be suitable?
If they were suitable how old would a cockerel have to be before he get's down to business? i have 2 young ones but they're petrified of the hens and are kept seperate from them at night.
how many cockerals do you need per ratio of hens?
if hens  free range all day on a farm do they still need grit?
hoping someone can help, thank you, Rom.

[Aunt Sally]

Will my hens ever go broody? i've read somewhere that my ex barns are hybrids and have had the broodiness bred out of them, if i wanted to breed would my hens not be suitable?


If they were suitable how old would a cockerel have to be before he get's down to business?

i have 2 young ones but they're petrified of the hens and are kept seperate from them at night.
how many cockerals do you need per ratio of hens?


if hens  free range all day on a farm do they still need grit?
hoping someone can help, thank you, Rom.

Hybrids don't make good broodies !

No idea about cockerel's age of consent

1 cockerel to about 10 hens - ish.

They won't need grit but they WILL need crushed oyster shell for the calcium.

[too many girls]

crumbs.......... i need another 3 cockerals then. i feed them limestone flour and they have apple cider vinegar and i don't like oysters......

[Aunt Sally]

Don't just take my word for it though, there are many on here with big flocks.  They will give you much more accurate advice than I can  

[too many girls]

i've kept hens before but never this many, my last lot ( 12 of them) came from a breeder at pol and they were not nearly as much fun as these, they didn't have much personality, kept themselves to themselves and were not very friendly, these on the other hand have us in stitches, i never knew they could be so much fun..........

[GrannieAnnie]

One of my Goldlines is broody, but whether she'd make a good Mum or not I don't know, as Brian won't let me get any fertilized eggs to try her out!    :cry:  

[peggyprice]

Will my hens ever go broody? i've read somewhere that my ex barns are hybrids and have had the broodiness bred out of them, if i wanted to breed would my hens not be suitable?

STOP RIGHT THERE girl, you have enough eggs already !    

[too many girls]

my dad keeps threatening to eat my girls, i told him that was out of the question, they've already had a miserable life, we decided that if we had chicks, reared them, kept them seperate from the others, we could pop them in the freezer, as long as i can't identify an animal i don't have a problem eating it, we've got lamb in the freezer but i've no idea which ones ( as soon as the lambs get big we put them in the quarry out of site of the farm) when they're loaded up for the market my dad will pick out 2 males and drop them off at the butchers, that way we never know what we're eating (only the pet lambs have names) do you think eating the chicks would be a bad idea?  would they make lousy table birds? i'd rear them untill they were about 8 months old, and at least i'd know what kind of life they'd had, what they had been fed on ect, lets face it unless you buy free range chicken you don't know what your eating............

[Aunt Sally]

Brian won't let me get any fertilized eggs to try her out!    :cry:  

 :shock: Grannie... buy eggs and let him just moan  :!: You need a bit of fun girl  

[Jellyhead]

One of my Goldlines is broody, but whether she'd make a good Mum or not I don't know, as Brian won't let me get any fertilized eggs to try her out!    :cry:  

Get a grip Granny, pull yourself together and if Brian has a problem send him here..............................Aunty will sort him          
"won't let me" what fuffle :roll:

[Vember]

Does he need to know  :?:

My O/H neva knows what I'm doing, I just tell him after the event  

[nettynoodles1]

warrens dont really go broody!!! my boys do the job well but at what age they start i dont really know soz. i have always been advised 1 boy to 10 girls but i think this is with a little bit of give and take. some of my past boys, 1 esp was very grupmy and hormonal all the time and i couldnt have  any other boy around. peter my cock now is more gentle and really laid back lol.

i dont tell my hubby either as a couple of my past posts reveal!! :oops:
after its done and the new chooks are in hes like  oh well and lets me get on with it.so granny go get them eggs hehehehe