clocking hens

EastTyrone

I have hens but no rooster, which will be easy to get a hand off, but anyway my granny says that she would love to see chicks walking after a hen agian before she dies. I would love for her to see this form my hens but i do not know if i have clocking hens. There is one hen thta woulod occasionaly put dirt over eggs as if to keep them warm, could this hen be clocking? if not how do i know if a hen is a clocking hen

Casinoking

An easy way to tell is she'll make clocking noises and sit on the eggs all day, only leaving the nest once or twice to eat and exercise the aul bowels

EastTyrone

Casinoking wrote: »

An easy way to tell is she'll make clocking noises and sit on the eggs all day, only leaving the nest once or twice to eat and exercise the aul bowels

is there any way other than this if telling she is a clocking hen

Casinoking

Perhaps there are those who are more knowledgeable in the ways of chickens than I, but that's the best I could ever come up with I'm afraid. Although to be fair I never really studied their behavioural patterns in any great detail.

cormywormy

Hello mate, first of all you need to get a cock:), to do a bit of business.Then you will see her a some stage minding an egg,which is sitting on it. This means she is clocking. Then put her own eggs from a few days under her and away she goes. You should have chickens in 21 days.

My hen did all this about 4 weeks ago i got 3 chicks but 2 died so now i have 1 chick.

locky76

EastTyrone wrote: »

I have hens but no rooster, which will be easy to get a hand off, but anyway my granny says that she would love to see chicks walking after a hen agian before she dies. I would love for her to see this form my hens but i do not know if i have clocking hens. There is one hen thta woulod occasionaly put dirt over eggs as if to keep them warm, could this hen be clocking? if not how do i know if a hen is a clocking hen

you'll know when she's clocking if you can slip your hand under her on the nest palm facing upwards and she snuggles down on it as if she's sitting on a pillow. she shouldn't be leaving the nest either.
a bantam hen is the job for hatching out chickens!

bubski

Some hens are better clockers than others.. as previous poster said banams are quite good.

I have 2 red hens, usually not great mothers but one of them about 3 mths ago was acting strange, making a clucking noise and fluffing the feathers out, this went on for a few wks, she stopped and then started again for another fews days and soon she was sitting on the eggs.

I have 3 chicks out of 4 eggs, about 3 wks old now.

Check out the buy and sell for clocking hens for sale or you could buy day old chicks, but if your doing the latter I dont think you let them round around the yard on their own without the protection of a mother hen. Also if your hen does come broody you can buy fertiised eggs or get some off someone who has a rooster running with hens

EastTyrone

locky76 wrote: »

you'll know when she's clocking if you can slip your hand under her on the nest palm facing upwards and she snuggles down on it as if she's sitting on a pillow. she shouldn't be leaving the nest either.
a bantam hen is the job for hatching out chickens!

she has been sitting down in the nest all day yesterday and if yuo moved her she'd stand up but not move, could she be going broody? the only thing is she isnt sitting on eggs, just sitting.

EastTyrone

bubski wrote: »

Some hens are better clockers than others.. as previous poster said banams are quite good.

I have 2 red hens, usually not great mothers but one of them about 3 mths ago was acting strange, making a clucking noise and fluffing the feathers out, this went on for a few wks, she stopped and then started again for another fews days and soon she was sitting on the eggs.

I have 3 chicks out of 4 eggs, about 3 wks old now.

Check out the buy and sell for clocking hens for sale or you could buy day old chicks, but if your doing the latter I dont think you let them round around the yard on their own without the protection of a mother hen. Also if your hen does come broody you can buy fertiised eggs or get some off someone who has a rooster running with hens

cool thanks, i have either rhode island red light sussex hybrid or a isa brown hen., but is banty hens ot wile small?