Hatching chicks with my broody hens.

bennett989

In the Brooder
6 Years
Mar 17, 2013
14
0
24
Hi, I'm after some advice please?
I have 3 Buff Laced Wyandotte bantams, 2 of which are broody. We would like to add some Pekin bantams to our group, so are looking to buy some fertile eggs for the broody pair. They are all sisters and all get along very well, will the 2 broodies be able to hatch together as they are both in one nest box together at the moment? I also want to ask about our coop. The sleeping/nesting section is high with a ramp, will this be tricky for when the chicks hatch and start to venture out?
Many thanks.
 
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400

My 2 broody hens together.
 
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I have done 5 hatches with my broody hens. 85% Hatch rate. I wouldn't think it would be a good idea to leave them together for sitting. I do any/all moving at night. If you put a clutch of eggs that you want to hatch, in another box at night and then gently move ur hen to them, the feel of the eggs under her "should" be enough to get her to stay. If you have a lot of eggs, do half and half and put the others under the other hen in the other box.
I let mine sit IN the nesting box until about day 18 or 19. But they are raised up off the ground and the chicks will fall and can't get back in. So Then "at night" I move the nest and hen to a very large dog cage that is in the run, 3/4 covered with a blanket. Of course she has her own water and food and I keep it shut at this point so the others don't bother her. She and the hatched chicks stay in the closed cage for the first 1 to 2 weeks. This has worked for me every time so far. When she starts running up and down wanting out, I let her out. Everyone of them so far, protects the chicks all day and then goes right back to that cage at night with the chicks until they are big enough to climb the ladder to the roots.
Let me also add that if the cage is Big enough, they could "maybe" go in together at the end?? I haven't do it though. I currently have 2 hatch cages in my run right now.
DON'T FORGET to change the food in the cage to chick food. NOT adult food. Your hen will do fine eating chick food for a few weeks.
Hope this helps.
 
Looking at ur coop, if there isn't enough room for a cage, people have also just laid a 5gal bucket on it's side in a corner and put bedding in it. If u do that, I would do it on like night 3 or 4 so u know she is going to stay on it the whole time.
Or, you could always do a dog cage next to the coop, outside, and cover the top with some kind of roof that's bigger like a sheet of plywood.
 
Thank you for all the advice everyone, much appreciated.
The fertile eggs are now in place, fingers crossed for chicks in three weeks.
If the hens don't willingly come out for food, water and a break is it safe to lift them out?
 
I have never done anything with mine, they will automatically do it. They normally get off the nest like twice a day to eat, drink and dust bathe. Most of the time I don't even see it because it's so fast haha Don't stress over it, she knows what to do and all will be good.
Also, hens know which eggs are good and bad so if you check her and one is never under her OR she has pushed it right out of the nesting box, that's because for whatever reason, it is a bad egg. Just throw it out.
Would LOVE to see pics in a few weeks.
 

This is Miss Ramin, she went broody on the 10th of April, am expecting a hatch May 1st or 2nd.
Kept her in the coop till April12th, when she would not move off the eggs, and was being bothered by the other hens, wanting to lay eggs on top of her. She is a little Banty Hen, and this is her 3rd hatch in 4 years. She was in a smaller container the first 2 weeks, till I got this one cleaned up and moved into the house. The only moving she has done is turn clockwise a quarter turn. She has had 4 broody poops since being on lockdown, and gave me quite a peck today, after changing her water.
Someone on one of the other forms said I should keep her food away from her, so it will force her to get up for food and water. I did that one year, and the only thing that happened was, the water dried up, and she never moved. As soon as I put it by her, she was all over that food and water. So I promised her, that I would always keep her food close by her, so she could eat and drink when she needed to.
 

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