Broody hen day 22

[Laura53]

I've really enjoyed reading this thread. Today is day 21 for us with our very first broody hen--she's our smallest barred rock, Audrey, and has been very dedicated to her nest with 3 copper marans and 3 olive egger eggs we got for her to hatch.

I'm feeling much like Laura53 right now--Is it really going to happen? When is it going to happen?? Why am I going to work today??? Nothing yet when I checked early this morning, although I will take all of the advice to heart and do my best to trust and be patient. But I'll still probably be running out to the coop the minute I get home tonight!

We didn't have any alternate housing at the time, so we've let her sit in the one of the nest boxes in the main coop. It seems to have worked out fine, although we did have to keep checking for additional eggs.The marans eggs are easy to identify, but I was relieved we'd marked the green fertilized ones, since for some reason Sushi and Smudge, our other green egg-layers, decided it was their job to add to the cache. 

I've got a little separate coop and run ready for her and the babies now. Everything I've been reading online seems to suggest it would be best not to move her till all of the chicks have hatched. What do folks here think?

Hope you'll post more pics as the chicks hatch and grow!

Hope this thread has been some help to you!

For some reason I was convinced it wasn't going to happen - this is day 23 today so like rebrascora said I'm sure you're going to be rewarded!

I love the names of your chicks by the way

Hmmm I don't really have the experience to give advice! From what I've read I think it would be best to move her afterwards - but then is there a risk of the other hens attacking the chicks in the shared coop or her leaving the nest if you move her to the new coop??

I know my Mango would sit on that nest wherever I moved her she was so determined! So I think I would probably section off her part of the shared coop till the babies had hatched, this way the other hens can't get to them, then move her and the chicks to the new coop in the dark one night. You might have to prepare yourself for an all nighter that night to check she stays sat on her chicks, and maybe have a brooder on standby if she suddenly doesn't feel safe and abandons them. Did you say this is her first time being broody??

 

[rebrascora]

@olivigus

Hi.
I usually allow my broodies to raise their chicks within the flock and there are no problems.....I have a large mixed flock with 3 roosters and they usually free range during the day. I keep the broody in a cage for 2-3 days until she gets the hang of marshalling her chicks but even when I keep them inside if the weather is bad, I have never had any problems with the other hens showing aggression and the broody normally fluffs up if anyone even shows an interest and they back off. Most of my broodies are not high on the pecking order either. The advantage of raising them within the flock is that there are no reintroduction problems. I chock the bottomless cage up on 2x4 blocks of wood after the first few days and put the chick crumb inside so that the chicks can duck underneath and access their feed and water.... they learn quickly where to go when they are hungry.

Snapped a photo of Portia tonight at bedtime with a couple of her chicks


Good luck to you both with your hatches. I've just set 2 more broodies yesterday so I will be in your position in 3 weeks time again. It doesn't seem to matter how many times you go through it, it still seems amazing that chicks hatch and like you both I still have doubts on those last few days.
Look forward to seeing more of your chicks soon.

 

[olivigus]

Went to the coop as soon as I got home tonight and there were two tiny fluffy black faces peeking out from under Audrey's wings. And a third appeared about an hour later. So all 3 of the olive egger eggs have hatched!

She's still happily sitting on the three copper marans eggs, so I'm hopeful there will be three more babies by morning or later in the day tomorrow! The three that are out are already hopping into the bowl with the chick crumble and learning to eat from mama.

Such a little miracle. I don't think I'll ever get tired of learning about chickens!

This was taken with a cell phone inside a darkening coop, but you can at least see the little guys.

 

[Laura53]

Went to the coop as soon as I got home tonight and there were two tiny fluffy black faces peeking out from under Audrey's wings. And a third appeared about an hour later. So all 3 of the olive egger eggs have hatched! She's still happily sitting on the three copper marans eggs, so I'm hopeful there will be three more babies by morning or later in the day tomorrow! The three that are out are already hopping into the bowl with the chick crumble and learning to eat from mama. Such a little miracle. I don't think I'll ever get tired of learning about chickens! This was taken with a cell phone inside a darkening coop, but you can at least see the little guys.

Awwww so happy for you!! We have three now as well as far as I can see it's just the best feeling! Hope all goes well for you and your other three hatch out soon, look forward to seeing some pics of them all

 

[rebrascora]

Great news from both of you and hope there is more to come soon. Lovely pic of proud Mama and chicks..

 

[olivigus]

Thanks. No more as yet, but she's still sitting, and I'm being patient.

This is the first time any of our hens has gone broody, but so far Audrey is proving to be a great mother. Like Mango--another great name by the way--she was very dedicated to her nest. I'm glad she's getting a chance to follow through on that instinct.

Fingers crossed for more cuteness by the end of the day!

 

[olivigus]

I appreciate the advice and good wishes.
I really like the idea of elevating the little run for the chicks on blocks so they can be part of the flock but run in there if need be, plus it will keep the rest of my greedy girls from eating all the chicks' food.

Portia is quite lovely--what breed is she? Are all your hens named after Shakespeare heroines? My four barred rocks are named for the four female U.S. surgeon generals.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi again....No nothing as high brow as that..... she's a porcelain bantam Cochin (we call them Pekins here in the UK) and since I've got a lot of chickens and I'm running short of ideas for names, Portia came from porcelain.....I'm not very imaginative I'm afraid!
My main broody is Tasha. She's an araucana cross (the equivalent of an EE in the USA I suppose but we don't call them EEs or even have a real market for them here). Anyway, she has an awesome moustache.... although technically it is probably more of a beard.... hence Tasha. She has raised 5 broods since I got her. Her first clutch was a sneaky nest she made up in the eves(she's very flighty) with 14 eggs of her own eggs in it and she hatched and raised them all, free range in my large mixed flock in a yard shared with my horses and goodness knows what other hazards like water troughs etc, let alone the risk of being stood on, without losing one! She is a total star..... she has 10 chicks at the moment, which are a week old and they spend most of the day scratching through my muck heap for bugs and making a shocking mess in the process, so I have to sweep up continually! Arrgh How could I not forgive her though! Best of all, she lays eggs all winter whilst the other girls have knocked off for moulting and raises chicks all summer when I have a glut of eggs and don't need her contribution....who could ask for more from a hen!

 

[Laura53]

Awww she sounds like the perfect hen!! How is everyone's doing??

We have ended up with 4 healthy chicks currently have one that hatched yesterday (day 25) and has been the weakest, she's took a turn for the worse today though and doesn't look like she's going to make it we have her inside with us keeping her warm but she's just sleeping and very shallow breathing. Poor little thing.

Our other four are doing really well though, learning to eat, drink and scratch away!! Mummy Mango has been amazing

 

[rebrascora]

Sorry to hear you have one that is struggling but great that you have 4 strong healthy little miracles. Keeping fingers crossed for the poorly one. I know how heart breaking it is to see them go down hill and not be able to help. I've had to cull two chicks, one last year and the one that I cracked open too early just last week.... it's not an easy job.

Good luck

Barbara.