Broody Hen Thread!

[thebulg]

so let's go over the issues we have had with this hatch: mites. overheating. chick hatched itself too early. AN EGG JUST EXPLODED.

gah

 

[PD-Riverman]

She had plenty of room to get up and poop, eat and drink an even take a dust bath but if left alone this broody will not get off her nest! I didn't bother her for 5 days and no poo or food and water touched the entire time so I figured I would just remove her every evening. Maybe she would of gotten off on her own but I didn't want to risk it. Thank you for the insight though, I realize that ideally the broody does everything on her own

Having dealt with boodies for 50 years I have never lost one while brooding. I deal with my broodies as though they were own their own---in the woods, under a building, etc, etc. Even though I have to keep them confined. If they were under a building or hid in the woods---"WE" Humans would not be removing them from the nest or bothering them while they hatch. My broodies do a great Job left alone completely. I stick them some food and water in their private place but I do that quickly and leave. My broodies I have never seen off the nest the last 2/3 days when their eggs are hatching, nor do they eat or drink while hatching---so if you want to continue taking her off each day----I would suggest you stop on day 18 and leave her alone till she comes off the nest with the chicks. Good Luck!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

so let's go over the issues we have had with this hatch: mites. overheating. chick hatched itself too early. AN EGG JUST EXPLODED.

gah

Some hatches just go better than others. Warm, hot, humid weather can definitely skew things.

Summer hatching in my wet area is usually ideal as I finally have warmer, dryer, weather...but then the ants or mites creep in.

You can liberally sprinkle Poultry Dust in the bedding after the babes are finished hatching. You can liberally dust momma again and the babes running through her will pick up the dust.

If worse comes to worse, you can use Ivermectin on momma.

Mites can overwhelm baby chicks quickly, but if I remember correctly, you dusted momma and cleaned and moved everything.

Let them hatch, then assess. Do only what is necessary.

Each brood is a learning experience.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you.
LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

See her standing? She would not sit on the eggs as they were hatching. I was not tilting her, she was upset with all the movement from the hatching egg. Her panting was concerning.

This situation is a hard judgment call. You will need to do what you feel best as you are there to best assess. We can only offer advice from our personal experience in what appears to have been similar situations from the information given us.

Without a hidden camera on her to watch her without anyone present, it is hard to know if she is simply upset at the hatch or unsettled with the movement as a new mother and further stressed by interruption..Or simply over heated...chickens typically pant when over heated and only sometimes when extremely stressed (after a lot of flight activity). They aren't like dogs who pant and yawn when stressed. Panting is usually a sign of being very warm.

With our modern breeding of chickens, many hens can get some but not all of the genetics necessary to brood properly. I have had a hen that became disturbed at the commotion under her on her first hatch. She jumped and looked very worried with each new bump in the dark, but bless her heart, she sat her ground and turned out to be a very good mother. Any interruption did make her much more stressed, so I kept away and let her work through the hatch. (I have a peep hole that I can very carefully look through without opening any doors....I recommend that for anyone who likes to check but not interfere without complete necessity).

Sometimes you do need to step in, but only experience will tell you if it truly is necessary and what action would be best.

I once had a broody attack her first chicks, who were left sprawled and spindly on the nest beside her. I had to take them away as they were specially purchased eggs from which I wanted to introduce a new breed into my flock. It turned out the broody actually knew best. These chicks were unthrifty, and while I did manage to save them with artificial brooding, every last one of them developed issues and I either had to cull or they died. It was a very rare breed of bird which I later found out suffered from too much inbreeding and was known to have funky hatches because of that. It gave me hope for this hen who I was about to cull as I chalked it up to poor chick genetics and natural instinct of the hen. I later used that hen again with some hardy backyard specials, and she hatched babes like an expert and was a superlative mother. I now use her regularly without any trouble.

Intervene if you must. Keep her cool if you can. Stay back if possible.

LofMc

 

[16 paws]

so let's go over the issues we have had with this hatch: mites. overheating. chick hatched itself too early. AN EGG JUST EXPLODED.

gah

Hang in there,
My first hatch was a major disaster. We learn as we go. Dont give up now.

 

[Mezzer]

So I tried to see if she might accept her chicks and she still wants nothing to do with them. The last was hatched this morning and all six seem healthy and strong. I did not want to intervene but I had a feeling yesterday when they were peeping still in the eggs and she was upset by that, I think it was a good thing to remove them. This was her first hatch and I won't use her as a broody again. I also was worried because the spot she chose was not the best location and if she was pushing the chicks out I worried that the other hens might attack them or cats (mine and lots of strays on our street) might grab them. I had blocked off the back part of the coop and had planned to move mama and chicks once they were dry and needing to eat to the blocked off section but I'll use it for the chicks now when they are a bit bigger. Thanks for all the advice, I am grateful for this place and for this learning experience.

 

[Mezzer]

And may I add that they are adorable?? And.....one has feathers on it's feet!!!! Yay!!! I love feathered feet. They were supposed to be barred rock and road island reds, but she looks like a little bhrama!!

 

[thebulg]

and she pooped. and the chick that hatched early and is weak had its head resting on the poop. i can't say i am surprised to be honest. we are coming to the end of day 21 and only 5 of the 14 have hatched. she seems to have tried to hold off as long as she could. the exploded egg dried on some of her down but i really dont feel like i can do anything about that at this point. i'm exhausted and honestly overwhelmed. we have family in town and none of this has been "oh let the hen do it, it's so easy"

the other 4 chicks look great. so there's that. one of the eggs has pipped at the wrong end. 2 are moving and haven't externally pipped yet. i just want it to be tomorrow, everyone to be hatched and fluffed her to get bathed.

 

[16 paws]

So I tried to see if she might accept her chicks and she still wants nothing to do with them. The last was hatched this morning and all six seem healthy and strong. I did not want to intervene but I had a feeling yesterday when they were peeping still in the eggs and she was upset by that, I think it was a good thing to remove them. This was her first hatch and I won't use her as a broody again. I also was worried because the spot she chose was not the best location and if she was pushing the chicks out I worried that the other hens might attack them or cats (mine and lots of strays on our street) might grab them. I had blocked off the back part of the coop and had planned to move mama and chicks once they were dry and needing to eat to the blocked off section but I'll use it for the chicks now when they are a bit bigger. Thanks for all the advice, I am grateful for this place and for this learning experience.

Hey Mezzer,
The hatch before this one were brooded in the mama heat pad cave. Its so easy, I would give it a go for sure. I brooded mine right in the coop in an area that was sectioned off. I even taught a blind chick to use it.
Good luck now
Marie

 

[microchick]

Hey, 16 paws. How IS that little vision impaired chick doing anyway?

Aggie's 8 are doing well. Even the last chick hatched that was weak is toddling along after mom. It's almost two days younger than the first hatched (which hatched a day early) and struggling a bit to keep up but making a good go of it. Today I saw it dive in after a bite of whole wheat bread. I have to laugh at mom. When I approach the coop door, she comes stomping up to it with her wings out, all puffed up and walking like a miniature Sumo Wrestler between me and her chicks. It's like she is saying "stay away, stay away, I mean it! Don't make me hurt you!" Then I hold up a quarter slice of bread hoping to divert her attention so I can refill food and water containers and in mid growl her whole demeanor changes. "OH! Bread! GIMME!" The next thing I know she's breaking up bread into tiny pieces and feeding her chicks, and I'm welcomed in the coop.

I think I enjoy the first week after they hatch most of all when it comes to the broody experience.