Broody Hen Thread!

[scflock]

In the last 3 days, 4 of my broodies have hatched. Two d'uccle with their first clutches ever hatched 1 each, and two of my mommy-machine silkies combined for 10

 

[scflock]

And yes, she knits baby blankets and reads trashy gossip magazines to help ease her boredom.

 

[Forevermore5413]

I'm a little upset. Sky my broody Cochin is doing great however something keeps getting in and destroying eggs. Today I went in there and there was half an egg and a baby in it. Hopefully some of the Unhatched Chicks will survive.

 

[irene48k]

My white leghorns just hatched, 3 tiny white chicks, and surprise 1 black chick. Don't know how I got a black one when all my chickens are white leghorns and Rhode island reds. I do have a leghorn width black dots on areas of her feathers. I wish I could post a picture but my memory won't support it.

 

[StarMeKritten]

My white leghorns just hatched, 3 tiny white chicks, and surprise 1 black chick. Don't know how I got a black one when all my chickens are white leghorns and Rhode island reds. I do have a leghorn width black dots on areas of her feathers. I wish I could post a picture but my memory won't support it.

Your white and black hen is likely an austra white. They are a cross between a white leghorn and a black australorp. You could definitely get some black chicks if you crossed one with a Rhode Island Red.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Greetings! My black sex-link just went broody last week. I kicked her off the nest several times last week, but found her right back on the nest, growling threats and curses whenever I come near. I relented and gave her a private coop and nest and she seems quite happy. She gets off the nest to sip water and munch on feed and then carefully lowers herself back on the nest an goes into a seeming trance. And yes, she knits baby blankets and reads trashy gossip magazines to help ease her boredom. The sucker I am, how could I saw NO to her? We'll see how she does. And, all the best to all here with broody hens!

I have had 2 BSL's go broody, and they can be very determined.

Good luck and keep us posted (and tell her to vary her reading with some good literature too, maybe some Mozart playing in the background, to build those little baby chick brains as they grow)

...and welcome to the Broody Thread, and BYC.

LofMc

 

[blkjak]

Candled the 7 duck eggs under my silkie and all 7 are developing. She is doing a fantastic job so far.

 

[Sambi89]

I have a quick question. So how long after the first chick hatches is it customary for a broody to stay sitting. I've only hatched in my incubator and I've had chicks hatch over a 3 day period befoere and I'm wondering if a chick hatches on day 20 will she continue to sit on them through day 22?

 

[aart]

I have a quick question. So how long after the first chick hatches is it customary for a broody to stay sitting. I've only hatched in my incubator and I've had chicks hatch over a 3 day period befoere and I'm wondering if a chick hatches on day 20 will she continue to sit on them through day 22?

Probably, she'll know if eggs are 'alive' or not.

 

[chicksurreal]

I have a quick question. So how long after the first chick hatches is it customary for a broody to stay sitting. I've only hatched in my incubator and I've had chicks hatch over a 3 day period befoere and I'm wondering if a chick hatches on day 20 will she continue to sit on them through day 22?

So far I only have experience with one broody, the one that is sitting right now. She hatched two chicks on day 23, it's day 25 and she's still sitting. I'm going to remove the unhatched eggs in the morning. I picked up one of the eggs and it was sort of sloshing around, like the yolk was in there, but lots of liquid too. I already removed that one.