Broody Hen Thread!

[woodlandsprite]

I won't try to incubate eggs myself..That would be an emergency only..I was/am nervous enough with my broody hens hatching eggs...I just learned to let go and trust nature...But I MAY take a peek at the rest of the eggs (7 left) to see if any are hatching...Pic of baby that hatched this morning...

 

[Morrigan]

Orphaned single chicks....such cute, poor little babies....what a royal pain in the you know what! I have spent the last three nights with a little brown orphaned chick wrapped loosely into a towel and tucked close to me in bed....in order to Shut the little bugger up! As I suspected none of the broody moms will have anything to do with the little stranger...it was a choice of me culling it or letting the broody cull it...or doing what I am doing....mothering the chick, until I can integrate it into the flock....I'm not going to get myself into this again! Hmmmm???...there seems to be an echo in here?

That's tough. I had a lone chick rejected and was agonizing what to do, but luckily a second chick hatched late that I had thrown in the incubator after mom walked away from it, so that made 2. At that point it was worth it to set up a brooder. The feed store had a couple of 10 day old chicks left, so I bought them as well to make a flock of 4. Is there any way to acquire another chick or do. It's easier to integrate multiple chickens.

I brooded mine indoors for the first week or so, and them I set them up in an outside brooder that was attached to the main coop, but screened off, so the chickens and chicks could see each other each day, but were separated. Around week 3 I opened the screen and they were fine with each other.

 

[16 paws]

I won't try to incubate eggs myself..That would be an emergency only..I was/am nervous enough with my broody hens hatching eggs...I just learned to let go and trust nature...But I MAY take a peek at the rest of the eggs (7 left) to see if any are hatching...Pic of baby that hatched this morning...

Aw, so cute!

 

[the poppster]

I can't rightly complain...I could have let the little guy expire...It was a close run thing...first, it was the only viable egg from a dozen I got off eBay....8 of which were duds from the get go....two started but gave up the ghost....then mom pooped in the nest (first timer set)...then about a day away from hatch mom just called it a day and quit....so I took the last two eggs and put them under another hen, who had been playing broody tag with me for over a week!....Deep Breath! Then the sister from down state showed up....looking for a dozen fresh eggs....I had a half a dozen that weren't already committed....so I gave her those, with a promise for the rest, once the hens are done laying them....fast forward an hour or so....I'm just finishing up chicken chores, when I find sister at the nest box doors, since I was so busy....and she had to head out to visit some friends...she figured she would "Help" me collect the eggs before she left....and finish up the dozen she asked for....the bugs were driving me crazy....I was beat....it was hot and humid....so I gave in and let her "Help", she leaves with her dozen....I go and join my couch in the living room...fast forward an hour or two...I go out to put the birds to bed...and check on my broody with the last egg from the eBay dozen...as I check the nests, for any late eggs...I see my sister in my mind's eye...closing the nest door to the broody nest...and it suddenly dawned on me that ALL the eggs were gone....including the lone egg that was just about to hatch...Anyway to make a long story short....my sister returned the suspect egg after I called....and she had concluded her visit...another three hours...she unceremoniously pulled the egg from her pocket and handed it to me....so much for "Lock Down" and no more turning in the last three days...this little guy had just had the equivalent of a carnival ride...so with it still peeping I went to tuck it under the stand in broody...she had apparently changed her mind about being a mom and wanted nothing more than to get out of the broody nest...by then the poor little guy was pipped the shell...shoot! Into the Incubator the egg went with the 7 Serama eggs...anyway...after a rather tough time existing the shell...and a slow start...I have only myself to blame for the little brown noise maker...I could have chucked it into the woods and let it fade from my memory...but I just couldn't do it....not after it fought so hard to survive....so here I sit with a slightly crumpled towel at my side...making "Happy Chick Sounds"....and my heart goes all Fuzzy-Wuzzy" as I gently pat the towel and murmur a reassuring "I'm right here,baby...now go to sleep little guy" ....didn't WC Fields say "There's a sucker born every day" ....when it comes to brave helpless little critters....sign me up!
.

 

[Selsley]

So I have an update on a post from a back in June, my broody black sexlink hatched 4 chicks out of 8 (2 were not fertilized and 2 quiters) and all are well.
Well anyway... We had another black go broody with 12 eggs, I left her to do her thing, 1 hatched and then she got off the eggs. Should I count them as all goners or can I do something to help them finish developing? She just got off of them this morning. I feel awful that she ditched the rest of the eggs. I unfortunately don't own an incubator

we kept ours semi prisoner but this was our 1st broody and clutch, she left the eggs after a couple of days when we moved them lower in the coop got up the next morning to an extra egg(one chicken layed where we put her) all cold and her sitting in an empty nest, but even after seeing her running in the garden and feeling eggs that seemed cool to the touch, and 2 days ago when they actually felt quite hot, we had our 1st 2 french "araucana" hatch this morning, we started on 6 but ended with 8, not sure where they came from, but suspect the children slipping it in.

 

[LoveOfChickens1]

Oh my, Joan Jett has a tiny, black chick under her! I went out to give her some fresh, cool water and I lifted her slightly and saw a broken egg shell and thought that she had accidentally broke another egg. So I lifted her a little higher to get the egg shell pieces and there was a tiny chick staring back at me. There are still 6 eggs under her so I won't mess with her to get a pic. Those are due to hatch tonight or tomorrow. Once things calm down, I'll snap some pics.

 

[Selsley]

3 french bred araucana looking out under foster mum. mum has buffs and beard


a 4th from our clean faced araucana (suspected cross)
and our 1st EE which from what i can see so far, also has no tail, both hatched an hr ago

Mums:



Dad

had to remove the chicks (4) and 4 remaining eggs after foster mum crapped a foul stenching pooh at the back of the nest,
even after the stress of ejecting mum out the nest, and replacing everything (as she caused me to drop it and got it everywhere)
she settled straight back on the 4 eggs, one of which had already started to break out. then one by one the chicks crawled under her.
least the place smells better and the flies that were buzzing about have gone. she looked like she disliked the flies as much as i do.

one thing i did notice, she seemed to have a higher priority for the eggs and nest than she did for the chicks by the way she walked on them trying to get back in when i was cleaning it. all good though, the chicks didnt seem too phased by it.

 

[LoveOfChickens1]

I couldn't stand it and had to snap a picture. 1st one hatched!



And another is on it's way.

 

[blessings6]

My hen has hatched 2eggs and seems to have left the others. Can i incubate them for a day or two with a regular heat lamp?

 

[the poppster]

Reading all the posts about what went wrong and what went right....I'm beginning to suspect that most of the outcomes of the hatch have been preordained with mother nature at the helm...sure we help here and there....but for the most part....if we weren't there to fuss and fix and basically, interfere we would end up with about the same results....now I'm not saying that we don't rescue a hatch....and if we hadn't it wouldn't have made it! It's just that it amazes me how some make it! Even though all of our expert or not so expert efforts....the tough little creatures manage to survive....no matter how many times I've seen it....it still boggles my mind....what a wonderful mysterious world we are part of...the care and raising of these beautiful creatures makes me ever more aware and appreciative of the world around me....it seems to be self perpetuating...around and around...my love of caring and interacting with my creatures...only seems to create more mystery and understanding of the world we live in.
.....boy that was "Deep" !!!