Broody Hen Thread!

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I am so glad BYC is back online!! While away, I had 2 hens go broody during a snow storm. After the snowstorm I decided to let the girls do their thing. My Australorp mix (Sparkle) hatched her first 4 babies over the weekend. My Buff Orpington (Jenny) lost all 4 of her eggs. I really do not know what went wrong with Jenny's eggs. 2 of them almost made it, 1 even had its beak pipped out of the egg! So close! I had to break her brood today so she can get back to good health. I separated her from the other mama's (I have 2 now raising their chicks), but I just put her with the roo and other hens.

I know some people put hens in a broody breaker, but has anyone had success just putting the hen with the rest of the flock immediately from her brood? I have a kennel I could break her in, but wanted to test this method! Any others with this experience?
 
MotorcycleChick said:
On a rare occasion, a hen can be broken after being tossed out a few times.
You can also give her two chicks from the other hen.
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Goodness, I wanted to soooo bad! Jenny is my favorite and I want her to experience motherhood, but the other hen is a really good mom and I decided to just go with nature on this one. Ugh it was a terribly hard decision! Breaking Jenny's brood is breaking my heart!
 
jnckids said:
My little broody lost all of her eggs as well. Fortunately, I ordered shipped eggs and I put the other 10 in the incubator and 2 have hatched with what looks like at least 3 more coming. The 2 that hatched are early.
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I hope this continues to be successful for you! I did not intend to have the 16 extra baby chicks this Spring! Next year I plan to not buy chicks, but let my girls do their thing!
 
Hi,

My broody was meant to be on day 21 today. But one of the eggs hatched Thursday evening (day 19) and there was another hatched yesterday morning.

I was out yesterday but I thought she would sit ok yesterday as it would still be less than 24hrs from the first hatching by the time I got home. But when I got home she had left the nest with the first 2 hatched. There was a hatched cold wet chick left in the nest and all the eggs were cold.

The chick was still alive so I put it under mama hen. This morning it's not great on it's legs but I've seen in manage a few steps so I hope it will be OK. 3 of the eggs were cheaping and I think the other 3 tapping so I've stuck them under a broody bantam and I'm hoping for the best.

What could have caused this early hatching and staggered hatch? If the eggs had been sat on for a while before I collected them could they hatch early if then put back under a hen after being on the counter for a few days? The 2 hens I collected these eggs off were both going broody so not leaving the nest very quickly after laying.

Will I be able to move the chicks that hatch under the bantam back under the other broody? I'm not sure how well a dutch bantam will get on trying to brood 6 brahma chicks as they will be so much bigger than her so quickly! If more than 2 of the 6 eggs under the bantam hatch I'd like to move them back under the brahma as she will be plenty able for that number (she had 10 last year). The bantam is also not in a very big space as I didn't intend for her to have so many and I'm running out of space! Is moving the chicks something that can be done?
 
Hi.

I have a broody sitting on 2 eggs (the other 6 didn't make it) that are at day 14. They are from MPC, the Fun and Funky assortment and they are both small eggs. I don't know if that makes a difference, if they are bantams and hatch earlier or not so I'm including that in case it does.

Both have veins but 1 of those eggs, the air cell is HUGE! I have hatched out of a bator before, but never under a hen. I have never seen a sac so big, even at day 18. It also, has a saddle look on 1 side.

Does this have a chance? It was moving last night, and I believe that it means it will be a shrink wrap hatch, but will it even make it to hatch day? Should I take a pic to show you?
 
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