I am letting my broody hen hatch eggs for the first time.

[cute chicks here]

My Broody hen is an 8 year old bantam cochin and I got her some fertile eggs to hatch since shes always wanted to. She has been sitting constantly for 13 days. I have her in the nesting area. I only have one other chicken, a young rode island red. I take the broody down once a day to eat and poop although I did put food up there for her she only eats when I take her out for 1/2 hour. I bought chick starter also. Shes sitting on 7 eggs. If they hatch, what kind of bedding should I have? Right now there are wood chips. Should I keep her isolated till the chicks are a few days old or is it safe to open the door after they are hatched being I only have 1 other hen?

 

[junior67]

My Broody hen is an 8 year old bantam cochin and I got her some fertile eggs to hatch since shes always wanted to. She has been sitting constantly for 13 days. I have her in the nesting area. I only have one other chicken, a young rode island red. I take the broody down once a day to eat and poop although I did put food up there for her she only eats when I take her out for 1/2 hour. I bought chick starter also. Shes sitting on 7 eggs. If they hatch, what kind of bedding should I have? Right now there are wood chips. Should I keep her isolated till the chicks are a few days old or is it safe to open the door after they are hatched being I only have 1 other hen?

I let mine brood in the coop with the rest of the flock. I use shavings in the coop and nest boxes. I just let mine go out once a day when they want to eat, drink etc. I don't have food in the nest box. I allow them to take their babies out when they are ready. Mine keep them in the coop for up to a week so I do have food and water in the coop for that time.

 

[cute chicks here]

I let mine brood in the coop with the rest of the flock. I use shavings in the coop and nest boxes. I just let mine go out once a day when they want to eat, drink etc. I don't have food in the nest box. I allow them to take their babies out when they are ready. Mine keep them in the coop for up to a week so I do have food and water in the coop for that time.

Mine is in the coop with my other hen but I have the door shut to the nesting box so the red hen can't go up. She kept going up at first and laying her eggs and the broody (PeeWee) was pulling them under her and since Pixies eggs are not fertile since I don't have a rooster I did not want them in the nest. The red hen(Pixie) is now laying her eggs in the lower part of the coop.

 

[cute chicks here]

Mine is in the coop with my other hen but I have the door shut to the nesting box so the red hen can't go up. She kept going up at first and laying her eggs and the broody (PeeWee) was pulling them under her and since Pixies eggs are not fertile since I don't have a rooster I did not want them in the nest. The red hen(Pixie) is now laying her eggs in the lower part of the coop.

I do have food and water up top for the Broody hen and also below for the other chicken

 

[junior67]

Mine is in the coop with my other hen but I have the door shut to the nesting box so the red hen can't go up. She kept going up at first and laying her eggs and the broody (PeeWee) was pulling them under her and since Pixies eggs are not fertile since I don't have a rooster I did not want them in the nest. The red hen(Pixie) is now laying her eggs in the lower part of the coop.

I just remove any eggs laid in the box each day. I have just found it easier to have them together but others do separate them

 

[babychickens321]

My Broody hen is an 8 year old bantam cochin and I got her some fertile eggs to hatch since shes always wanted to. She has been sitting constantly for 13 days. I have her in the nesting area. I only have one other chicken, a young rode island red. I take the broody down once a day to eat and poop although I did put food up there for her she only eats when I take her out for 1/2 hour. I bought chick starter also. Shes sitting on 7 eggs. If they hatch, what kind of bedding should I have? Right now there are wood chips. Should I keep her isolated till the chicks are a few days old or is it safe to open the door after they are hatched being I only have 1 other hen?

Aww!!
For bedding I used hay because it was nice and cozy. Everyone else objects to using hay because it absorbs water badly or something but I dont really find it an issue as their waterer is not in the coop anyway. You could use hemp as well, I dont think any bedding would be an issue, except they might try and eat pine shavings which could stop them pooping.
Its fine to introduce her chicks to the rest of the flock right after they hatch, the mum will probably defend them, and they will quickly learn the pecking order. I think hiding them from the flock until they are older as in 3-4 weeks will cause more pecking issues. I let mine hatch hers with everyone there, but majority of the time would shut her and her babies in a separate run during the day (would've let them free range if there wasn't cats roaming around, so if you have a secure run /no issue with predators and put them in the coop w rest of the flock at night.

 

[Perris]

My Broody hen is an 8 year old bantam cochin and I got her some fertile eggs to hatch since shes always wanted to. She has been sitting constantly for 13 days. I have her in the nesting area. I only have one other chicken, a young rode island red. I take the broody down once a day to eat and poop although I did put food up there for her she only eats when I take her out for 1/2 hour. I bought chick starter also. Shes sitting on 7 eggs. If they hatch, what kind of bedding should I have? Right now there are wood chips. Should I keep her isolated till the chicks are a few days old or is it safe to open the door after they are hatched being I only have 1 other hen?

I hope she's enjoying realizing her long-held ambition! Only a week to go now!

I wouldn't worry about the bedding, or disturb the broody's nest until after the chicks have hatched.

But it appears the nest box she's in is elevated, so a potential issue is chicks falling out and being unable to get back in. If you can bring that nest box down to ground level, I'd do so; if not, I'd close it off when the hatch begins, and then move broody and chicks down to a nest on the ground when it has finished. During the hatch she will sit on the eggs/chicks until they're all hatched or she decides to abandon any un- or partially hatched eggs in order to take the hatched chicks to find food and water - the absorbed yolks will sustain them for the first few days so you don't need to worry about providing food and water immediately.

Given there is only 1 other hen, I wouldn't worry about them mixing either. The broody should have no trouble keeping her chicks safe from 1 other hen.

 

[cute chicks here]

I hope she's enjoying realizing her long-held ambition! Only a week to go now!

I wouldn't worry about the bedding, or disturb the broody's nest until after the chicks have hatched.

But it appears the nest box she's in is elevated, so a potential issue is chicks falling out and being unable to get back in. If you can bring that nest box down to ground level, I'd do so; if not, I'd close it off when the hatch begins, and then move broody and chicks down to a nest on the ground when it has finished. During the hatch she will sit on the eggs/chicks until they're all hatched or she decides to abandon any un- or partially hatched eggs in order to take the hatched chicks to find food and water - the absorbed yolks will sustain them for the first few days so you don't need to worry about providing food and water immediately.

Given there is only 1 other hen, I wouldn't worry about them mixing either. The broody should have no trouble keeping her chicks safe from 1 other hen.

It is day 22 and I hear peeping coming from 2 eggs. I can feel movement when I pick those two up. I only had 7 eggs and being its past 21 days I wonder if the others have died or are not fertile. I hope the 2 good ones hatch. How long will it take once they are chirping? I have never hatched chicks before.

 

[Perris]

It's better to leave alone once the hatch has started, or risk disorientating the chick inside and disturbing the temperature and humidity. Try to be patient. She will show you the brood when she's ready.

 

[cute chicks here]

2 did hatch and they are adorable. Its now day 23, could the other eggs still hatch?