Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[TeaChick]

My biggest worry right now is snakes and possums.

My neighbor would be willing to allow me to do whatever, however it is a very large shed and I don't have that much wire or the funds to buy that much wire.


All of my chicks, both those that I keep and those that I sell, are hatched and raised by my bantam cochins. So I am ok with more chicks. My neighbor and I looked and talked about enclosing the shed somehow. I don't have enough wire, but we might come up with something else. I don't have an incubator and won't buy one. The end of your fourth paragraph sums up my dilemma! All of my broody boxes are filled so I would have to build something asap if I was to move her. I have another young pullet going broody for the first time and I could try the eggs under her if she sticks to the couple I have given her. But she is too small to cover all the eggs.

She is such a flighty bird. Her mom disappeared a couple years ago and came back with chicks four weeks later. No matter what I do that hen and her two daughters from that hatch disappear on a regular basis and come back with eggs. A possum tore into a broody box last fall and killed two other sisters and the 30 eggs they were on. So there is no guarantee that what I do will result in no deaths!!!!! ahhh!!!!

Well, I hope all goes well for you and her.
You mentioned some predators, I've had some predator problems. I got very little sleep last night and was awakened early this morning b/c of a coyote. >:-( My roo has blood on him that I don't think is his, but IDK what it is from. The chickens are safe, but I'd like to sleep too. lol

I would say she is working on getting her clutch. She will probably be parked soon.

Thank you. She is parked now. She has been since Thurs, but continued to lay at least until Sat. I haven't caught her off the nest since Sat and she had nine eggs at that time. It looks like I'll probably have some eggs to put in the incubator after she leaves the nest with the first ones to hatch. We'll see.
She's in the brooder (about 4'x2' and about 1' high inside). Now, I'm just waiting for the end of the month.
Oh, and she's speaking more nicely to me now. Well, sometimes she's already talking to her eggs before I walk up. But if I walk up slowly and start talking quietly and soothingly, she doesn't screech at me, she kind of purrs or coos like a pigeon to me, like she always has.
Thanks so much for your experience and advice. =)

can you tell pullets from Roo's in Cochin Bantams when they are a few weeks old?

Did someone answer your question?

 

[TeaChick]

It almost contagious!!!

I wish it were contagious!!! Well, kind of; I also kind of need all the eggs I'm getting right now.

 

[TeaChick]

I missed something, but bumpercar, sorry for your loss, Hon!!!

 

[Johnn]

Wow, haven't been on here in a while!! My Orp is broody again. For anyone who has been on for the past couple of years you might recognize her. Here she is having a dust bath, her eggs are due a week on Sunday!

Here are her first chicks from 2012:







And heres her second ones from last year!





I still have all of her offspring apart from the maran cockerel form 2012 as he turned out to be aggressive. I didn't kill him (i dont have it in me to do it), I rehomed him.She is sitting on 3 eggs. 2 or the 3 are from her 2013 daughters and then the other is from her niece They obviously aren't blood related as I bought the hatching eggs, but still.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I love it when the babies take a ride on mom's back...it is always so cute!

Welcome back

My current project...I've got two broodies on Rhodebar eggs due to hatch May 6th!

Lady of McCamley

 

[Johnn]

I love it when the babies take a ride on mom's back...it is always so cute!

Welcome back

My current project...I've got two broodies on Rhodebar eggs due to hatch May 6th!

Lady of McCamley

Thanks! I know I love it too! One of mine was sitting on its mams back as she walked around but my phone froze so I couldn't get a pic. I'm going to find it so hard to rehome these chicks though (if they hatch) Hope yours hatch! Will be around more often if mine hatch so will keep an eye out!

 

[MargaretYakoda]

I wish it were contagious!!! Well, kind of; I also kind of need all the eggs I'm getting right now.

Ya, my hopes were up too early. The second, and THIRD girl who went in and pretended to be broody were just that. Pretending. So I bit the bullet and ordered and incubator. It should arrive by Monday. I ordered an IncuView, which has some pretty good reviews on a thread here. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/852619/incuview-incubator

I don't feel too bad about ordering an incubator, as it will be good to have one hand as a back up for any future broodies who call it quits too soon.

 

[bhj123]

Five more days until my little Blue Wheaten OEGBs hatch from under my LF black Australorp!!
So excited!!

 

[fisherlady]

Five more days until my little Blue Wheaten OEGBs hatch from under my LF black Australorp!!
So excited!!

It seems to take forever, doesn't it!?

 

[jc12551]

Well, I hope all goes well for you and her.
You mentioned some predators, I've had some predator problems. I got very little sleep last night and was awakened early this morning b/c of a coyote. >:-( My roo has blood on him that I don't think is his, but IDK what it is from. The chickens are safe, but I'd like to sleep too. lol
Thank you. She is parked now. She has been since Thurs, but continued to lay at least until Sat. I haven't caught her off the nest since Sat and she had nine eggs at that time. It looks like I'll probably have some eggs to put in the incubator after she leaves the nest with the first ones to hatch. We'll see.
She's in the brooder (about 4'x2' and about 1' high inside). Now, I'm just waiting for the end of the month.
Oh, and she's speaking more nicely to me now. Well, sometimes she's already talking to her eggs before I walk up. But if I walk up slowly and start talking quietly and soothingly, she doesn't screech at me, she kind of purrs or coos like a pigeon to me, like she always has.
Thanks so much for your experience and advice. =)

Today she abandoned the nest and rejoined the flock. Tonight I went out and cleaned out the nest. Only four of the 12 were fertile and they had stopped developing about 5 days ago. We had a super cold and windy two days which coincided with the death of the embryos. I don't know if that was the cause, but it is suspicious.

I have a three hen to four rooster ratio and I still have fertility issues. Anyone know if this is common with bantam cochins? The roos sure do "practice" a lot!