Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[elsfieldchickens]

Awwww, so cute! Is that another mama watching over them on the right?

Yes they have 2 hens looking after them

 

[emw0012]

I have a Wyondotte that we bought fertilized eggs for and she has been on them for 3 days. We have 4 other hens and they all use the same nest box. So far it has not been a problem, they are sharing the space.
Should I go ahead and move the broody hen somewhere else in case the other hens decide to bother the eggs or chicks when they hatch? We just have a small portable coop and this is our first experience with hatching eggs, if that even happens!
Also, is it necessary to candle the eggs and have an incubator ready if she abandons the chicks or eggs? Just don't want to spend a bunch of money if possible.

 

[Sydney Acres]

I have a Wyondotte that we bought fertilized eggs for and she has been on them for 3 days. We have 4 other hens and they all use the same nest box. So far it has not been a problem, they are sharing the space.
Should I go ahead and move the broody hen somewhere else in case the other hens decide to bother the eggs or chicks when they hatch? We just have a small portable coop and this is our first experience with hatching eggs, if that even happens!
Also, is it necessary to candle the eggs and have an incubator ready if she abandons the chicks or eggs? Just don't want to spend a bunch of money if possible.

Most broodies like privacy. A few will tolerate brooding in a busy coop. Having a small coop makes it more likely that there will be a problem. Moving her would be ideal. At the very least, there needs to be another nest. It is also important that other hens not add eggs to the nest, as too many eggs in the nest will decrease the likelihood that your fertilized eggs will hatch. If you do not move her, you need to mark the fertilized eggs with a circle around the entire egg (so you can see it no matter what position the egg is in), and remove the new eggs daily.

If you check my posts on this thread over the last month, there are several very detailed posts regarding how to move a broody hen to a new location, and a thorough explanation of the danger with too many eggs in a nest.

It is not necessary to have an incubator in waiting, or to candle the eggs. Doing those things allows you to manage your hen's nest more effectively (by removing any eggs that are not developing) or save some developing eggs if the broody abandons the nest early (which is more likely to happen in a small coop than in a private area), but it is not necessary. If finances are a concern, an incubator is more expensive than replacing fertile eggs after a failed hatch.

 

[TeaChick]

This is chick #3. Chick #2 has more yellow on her. Going out in 2 hours to try and get more pics.

There may be more in there.

Yay!!!

my Easter chicks

 

[TeaChick]

Here are 3 of my 4 chicks. 3 Lav Am and one black. I am keeping one pullet and rehoming the others when they are older.

too cute!!!
Looking forward to newly broody hatched chicks of my own!

@ Johnn
I have 1 week to go too. Did yours start on the 5th or 6th?
@ TeaChick
Now 19
I was checking on broody when I saw an egg that momma had pushed out. It had no top on and, knowing it was dead, took it out and looked at it. It has the features of a chick even

Oh, I'm so sorry!!!

 

[Triplell]

I have a broody hen that has chicks who are 4 weeks old. She is desperate from her flock. She has now layed 3 eggs. Is she saying she is ready to return to her flock? How dangerous will it be to introduce them to the adults? She has 14 chicks.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I have a broody hen that has chicks who are 4 weeks old. She is desperate from her flock. She has now layed 3 eggs. Is she saying she is ready to return to her flock? How dangerous will it be to introduce them to the adults? She has 14 chicks.

While a shade early, she appears to be ready to go back to the flock and 'launch" the chicks. If the chicks are fully feathered (which I imagine they are), and you have no really aggressive birds in the flock, and it is safe in your yard for the smaller birds (some cubbyhole hide aways that they can run to so that they can avoid too much hazing as the pecking order settles), you can try integrating all of them into the flock. Mom may still stick up for them if anyone gets too nosey. She will also likely have to resettle in the pecking order, and they may make a sub-flock for awhile (which is fine, and healthy for the chicks).

Otherwise you may have to let mom out and keep the chicks in the brooding area for another few weeks until they grow a bit bigger and can handle the flock environment on their own as a group. At 4 weeks of age, they probably don't need her any more for sustenance or warmth (if they are fully feathered). They just might not do well in a big flock without mom watching out for them...the bigger birds could pick on them.

My thoughts
Lady of McCamley

 

[K Epp]

Looks like I have two more broodies. I stopped gathering eggs this weekend. I dated and marked all the eggs in the Silkie coop yesterday. Bonnie the black frizzle has been on the nest almost all day. In the bantam coop another Silkie is on a nest too. I gave her marked eggs too.

 

[fisherlady]

Looks like I have two more broodies. I stopped gathering eggs this weekend. I dated and marked all the eggs in the Silkie coop yesterday. Bonnie the black frizzle has been on the nest almost all day. In the bantam coop another Silkie is on a nest too. I gave her marked eggs too.

. will look forward to cute pics in 3 weeks!

 

[fisherlady]

While a shade early, she appears to be ready to go back to the flock and 'launch" the chicks. If the chicks are fully feathered (which I imagine they are), and you have no really aggressive birds in the flock, and it is safe in your yard for the smaller birds (some cubbyhole hide aways that they can run to so that they can avoid too much hazing as the pecking order settles), you can try integrating all of them into the flock. Mom may still stick up for them if anyone gets too nosey. She will also likely have to resettle in the pecking order, and they may make a sub-flock for awhile (which is fine, and healthy for the chicks).

Otherwise you may have to let mom out and keep the chicks in the brooding area for another few weeks until they grow a bit bigger and can handle the flock environment on their own as a group. At 4 weeks of age, they probably don't need her any more for sustenance or warmth (if they are fully feathered). They just might not do well in a big flock without mom watching out for them...the bigger birds could pick on them.

My thoughts
Lady of McCamley

Lady provided some great guidelines here! Each flock is different... some are broody and chick friendly, others are not.... so do an honest evaluation of how your birds are behaving and try a 'trial run' with you there to supervise and intervene if needed. If mama can introduce the chicks into the flock while they are still with her they seem to integrate easier in my experience, but again, every flock is different.
Every broody is a bit different also.... we have run the whole gamut of behaviors.... one broody will keep her chicks till they are 8 weeks and not interact a whole lot with the rest of the flock till she wants to go up on the roost (though she is in with them). Another of my hens has her babies into the main flock by two weeks old and she has them right in the middle of everything going on and even gets them up onto roosting shelves after about 4 weeks. When she left her chicks at 6 or 7 weeks they all looked like miniature chickens already and were roosting in amongst the big birds most nights.
And the broodies will all act differently with their youngsters after they fledge... a couple of our broodies tolerate the youngsters through the day, and free range with them but at night they won't let them on the roost near them so the youngsters roost in their own group. Other hens won't have anything to do with the youngsters once they decide they are 'done' with them and the little ones have to go their own way and learn on their own. One of our hens just sort of gradually quit finding food and doing the 'mama' thing with her brood after about 5 weeks or so but still ran interference with the rest of the flock and let the little ones hang out with her even after they were well able to be on their own. She just sort of graduated from mama to flock mate status without the drama many go through?

I guess that is the cool thing about having broodies around... any time you think you know what to expect they will prove you wrong!