Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Johnn]

My question about broody hens is this: will a mama let my family socialize the new chicks? Socialization is very important to me as I have 2 young children and we want them to be very used to adults and kids alike. Will a mama go ballistic every day if we handle her chicks?

If shes not protective she probablies wont mind. But she wont like you taking them all away at the same time. My orpington stayed calm when i took one away and left the other.

 

[Johnn]

It's almost here.

Cool!, what breeds the chick??

 

[delisha]

My question about broody hens is this: will a mama let my family socialize the new chicks? Socialization is very important to me as I have 2 young children and we want them to be very used to adults and kids alike. Will a mama go ballistic every day if we handle her chicks?

Generally they are very protective. I have two very different hens on chicks right now. One will attack me, the other one will not. I have other broody's that have different behaviors too. One that is OK unless her chicks cry than she attacks other wise she is good. I do not mind being attacked, they are being protective and that is OK with me. The one who attacks me the most leaves her kids in a hiding place and than come to me for pets.

 

[perchie.girl]

Woo Hoo I may have my first broodie......

in about seven or eight years. When I went up to the house on Sunday there were EGGS everywhere. MY Wellies have started laying in ernest.... And in the coop that has three roos an three hens. It looks like one of the hens has made a nest in the former dustbowl.... She was flattened out and giving me the stinkeye when i went by to gather my first Guinea eggs for the year.....

I go back up if weather will permitt tomorrow and if shes still hunkered down its an easy chore to enclose her and give her about two by six space all her own. The only reason I am doing this is because I dont want the other hens to lay in her nest. Because I only go up to the house about every three days.

deb

 

[Debs55]

Hey guys I just candled my day 14 barred rock eggs but I wasn't sure what I was looking for exactly. In all four I could see dark masses which I assume are the chicks and good air cells in the wider part of the egg. In one I could see lots of veining but in the others I couldn't. Which one is good or bad? Or could my poor light be the reason I didn't see any?

 

[gabrielle1976]

Hi everyone . My first broody miss mini is doing amazeing with her five chicks they are all featherd out now except a bit of there head , wondering how long she will put up with them now lol.
Ok my question now though is I have a hatch going in my sons classroom. We set 7 eggs in a brinsea mini advanced that I won on here , silkie eggs and D'cucles? sorry cant spell it. My silkie Butter just went broody been working up to it hte past few days and now today she is offically glued to her nest and sitting on one of her non fertile eggs. The babies will be hatching hopefully tammrow and thursday and I will bring them home friday , Could I try slipping them under Butter at night even though she hasnt been sitting long as they will only be a day or two old.?
She is really mellow and dosnt ever attack the other chicks I have that I hatched in an incubator befor or the little baby quail when they are all out. It would be really nice to have her brood them and for her to have babies as her eggs arnt fertile and I cant hatch any more after the classroom hatch becuase I have to get rid of all my brids.

 

[DownwardDog]

Thanks Delisha and Johnn. So I'll just have to see I guess. Does anyone know if chickens have.a Critical Period of Socialization like dogs do?

 

[luvmychicken]

It's almost here.

Cool!, what breeds the chick??

I have no idea. They were from a friend.

 

[bobbieschicks]

My question about broody hens is this: will a mama let my family socialize the new chicks? Socialization is very important to me as I have 2 young children and we want them to be very used to adults and kids alike. Will a mama go ballistic every day if we handle her chicks?

Of course it depends on the temperament of your broody, but I can tell you that I have handled my broodies chicks in the past with success, I just don't socialize with them.

If you want your chicks to be fine with being handled then you will just have to handle them while you placate the momma if she is not an easy going broody. Maybe give her a treat of mealies and pick up the babies one at a time while they are chowing down. If she is not happy with you bothering her babies, then you can wait a bit for her to leave them (age four weeks is typical) and try to socialize them at that time.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Thanks Delisha and Johnn. So I'll just have to see I guess. Does anyone know if chickens have.a Critical Period of Socialization like dogs do?

I have left my chicks alone with the broodies and generally they come back around to be friendly after the mom is out of the picture around the 4th week. But to have them be okay with you picking them up they need to have you do it often from day 1.