Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[ochochicas]

I guess my rooster is only concerned with one thing...girls! He is not a protector and only looks out for his own hide. Hopefully as he gets old he'll get some courage.

Last night towards dusk my broodies decided to take the chicks out into the horse pasture next to our outdoor arena. At one point two doves flew down towards them. Both groups scared each other! LOL It was pretty funny to see the broody jump and scream after it was already too late to run for cover. During they day I did see a hawk fly over. The chickens are usually under the trees, but they can get out in the pasture or arena where there is no cover at all.

My cats actually keep an eye out for the chickens when they are outside. Not that they are going to scare off an eagle or a coyote, but they do keep the hens aware of any approaching danger.

 

[K Epp]

My hens take their chicks out usually day 3. They keep them close to cover those first few days and everyone is scared of even the tiny broodies with chicks.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

Wire cloth sounds like a good idea.This is a new flock for me, and I knew how everyone behaved with chicks before (respectfully!). But these bantam gals are little, so hopefully all will go well. I like that the rest of the flock can see them and interact safely for a week or so after hatch before they mingle. I toss a lot of BOSS in and around the broody pens so everyone in and out gets treats to distract them. Here is Ethel with her 9 eggs in the dog house. My friend grabbed me another great find today at the recycle station...someone had taken an old wooden end-table cabinet, and cut out a hole in the front for an indoor small dog to lie in. It is side-hinged to open the cabinet, with door hole in front makes it almost the same as my dog-house set up, just the side opens instead of the roof! Scrubbed it up, let it dry in the sun, diatomaceous earthed-it, and voila! New broody suite!

Gorgeous girl! What is she?

 

[Johnn]

Sad/happy story. Went to the hens last night and Bella's mother came up the field with her two big chicks but the little girl was missing. I looked in all the sheds for her, but there was no sign of her. Something just clicked and I thought "rat trap". I went and lifted one of the boards it was under and I could see her little foot. I then saw she was breathing so I like ripped them all off and she was being attacked by loads of bugs and ants. I got her out of the trap and and wiped the ants off and they started biting me!! She was a bit wobbly and wasn't eating, so I cleaned the broody shed out and put her and her mother in and locked the two big chicks out. It was an instant kill rat trap and it was on her neck so I don't know how it didn't snap her neck. Went up today and she was scoffing meal worms and is now back out with the rest of the flock!! She is so so lucky to have survived that!

 

[K Epp]

Good save. Sounds like you have one lucky girl.

 

[Johnn]

Good save. Sounds like you have one lucky girl.

I know, I was so relieved when I heard her cheeps this morning

 

[Johnn]

Bella's boy

He also decided it would be a good idea to try and mate auntie Daisy when she wasn't looking! She wasn't amused, at all. She screamed, saw it was him, beat him up, chased him and he ran and hid behind Bella which was pointless because Bella is below Daisy!

 

[Yogalicia]

Hi Guys,

I have a question: I have a broody sitting on fertile eggs I bought from a local source here in Vegas. They weren't due to hatch until Thursday but I found two partially hatched and dead yesterday and one today. One also hatched successfully today, seems fine and is peeping away under Mama. What would cause the others to hatch early and die?

Thanks!

 

[dldolan]

Hi Guys,

I have a question: I have a broody sitting on fertile eggs I bought from a local source here in Vegas. They weren't due to hatch until Thursday but I found two partially hatched and dead yesterday and one today. One also hatched successfully today, seems fine and is peeping away under Mama. What would cause the others to hatch early and die?

Thanks!

Could be excessive heat, so too fast of an incubation. Glad you have one survivor so far!

Johnn: Sad/happy story. Went to the hens last night and Bella's mother came up the field with her two big chicks but the little girl was missing. I looked in all the sheds for her, but there was no sign of her. Something just clicked and I thought "rat trap". I went and lifted one of the boards it was under and I could see her little foot. I then saw she was breathing so I like ripped them all off and she was being attacked by loads of bugs and ants. I got her out of the trap and and wiped the ants off and they started biting me!! She was a bit wobbly and wasn't eating, so I cleaned the broody shed out and put her and her mother in and locked the two big chicks out. It was an instant kill rat trap and it was on her neck so I don't know how it didn't snap her neck. Went up today and she was scoffing meal worms and is now back out with the rest of the flock!! She is so so lucky to have survived that!

That is an amazing story! Glad she'd plucky and a survivor!

Sahmhomesteader: The gal shown is a calico cochin! So darling, huh? They are sweet, sweet birds. Great for 4-H kids to show. Here are Ethel, Lucy, and Ricky! All youngsters at 6 months. Ricky is starting to show beautiful Blue Mille Fleur color and patterning!

 

[QueenofKings]

So, I went to check on my two broodies earlier tonight. (I am a nightowl!) And, most of the eggs they were sitting on are gone! There's yolk on the eggs I was looking at. B1 has two eggs - a home egg and a trader joe's egg and B2 had about 5-6 eggs, an even amount of TJ eggs and home eggs. I figure that the rest were crushed or rolled out and forgotten about and later picked apart by the rest of the flock.

Also, my aunt is insisting that if I touch the eggs, the broodies will abandon them while my mother refuses to believe that a broody will remain broody until a chick appears beneath her.