Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[chickenmama109]

I use icubators and broodys my last hatch with a broody went great I like broodys to hatch my eggs cuz she teaches the chicks everything and they are born in to the flock

 

[aliciaplus3]

I would love that , alas out of my broodies so far only one has done a good job and she was a Wild acting turkey..... I don't want a whole herd of untamed turkeys that act like I am going to eat them just cuz I walked by...... so I took the poults away after a week and they are adjusting to having me around. The broody chickens so far make great incubators but did poorly at hatch time

 

[alexa009]

I prefer an incubator over a broody hen. My hatch rates are a lot better also, I usually get 80% to 90% hatch rate with my incubator. My hatch rate wasn't even 10% with my broody hen. I hatched eggs under a broody once, but the rest of the flock tries to kill the chicks and separating is too complicating. The chicks ended up dying a couple days after too. Which I'm guessing the hen passed on a disease to them. I'd rather just do my incubator.

 

[Faraday40]

It all depends on the broody. A incubator always has the advantages of controlling the hatch date, amount of eggs, and of course witnessing the amazing hatching process. However, a good broody can make your life & caring for those chicks very easy. No worries about monitoring temp, humidity, and egg turning.

I'm a true hatch-a-holic and use BOTH.

 

[aliciaplus3]

Right now I have one barnyard mix white hen that has been broody for most of the summer sitting on 8 turkey eggs that I started in the bator , I ran out of room when I ordered buckeye eggs and a 24 egg surprise pack.....oops. So far so good.

 

[aliciaplus3]

I like my bator, but I have used broodies off and on all summer as they were sitting. Unfortunately I do not have any tried and true broodies that are reliable and it seems to run in multiples, as in one goes broody and at lead 2 follow, and then they either play musical nests and ruin eggs or fight over eggs and cause problems. So the last several I used as incubator's and when they showed sign's of problems put the eggs in the bator to hatch. I got 9 that are several weeks old that way.

 

[Perris]

my novice broody has led her chicks (hatched Friday) out of the coop and is teaching them to forage in the shrubbery. The rest of the flock are interested but keeping their distance - she's top hen. Instinct seems to be working well thus far

 

[sheetmetaltom]

didnt really want to do the incubator thing, and am tired of all the dust and mess of raising hatchery chicks in the house. so the last order contained a couple of roosters. as soon as the roosters were old enough,things started happening, couple of hens went broody right away. well 1 BO had 3 eggs and 2 were fertile (2 weeks old) 1 BO only sat on 1 egg but it hatched 3 days ago. and another is on 5 that should hatch at the end of the week if fertile. the 2 week olds are sleeping on the floor with the mom but are running around with the flock during the day and nobody seems to have any issues with it.when i throw treats they stay on the edge so as not to get trampled but once everyone is pecking the ground they move in the middle avoiding everyones feet pretty well and just seem to be part of the flock, no integrating issues. ive had chickens for about 6 years now and each year 1 or 2 go broody. now that there's a rooster present i dont see that ill be doing anything but letting them hatch their own babies. my roos are EE's so im hoping for more colored eggs. half my flock are EE's hens (17). was worried about my golden laced wyandotte, because shes the boss, but a couple of quick blowups by the BOs and she leaves the babies alone.

 

[strawberricatt]

I have a very good broody bantam named Misty. She is a mix between a Black Copper Marans and some kind of bantam... She's a really good mother and almost died protecting her only chick Pebbles from a starving hawk. She has raised ducklings as well. Now I am giving her the chance to finally raise a proper clutch of chicks, fourteen eggs(two are duck). Ten(Including the duck eggs) are viable, so I'm really hoping for a good hatch.
The breeds are; Silkie Easter Egger Cross(X2) Rhode Island Red(X4) Light Sussex Rhode Island Red Cross(X3) the rest are bantam RIR cross and the two duck eggs.
Hoping for a good hatch!

Also have multiple broody ducks, so I'll post any updates on them.

 

[Kabootar]

I prefer an incubator over a broody hen. My hatch rates are a lot better also, I usually get 80% to 90% hatch rate with my incubator. My hatch rate wasn't even 10% with my broody hen. I hatched eggs under a broody once, but the rest of the flock tries to kill the chicks and separating is too complicating. The chicks ended up dying a couple days after too. Which I'm guessing the hen passed on a disease to them. I'd rather just do my incubator.

A good broody doesn't necessarily mean good mother. Raising chicks in a brooder is too much of a responsibility for a lazy person like me so I always keep a bunch of aseel hens in my flock. They are the broodiest breeds I have seen. An average aseel will go broody about 4 times in a year.
Aseels are not only extremely determined broodies they are the best mothers in the chicken world as well. They are always on the top of the pecking order, even roosters avoid them when they are broody. You will never need to separate aseel hen from the flock cuz no hen will ever risk taking fight with her. A broody aseel or an aseel hen with chicks knows no relations, no sister, no friend, no boyfriend. I have seen one of my aseel hens with chicks beating up a rouge RIR rooster who pecked on of her chicks. They look after chicks even after they resume laying. They try to cover almost grown up chicks under their wings.
Since aseels are excellent foragers and stay on the top of the pecking order the chicks raised by them are well fed and grow up to be excellent foragers. I have seen them spanking slow learners. Since aseels are very comfy with humans chicks raised by them tend to be docile.
Trust me there is no better mother in the chicken world.