Advice on letting broody hen hatch eggs

[User395221]

My eggs are due to hatch next weekend..... When they hatch, can I see what's happening, or should I give the girls privacy and keep away? Do I need to be prepared to rescue anyone or do anything? I've got a waterer and feeder with chick starter in the coop, right in front of where the girls have been sitting. Will they just show the babies what to do? Do I need to get any standby equipment for hand feeding or anything else to have on hand for emergencies? (I know this is all perfectly natural for them, but it's all new to me....)

EDIT it's hatch day and I've got a baby! I just took a stickybeak, there's at least one hatched, two more are pipped. I didn't want to disturb things too much, so I don't know what else is going on under there. I'm so excited, I can't describe it. (I'm a city slicker, what can I say )

 

[User395221]

Just a follow-up on the question about babies falling out of the coop. My girls' babies are a week old and yesterday 2 did get out of the coop somehow. I think they might have been chased by one of the other girls, because they are at the back of the coop, so something must have made them run to the front to where the ramp access is.

Anyway, they chirped their little heads off, and (the good thing) they did not run in the opposite direction. They seemed to know where they wanted to get back to. Luckily, nothing bad happened to either of them on their "adventure" and I put them back with their "mummies" (who didn't seem to notice they were missing).

Their mummies are being protective (puffing up when the other girls come in to do their eggs), but when the 2 were in the run, none of the other girls took any notice of them, which was a relief.

Does anyone know when the mummies will start bringing them out into the run? I'm not sure they'll be able to use the ramp (not going up, anyway), and now I'm worrying about their safety in the run..... Should I put a little "hidey-hole" chick-sized thing in there so they can hide if they need to? (I've got some of those little plastic houses that my guinea pigs can hide in)

EDIT: I can answer my own question about coming out..... TODAY! The girls were out and 6 of the babies had come out. 2 were still up in the coop so I lifted them down (maybe they didn't escape yesterday, maybe there was a similar outing but they couldn't get back inside? Not only are they all out in the run, Josephine is having a dust bath and one of the babies is COPYING HER. I can't believe how competent they are at such a young age.

 

[RedSky1]

I dont know what to say. Mine never had this issue. When the momme brought her babies out it was at about 3 to4 weeks. She nested outside for a couple of weeks on ground in chicken lot. But was nice weather and nothing bothered them. I closedyard up at night. Now with weather change it brought around something that got into chickens & started killing them. Not babies but hens. The mommie did good for about 3 months. Then something did get her. We now close coop door at night and yard. Chicks have been fine.

 

[User395221]

She nested outside for a couple of weeks on ground in chicken lot. But was nice weather and nothing bothered them.

Thanks. The whole "family" spent the whole day out in the run. It was quite hot and I was worried that the babies might get too hot, but they were fine. At "bedtime", Josephine sat on the ground outside and all the babies got underneath. Flossie went inside. I picked up all the babies and put them in the coop, but if your hen slept outside, I'll let Josephine stay out in the run if she wants to. It's spring, so it's very warm, she'll be fine outside, I was just worrying about things. I did notice one of the other girls pecking at a chick once, but it wasn't vicious and neither "mummy" seemed bothered by it. They go all "aggro" if the other girls do something they don't like in relation to the babies, stick their wings out and look all big and menacing.

One thing you certainly get if you let a broody hatch eggs is a lot of information about chicken behaviour without having to look it up on the internet. If the chicks were in a brooder, I'd be seeing none of this. It's fascinating. The interaction between the mums and chicks, and the other members of the flock, is something to see.

 

[User395221]

My babies are just over 4 weeks now. They have grown so quickly. They were all trying to get in under one of their "mums" last night, but there's no longer enough room for them, it was quite humorous watching them.

I'm so impressed with my girls and how good they are at being mums. I expect they'll soon be distancing themselves from the chicks and the chicks will start to fend for themselves more. She still hunkered in the run, I don't know when they'll start going into the coop (it's really hot so they might prefer staying out anyway). The bigger chicks can jump up onto the bucket feeders, and I saw one eating from it. I don't think the silkies could reach yet. If they can jump up there, I expect they could manage the (quite steep) ramp up into the coop.

 

[Homefarmbmc]

This is my first year with broody hens...so just looking up about letting broody hens hatch the eggs ... I have 2 hens who have been broody for a couple months. I have a Bantam rooster given to me 3 weeks ago... so ...

I tried to take the eggs and leave one egg each day for each hen, until I cracked a egg with a half formed chicken today, ....so...I decided I will let the 2 hens hatch the eggs.

One hen is a Bantam and the other is a Buff. They gather all the eggs the other hens lay...or most of them.

I am concerned that the larger hens will harm the Bantam or her chicks?.
I have 2 guinea hens ...will they harm the chicks?

 

[User395221]

Homefarmbmc, I don't think there's any way to predict who will do what (among the chickens anyway, I know nothing about guinea hens). You just need to be prepared with a "contingency plan" if you need to move somebody. In my case, the chicks stayed under one of their mums if they were scared. The mums were very bossy towards anyone who tried to peck the chicks or stop them doing something. They did it in such a "don't touch my babies!" way that even the chooks bigger than them listened. I think you do need to make sure you've got plenty of room for everyone and if it's confined, allocate some space for the newcomers.

 

[FLChickens]

Wow, my middle chicks are almost 5 weeks. They were all learning to dustbathe, copying the mamas the other day.

My white silkie took her chicks out at about 4 days. We have a long, steep ramp too. At night, she went up, called them, came down called, went up and in, called, and so on. She worked for a long time back and forth, and I think 6 out of 10 followed her the first night, and the others had to be guided in. She repeated these lessons, the next night 8 went in. Within a few days they were pros at using the ramp, and a while longer and they could go on alone during the day if they wanted. I think the white has been a mama before.

My black silkie went broody when she saw the chicks. She sat so faithfully (she's young so I thought she might give up or only do it half-heartedly) ... but she did so well we gave her three chicks. She went out when they were two days old and left them alone in the coop though. And at night, she went in and left them out. I think she called, but offered one chance only. Her chicks had to be guided in for a couple of days, but they have learned to be VERY attentive to her and stay right with her and do EXACTLY what she says. They won't eat if she doesn't feed them and tell them to eat it. They are getting close to two weeks. I think she will be a very good mama, but her inexperience shows. Still, it's interesting to me that the chicks seem to make up her lack.

 

[FLChickens]

I had a flock of guineas. Some were quite docile but the two lead hens were downright vicious, and eventually would even attack lower-ranking guineas. I don't know what yours will do either (I've had very peaceful poultry yards, and some less so), but I agree with having plans and space available, and keeping a close eye on them. I hope it all goes well!

 

[User395221]

She sat so faithfully (she's young so I thought she might give up or only do it half-heartedly)

My silkies were only born in November (or around then). The 2 of them sit in the nest box together all the time. I can see why they'd be good egg-hatching chooks.