Broody hen ends year with first hatch!

[Cdbosse]

Update on mom and babies…
They are doing great! No newbies yet but the 4 fuzz balls are running around everywhere now!
We live in Oklahoma and the weather is turning from very mild to possibly below 20 overnight. I found mom sitting on babies in the coop early this morning but she had abandoned the remaining eggs because the babies had roamed away from them. I guess she had to make a choice. I candled eggs again and miraculously they were still moving around inside so I moved momma, babies and eggs into the garage with heat lamp so I will not have to worry over night about them either hatching and or staying alive. Will post with any updates on new babies with photos.
Happy New Year to you all!

 

[Cdbosse]

Update! I moved momma and babies into an old horse watering troph inside my garage with a heat lamp because temps are dropping down too cold for my babies in the coop (at least I don’t feel comfortable leaving them there)…she now has 5 sweet babies! 3 are all black and 2 are grey. A couple are bantam chicks with the extra toesies and feather covers
She is sitting on 2 extra eggs that I believe will begin pipping in a day or so.
Here is a sweet picture from today that I think is quite precious of them. This baby loves sitting on mommy’s back!
Thank you for all of your kind comments and for following the thread.

 

[Callender Girl]

Looks like one little chick is already developing a standout personality and a special bond with Mom!

 

[BDutch]

Congrats with the chicks that made it.
This experience is probably a real rollercoaster for you.

Please remove the heat lamp. Or move it far away. Chicks don’t need it bc mama keeps them warm. It can be harmful for the broody.

The remaining eggs will be left alone if the chicks run around. This is called a staggered hatch. Do a search if you want to learn how to avoid it next time.

If the eggs are still alive you possibly can safe them if you put them in an incubator and hand-raise the chicks yourself. Sometimes the broody accepts chicks hatched from an incubator. But if they are too weak to get along they will be abandoned. The mother chooses the chicks that are strongest going by the rule: survival of the fittest.

 

[BDutch]

Where do you live? How cold does it get there? Please add your state/country in your account details. This is very handy if you like the right advice.

fyi: Chicks with a broody don’t belong in a brooder but in a sort of (small) coop with run. The broody needs space to exercise and a space away from the nest to poop.

 

[JenniMcChick]

My sweet Ayam Cemani hen decided that December was a great month to become a first time mom. I found her sitting on 5 eggs and within a few more days, she was sitting on a total of 9 eggs! I candled them, thinking I would only find 3-4 to be fertilized. However, all 9 had developing chicks inside! I have 12 hens and currently have 2 roosters- 1 Ayam Cemani and 1 Old English Bantam. Upon further inspection, I realized that mom was sitting on random eggs of different colors and sizes. As of the day after Christmas, 5 have successfully hatched! So far 2 are definitely from my barred rock hen, while 2 are bantam cochen/silkie cross (I had a a 3rd silkie roo at the time but re-homed him just after this miracle happened without my knowledge)…lol!
Sadly, one barred rock baby did not make it but she is being a great mom and has been faithfully caring for the 4 babies and 4 additional unhatched eggs - recandled today and looks like 3 will be pipping anytime now while 1 looks to possibly be naturally halted in development.

Here are my Happy New Year babies so far! I hope you enjoy the photos. I will post the others once they arrive.

Congrats! I have a buff orpington less than 1 yr old who seems to have gotten fooled by this Spring for a week & then hard freeze, then repeat weather. Feb 18 and she is about 10 days into being broody. So I think I'm just gonna let her keep going & get some day old chicks for her. Our TSC just got their first shipment in today.
Gonna hold off for a few more days & wait for a subsequent shipment since: 1-hubby needs to build me a small brooder coop to separate mama & babies from rest of flock initially 2-weather supposed to freeze again tonight & last through Thursday and then Spring returns again on Friday.
Plus 3-figure it'll give her a little more time to have those Mama hormones build up before chicks are introduced to her.
Hope all turned out well with your babies & they are all happy & healthy!
Do have 1 quick question: what was/is your set-up for mom & babies before (re)joining the main flock?