Broody hen hatching chick

[riversedgefarms]

We have a hen who has gone broody. We have 3 eggs that we are going to try and let her hatch. She has never hatched chicks before and this is our first time as well. Does anyone have any tips for us to help the process? She is in a coop with 15 other hens and 1 rooster.

 

[Pyxis]

You can read this article for advice and info:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-letting-broody-hens-hatch-and-raise-chicks.65989/

 

[chickens really]

Have they hatched?.....I would of separated her from the flock....Do not bother her till they hatch and give her time to become Momma.....Put feed and water close for the hatchlings close to the nest....

 

[riversedgefarms]

Have they hatched?.....I would of separated her from the flock....Do not bother her till they hatch and give her time to become Momma.....Put feed and water close for the hatchlings close to the nest....

They haven't hatched yet. It's only been a couple days. Should I move them once they have hatched?

 

[chickens really]

Move her now with her nest and provide her with feed and water...That way when chicks hatch everyone is safe and Momma can happily start to raise them....

 

[Pat Mcaffee]

Move her to a darker box away from your flock. Sometimes the flock will pick no the momma or her chicks and can even kill them. Keep her box clean with chick food and water with electrolytes and move her box into a larger pen or brooder (I use a large dog cage). You should separate her now though. Also, keep an eye on her once she has hatched them. FIrst-time mommas have a tendency to sometimes kill their chicks.

 

[chickens really]

Also leave her alone as much as possible....Feed and water her as needed..Broody Hens love quiet as they set....
I return Momma and Chicks to the flock at 3 days old...Momma will protect them...

 

[Pyxis]

Just to offer another perspective to what's been stated, I actually usually don't move my hens while they're brooding, unless they're in a setup that allows me to move the entire nesting box with them in it, because otherwise you do run the risk of them either refusing to sit at the new spot you've moved them to, or them breaking from being broody entirely. That has happened to me before, so now I don't actually move hens until after the chicks have started hatching if I'm going to move them at all - a lot of times I don't move them at all.

Here's some pros and cons so you can decide which route you'd like to take, taken from the Learning Center article above (which I wrote, so I'm not stealing ).

If you choose to let her sit in her chosen spot, it will be less stressful for her than undergoing a move. This also lets her continue to interact with the flock, and you won’t have to provide separate food and water for her. But you may get other hens laying eggs under her each day, which is problematic because after the first eggs hatch, she’s going to get up and abandon those new eggs to take care of the chicks. This is the biggest problem with this method. The easy solution is to mark her eggs and remove new ones each day. There is a chance, however, that other birds getting into her nest and jostling around can accidentally break eggs. Sometimes, a hen will be so protective of her nest that she won’t allow other birds in to lay their eggs, which solves this problem for you.

You may also decide to move her. This will keep her separate from the flock and allow her respite from other hens trying to get into her nest to lay eggs, and will also make it easier for you to keep track of her eggs. However, this will also mean more work for you. You will have to make the hen her own area and provide food and water for her each day. She may also refuse to sit in the new area and, if you push her enough, she may break from being broody and not hatch you any eggs at all. To decide whether or not to move her, consider your flock and its dynamics to decide if it is necessary.

To move a broody, your best bet is to wait until it is night and have her new nest all ready for her, eggs and all. If she’s already sitting on the eggs you want her to hatch, take them from her carefully, and be warned that she may peck and bite you while you do this. You may have to wear gloves. Get them settled in the new nest, and then move your hen. Hold her so that you are holding her wings against her body so she cannot flap and be prepared – she may struggle and thrash. Once you get her to the new nest area, set her down near the eggs, not on them. You don’t want her to panic and break them. She may accept the new nest, or she may refuse to sit. She may break from being broody, too. That’s the chance you take when moving her.

 

[Pat Mcaffee]

Definitely consider the dynamics of your flock. If you have an aggressive rooster or fighting hens, I would separate them. I personally prefer to move them because A) they and their chicks are abused by the others or B) the broody is unintelligent and gets back into the wrong nesting box.

 

[twoacrefarm]

I'm going thru my first set too! Except I have 4 broodys!! My first 3 eggs under one hen should hatch tomorrow

Opinions on putting a "curtain" in front of the box the broody is in?