Broody Hen Hatching is Easy and AWSOME!!!!

[hoog]

I got standard sized Cohins just for the purpose of being broody moms. I had one of my four hens, Mary, go broody after laying only a couple eggs. I went out and got her some fertilized eggs right away and put her in the brooder. I just made sure she had food and water. After three weeks I took out the eggshells and unhatched eggs (which she kicked out of the next anyway). Mary’s chicks are now almost full feathered so last night I moved them into a wire dog cage that’s inside the coop. A week in there and I’ll turn em’ loose. This was so much easier than incubating and brooding and all that stuff. I hope I get a bunch more broody hens.

This is my Cochin "Mary" brooding some RiR eggs.
​

 

[suzeqf]

I got standard sized cochins just for the purpose of being broody moms. I had one of my four hens, Mary, go broody after laying only a couple eggs. I went out and got her some fertilized eggs right away and put her in the brooder. I just made sure she had food and water. After three weeks I took out the eggshells and unhatched eggs (which she kicked out of the next anyway). Mary’s chicks are now almost full feathered so last night I moved them into a wire dog cage that’s inside the coop. A week in there and I’ll turn em’ loose. This was so much easier than incubating and brooding and all that stuff. I hope I get a bunch more broody hens.

I agree I have silkie with 6 eggs at the moment I haven't used a incubator because they scare me but I have raised day old chicks and it's fun but my hen raised chick didn't have any issues other than he's very skittish and not as friendly as my hand raised ones but i think that's because he's a Blue Andy banty cross and my Blue Andy's weren't to most sociable birds

 

[Cowgirl71]

I love my broody hens too (Orpingtons and Wyandottes)! I've used broody hens to hatch out chicks, ducks, turkeys, and guineas! I'm hoping to try goose eggs this year, just to see if it will work! I heard about someone putting two goose eggs under a bantam hen. The hen successfully hatched and raised one of the goslings!

 

[hoog]

@Cowgirl71 I would love to see a hen hatch and raise a goose. I bet that would lead to some hilarious moments.

This is Mary a few days ago out in the coop with her RiR chicks almost grown.


​

You can tell from both pictures she is a bit camera shy. She doesn't like to look at the camera.