Broody hen on 14 eggs! ?'s please!**UPDATE**

[meggers32]

Hi everyone,

It has been a while since I posted, and do I have a question for you. A few weeks ago, one of our hens went broody. I was told from a couple people some great tips on getting her to snap out of it, but I decided to just leave her be and let her sit on them if that makes her happy. Well, we ended up having to rebuild their coop and move it, so I had to move all the chickens and the nest too. I did not think they would go back to it but she did, and so did 2 other hens! So, since they have been in the new coop, only 2 of them have conintued sitting on the nest and just yesterday, I heard peeping! Since all of the other chickens and our naughty rooster decided to all move into the other coop we have, I am leaving the other one just for the 2 mommas and babies. Today I go out there and see one has hatched and is under momma! I have only seen one, and not a whole lot of peeping other than the one.

When do I put chickie feed in there? The nest is a cat box bottom with bedding, and the chick can't get out of it. Do I put something in there? There is not a whole lot of room. Does the momma help them get out? Can you tell I know nothing!!! I wasn't really ready for this. Also, do they normally all hatch around the same time, or will it span out for a few days?

So many questions, thank you for listening! It is exciting for me and my kids and we jus want to do everything right.

I went out again and found another cutie in there, all dry and fuzzy! They are hiding under momma, so we can't see!

Here are some pics!

 

[Biddieacres]

I understand you want to do everything right. I am in the same boat. Hopefully someone has some good advice. Wish I could help but I am new to this too.

 

[meggers32]

We now have 2 chicks, and more to come!

 

[Biddieacres]

I see another hen in there. Is she checking things out? I keep wondering if the other hens will be a threat to the chicks. Mama doesn't seem to mind. Are you able to fit water in there too? They are beautiful babies!!!!! Love the chipmunk stripe.

 

[meggers32]

Yeah, she is one of the hens that has been "helping her" cover the origianl 14 eggs that were in the nest. The extra hen has been doing something kinda weird to the eggs though. She does move them around and gets them under the black hen, but once she looked like she was trying to peck at something. I am not an expert in their behavior though, so who knows!? For the most part, she seems to be OK with the black hen. She will get in the nest and kind of stand over the black hen when we open the door and peek in.

The water is the biggest worry right now. I was able to toss some chick feed in there without her stabbing me with her beak, but water is another story. How do others do this when they let their hens hatch instead of incubators? How am I supposed to get water in there? Feed? As you can see I used a catbox bin as a nest and that is where she has been for a while. It is not like I can move anyone into something that is easier to feed them, right? She would really love to poke my eyes out right now. I think that they are a couple of days old now, and they have not had any water. What do I do??

 

[dancingbear]

The chicks are ok for about 3 days without food or water, unless it's really hot, then they may need water by the end of day 2. Usually, once the eggs have finished hatching, or the hen thinks they have, and the chicks are dry and active, mom will get out of the nest, and the babies will follow her. If there's deep bedding in the nest, they may be able to climb up on it and hop out. The little drop won't hurt them.

It's not a good idea to put feed or water IN the nest. Put it near the nest. Be sure you put marbles of pebbles in the waterer trough, so that chicks can drink, but can't climb in, get stuck, and drown. Yes, they can drown in that narrow little trough, even on the small ones you screw onto a quart jar. Throw some straw or hay on the floor for bedding when mom and babies leave the nest. She'll pick a spot to hunker down with the chicks at night, they'll scoot under her and be just fine.

If you need to add straw for the chicks to use as a ramp to get out of the box, and mom is pecking you, I have a trick that works really well. Take a good size pot lid with a handle in the center. Hold it as a shield to block mom pecking you while you toss a few hand-fulls of straw into the box. I use this trick with super aggressive hens, when I need to check under them while they're brooding.

 

[annanicole18]

The other hen might be less experienced and may be trying to turn the eggs that would be my guess with the pecking behavior. Your chipmunk baby is adoreable!

 

[Lollipop]

Well, now that they have hatched in that box, you have to get them out, litterally. Either provide the ramp as sugjested or lift them out. Be sure to remove the box as the hen will try to take them back in at night and some will not make it, get cold, and die. The hen can keep them just fine without the box. Have fun........Pop

 

[M@M@2four]

If it were me, I'd just remove the chicks into their own brooder. I have lost many chicks trying to allow mama to raise them, but unless you can provide them with their own place(ie-cag, but it has to be small wiring as the chicks can fall out through the wires), I just would place them in their own brooder with a heat lamp(if no mama), water, and chick food. With the hens and all in there, things can happen. I have had other hens attack the ones that aren't theres, the chicks can also fall out of the box and die of chill, etc. Good luck in whatever you decide!

 

[meggers32]

If I move them out of the box, then I should probably just move them into a brooder instead of keeping them in there with momma? I am afraid that the other hen is going to do something, too. I will move them today. Should I just take the chicks one by one as they hatch? Or move the eggs as well? Currently they are occupying one of the coops and I could really use it for a couple of the other chickens. They all decided to move into one coop after the broody started gettng serious about her eggs, and now it is just chaos in there with 6 of them in a 4x4 coop.

Thanks everyone for your help, you guys are great~