Broody Hen started sitting 05/06/11--Anyone else with the same? PIC

[deborah]

Our young hen, I guess she really still a pullet (she was hatched last July), has gone broody. We got her settled onto 4 eggs yesterday (05/06/11). It is her first time and she is very earnest. She hasn't taken a break from the nest these first 2 days, as far as I can tell. She is in a brood box with a nest and a little room to get out of the nest. Food and water is available.

It is so wonderful to have a mother hen. She can do so much better of a job raising chicks than I can.

I would love to compare notes and pictures with anyone on the same time-table.

 

[tls_ranch]

I set eggs under one of my hens on May 3rd. It'll be her first time, but her momma was a really good broody. She's in my "little chick brooder" and doing well. I gave her way too many eggs....17

but she seems to be covering them just fine. She's a Barnevelder x wyandotte cross and is very fluffy. If she quits I have 4 more hens begging for eggs

They all seemed to catch the "broody bug" at the same time.

Trisha

 

[deborah]

Hi Trisha,

Please keep me updated as the day approaches. Your girl is 3 days ahead of ours.

Our flock is really too big already, but I hate to stop a girl who wants to be a mama. So I only let her have 4 eggs. I expect we will get 2 pullets and 2 cockerels. That means 2 added to the flock and 2 dinners. The hardest part of hatching chicks is the excess roosters. If it's not 50/50, hopefully it's 3 female and 1 male.

Deb

 

[tls_ranch]

Yeah, roosters are a "fact of life", LOL. But, I needed some more girls for breeding. So I set eggs from my favorite hens....that's why I gave her so many. I had 24 eggs saved and was only planning on giving her 10, but I couldn't resist and gave her the 17

Trisha

 

[MallyCat22]

I set eggs under my first time broody today! I'll be a day behind, but i want to join in the fun! I'm so excited she's my first broody hen EVER! I can't wait to see if any of our shipped eggs hatch.

 

[deborah]

I know they say not to count your chickens before they are hatched, but it will be so exciting to see the chicks. Please post pictures of your Mama hen and the chicks when they hatch.

Deb

 

[deborah]

Has anyone chicks hatched?

Not good here. It's day 22 and no chicks. I've been concerned. On day 5 or 6, the eggs got cold. Our brood box has a nest in it, but the box is a little wider than the nest. So there is a little cubby hole onlong side of the nest. On the 5th or 6th day, my husband went out to check on her. She had gotten off the nest and was in that area. She didn't seem to know how to back up. We don't know how long she was off; he felt the eggs and they were cold. She got right back on when he helped her out of her predicament. She has been so faithful; has never wanted out of the brood box. I have to coax her to eat and drink a little. I can see she has gotten off twice to relieve herself. The nest is very clean.

But we are at day 22. Not even any pips. I don't know what to do. I'm concerned for the hen's health. If the local feed mills or Tractor Supply still had chicks, I think I would get one or two and put them under her at night. Any ideas?

 

[deborah]

It's Day 23. We just candled the eggs. They are NOT good. Just liquid in the eggs.

I feel very bad for the hen. I would like to find someone locally who has hatched chicks, has too many, and would be willing to give/sell me one or two. I could take out the eggs and put them under her during the night. Anyone in lower Michigan or Northern Ohio?

 

[tls_ranch]

Oh I'm sorry the eggs didn't hatch for her and it sounds like she tried very hard Maybe they weren't fertile? If you can find some chicks, make sure they are very young like less than 3 days. Otherwise they can loose the ability to imprint with the mother hen. My sis just grafted some chicks (from a feed store) on a hen I gave her that went broody...she's doing very well She waited until after dark and slipped them under.

Here's my sister's hen with her adopted chicks. My sis gave her 8! I love how the momma lets them ride on her back

 

[deborah]

What a nice picture Trisha. I think chicks are so much better off when a hen raises them rather than us. Did the eggs you set May 3rd hatch?

I found someone locally who has Black Copper Marans in a incubator due to hatch tomorrow. He tells me not to be surprised if they don't hatch until Tuesday. I plan to get some from him and replace the eggs with the chicks the night after they hatch. I know I'm not supposed to "count my chickens before they hatch", but I'm hopeful things will work out and she will get to be a mother hen. I'll post pictures once it happens.