Broody Hen Thread!

[carlf]

More pics:
First eggs pipping, taken when she went for water on day 20:


At about the 1/2 way point in the hatching process, notice the raised hackles!

 

[ShanandGem]

You are some kind of brave, pushing around a broody halfway through a hatch!

 

[carlf]

Nah, she's a pretty docile bird, let me pick her up from time to time the whole 21 days. And let me hand feed the peeps the day after hatching.

The friend I got the fertile eggs from has some hens that will flat out draw blood if he reaches into the nest box and they aren't even broody birds!

 

[ShanandGem]

Well, I just had to recruit the whole family to get a chick away from our hen so I could pick off some pasty butt. Husband had a standoff with Mama, I whisked away the pet carrier and dealt with the baby, daughter guarded the door of the coop.
When it was all over I asked my 240 lb husband if he ever thought he'd be scared of a 5 lb bird.
We should probably have waited until it was dark but baby was really plugged up.

 

[BullChick]

Well, I just had to recruit the whole family to get a chick away from our hen so I could pick off some pasty butt.  Husband had a standoff with Mama, I whisked away the pet carrier and dealt with the baby, daughter guarded the door of the coop.
When it was all over I asked my 240 lb husband if he ever thought he'd be scared of a 5 lb bird. 
We should probably have waited until it was dark but baby was really plugged up.

 

[16 paws]

More pics:
First eggs pipping, taken when she went for water on day 20:


At about the 1/2 way point in the hatching process, notice the raised hackles!

Great pictures and very cute mama and babies. Congratulations on your hatch!

 

[mossyroo]

Have a hen who hatched 4 of 6 eggs about 2 1/2 weeks ago. Sunday night she was up on top roost bar with one of her chicks but I went back to house for camera and by the time I got back they were down in the nest box they have been spending nights in. Last night she was back up there with 2 chicks when another hen flew up and one of the littles got bumped off. 3 of the chicks spent the night in the usual box but mama and 1 chick were still on the top roost when I went out this morning. Mama seems anxious to get back out in the pasture with the rest when I open the door but can't seem to get more then a couple of the chicks to follow her at a time.

 

[BullChick]

Have a hen who hatched 4 of 6 eggs about 2 1/2 weeks ago. Sunday night she was up on top roost bar with one of her chicks but I went back to house for camera and by the time I got back they were down in the nest box they have been spending nights in. Last night she was back up there with 2 chicks when another hen flew up and one of the littles got bumped off. 3 of the chicks spent the night in the usual box but mama and 1 chick were still on the top roost when I went out this morning. Mama seems anxious to get back out in the pasture with the rest when I open the door but can't seem to get more then a couple of the chicks to follow her at a time.

I wouldn't worry.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Two broodies hatched chicks today in the main coop. 4 of the 5 set hatched lovely chicks.

Both mommas have coop hatched before but kept choosing the most popular corner nest and having their chicks crushed. I vowed to never let a hen try to brood in that nest box again.

But alas, apparently a broody hen can learn. Both went broody quickly again and chose a better location...the large open ended box. I put up a partition for one and trusted the other to hunker into the quiet corner it created.

Both mommas have lovely little chicks this morning, 2 each, all fluffed but still sleepy from apparently hatching late yesterday.

Rest of flock is respecting the space. We'll see how this coop experiment goes. (Most of you know I typically hatch in my nice broody hutch with my bantams, but I've been experimenting with main coop hatching as I have a very nice rooster and laid back flock...I've really liked how well the chicks integrate into the main flock being hatched in the main coop...if you can get them through the initial "crush" period at hatch).

Here are mommas....chicks are all lovely blue downed...Splash Marans/Barnevelder. Sorry no picks of babes. Didn't want to over-disturb mommas after checking this morn to see if we'd gotten hatches.

 

[BullChick]

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