Broody Hen Thread!

[nchls school]

Trixie's new chicks in her plastic tub.

 

[chickens really]

Quick question.....I have a Broody hatching eggs....She is very committed to this clutch and wont leave eggs to eat/drink/poop...I take her off the eggs once a day to poop and do her thing...She is off the eggs 2 minutes tops and growls the entire time......Eggs due to hatch next week....My Question is this....I feed her a scrambled egg, peas and grower in the morning....At night I give her grower and some scratch....She will not drink the water that I have seen.....?

Is that fine to feed her till they hatch?

Cheers!

 

[fisherlady]

Quick question.....I have a Broody hatching eggs....She is very committed to this clutch and wont leave eggs to eat/drink/poop...I take her off the eggs once a day to poop and do her thing...She is off the eggs 2 minutes tops and growls the entire time......Eggs due to hatch next week....My Question is this....I feed her a scrambled egg, peas and grower in the morning....At night I give her grower and some scratch....She will not drink the water that I have seen.....?

Is that fine to feed her till they hatch?

Cheers!

Sounds like ahealthy combination of food, let her body condition be your best guide...if her weight maintains and her eyes remain bright and her attitude is alert then I wouldn't worry.

 

[PD-Riverman]

wont leave eggs to eat/drink/poop...I take her off the eggs once a day to poop and do her

She does not need to get off the nest----because she knows you are going to take her off. You should not take her off in my opinion----let her decide when she wants to get off. In my opinion taking her off the eggs in her last 2/3 days ""can"" cause hatching problems. I have set over 150 in 3 years, 72 of those in one season. I have Never taken one off her nest---they do get off but only briefly---if you are not watching her every second you would miss it, She might not get off every day but being every one of mine are moved to a private hatching pen---I see their feed so I know they are eating. I have Never lost one or had one to get in bad health.

 

[microchick]

Hey fisherlady and PD-Riverman, how ya doin' !

@chickens really, you have gotten very sound advice from two members who are really in the know about such things. The only thing I would add is that hens are sneaky and as PD-Riverman said, unless you are watching her every moment, you probably won't see her sneak off the nest to grab a quick drink. Bless her anyway, trying to hatch eggs in an Alberta winter happening all around her. Giving her the extra protein is a great idea. A few days before she is due to hatch her eggs I would put a regular chick feeder and waterer in her pen so she will get used to eating and drinking out of it and will show her chicks where to get food and water. Make sure the little fluffy butts can't drown. Many put marbles or pebbles in the water so they can't get in and do themselves harm.

That was the only way I knew my first broody was drinking. I noticed the water level going down in the gravity water container I gave her the last week of her eggs incubation. I thought I was keeping a close eye on her too.

Good luck with your hatching. Pictures will follow we hope!

 

[16 paws]

Trixie's new chicks in her plastic tub.

You have a lot of nerve posting this picture! I was really trying to stay away from hatching more chicks and then I made the mistake of viewing this

Lol, they are tooo cute!!!!
I LOVE SERAMAS

 

[16 paws]

Hi Microchick,
How ya doin?

 

[16 paws]

 

[16 paws]

Trixie's new chicks in her plastic tub.

Question for you,
What is the best nest box for a Serama, in other words what do they like to nest in? I think my nest boxes are too big, they dont use them.
Thanks
Marie

 

[microchick]

Hi Microchick,
How ya doin?

Nursing my chronic back problems but otherwise alive and kicking........and trying to survive winter like everybody else. How about you!?

I've got plans to finally add to my 4 Bantams. Just waiting for winter to go away. Promised DH I wouldn't set any hens or crank up the incubator he got me for Christmas until the first of March. Then I'm going to pile ceramic eggs in the nests and get Aggie to go broody and fire up the Brinsea. I've found a source for Japanese Bantams and black OEGB bantams about 45 minutes from where we live. She's going to sell me eggs and I can get more from the Amish neighbor that gave me the eggs that hatched these addictive little brats that are taking over the coop. My plan is to set half of them under Aggie or Lil'Girl, depending on which one goes broody first and put the rest of them in the incubator. I want to give a half dozen chicks to a friend who's OEGB rooster died and her hens are getting very old. I'm keeping the rest.