Broody Hen Thread!

[TheTwoRoos]

Just curious,can you use heat lamps to hatch chicks on their last day?I added soem eggs to the nest three maybe four days after my broody went broody and they still have not hatched,assuming their gonna be too late because her other two are hatched and getting in well while she is as well.Once she is off the nest she is off,and just sits there,not going back to the nest,I have to put her in the nest.

 

[Honora]

Probably better to give chicks back sooner than later....there can be a point of no return where the mama will reject those 'strange' chicks and the chicks will 'reject' mama as they don't know that's the best place to get warm after being under a heat lamp.

My daughter loves the inside chicks now & won't let me give them back to the hen, lol. So it looks like we will be brooding them inside. At least it's only 2, so hopefully they will not be too messy. So far the hen is doing great with her little chick outside. I suspect she will get off the nest today, so we need to get a separate area fixed up for them.

 

[Honora]

Busy day in the coops here. Got home from work about 0730 did a bit of housework and headed out to move around some hens. We had 3 broodies hatched out last night. All were in elevated boxes so I needed to get floor boxes set up and shift them down. 3 hens with a total of 16 chicks. 2 eggs never pipped and one hatched but hadn't absorbed its yolk and it didn't make it.
Hens all brooded separately and I set them up separate floor boxes.

So on to the important stuff... the pics! LOLView attachment 1361132
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One of those hens looks a little different! Amazing pics!

 

[fisherlady]

Just curious,can you use heat lamps to hatch chicks on their last day?I added soem eggs to the nest three maybe four days after my broody went broody and they still have not hatched,assuming their gonna be too late because her other two are hatched and getting in well while she is as well.Once she is off the nest she is off,and just sits there,not going back to the nest,I have to put her in the nest.

By having new eggs added after brooding began you created a staggered hatch, it is problematic for the exact reason you have described...mama hen tends to the early chicks and the remaining eggs usually are left exposed and die.
You can finish the hatch in a home made incubator, either using heat lamp or heating pad in an enclosed space, you will need to closely regulate temp and humidity but it can be done.
Search BYC for 'home made incubator' or 'emergency incubator' or 'mama heating pad'...you shouldfind some other threads to give you ideas on it.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

I’m pretty for sure the eggs are on their last’s days,meaning they could too hatch anytime now from today to probably the rest of this month.

Anyhow,the chicks are happy.Having trouble getting the black one to drink,but it seems to be getting along well.I actually let her forage with them,and they did great,once I noticed the eggs were cooling off brought mom back and the chicks and now their rest in their nest,she is continuing to mother the eggs.Their preening themselves right now.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

She is quite a bit crazy.Very defensive and goes outta her way to protect them.They including mom follows me like a lost a puppy,can’t wait till they hatch.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Also the black chick sleeps with it’s egad tuck under it,should I be concerned?Its preening and etc is it just a sleepy chick?The other one is very active.

 

[fisherlady]

So two of the broodies in the above post decided they would rather be sharing duties, we went out a few hours after the first pics were taken and found them together... so we got them a bigger box. The chicks love having 2 moms to climb on...

 

[aart]

Great pics!
Love the penciling on the 'Dark Brahma(?).
Is the dog helping too?
Had the broodies hatched separately and then joined forces?

 

[fisherlady]

Thank you, hard to go wrong with these birds, lol...

The hen is a Silver Pencil Rock
The dog (Mindy) is a constant coop 'helper', our birds all grow up thinking having a furry 'Nanny' is the normal.

The hens hatched in separate boxes, but we found them in the same box by the end of the first day, so looks like they are going to work together raising the chicks. Co-brooding is great for the chicks and is a common thing around our coop. Since our chicks are raised in the flock having multiple 'moms' works out great for everyone.