Broody Hen Thread!

[ochochicas]

I woke up this morning a little panicky wondering if my broody is turning the eggs. I guess there is really no way of knowing is there?

I wondered the same thing. Then I remembered that chickens have been hatching eggs for thousands of years. My broody just got done hatching a batch of chicks. Ten eggs hatched out of a dozen. The other two weren't developed at all. Trust your broody!

 

[calichicken]

I woke up this morning a little panicky wondering if my broody is turning the eggs. I guess there is really no way of knowing is there?

LOL...I am hatching with a broody for the first time and wondered the same thing???? Then I thought "Who was born to hatch chicks???? Me or my broody????" LOL

I wondered the same thing. Then I remembered that chickens have been hatching eggs for thousands of years. My broody just got done hatching a batch of chicks. Ten eggs hatched out of a dozen. The other two weren't developed at all. Trust your broody!

Yep...yep! That's exactly what I am doing

Congrats on your hatch and new chicks!!!

 

[ochochicas]

LOL...I am hatching with a broody for the first time and wondered the same thing???? Then I thought "Who was born to hatch chicks???? Me or my broody????" LOL

Yep...yep! That's exactly what I am doing

Congrats on your hatch and new chicks!!!

Thanks Cali! I had 10, but one the Marans mysteriously died today. It looked like the momma pecked it - she must have sensed there was something wrong with it. I had one sticky chick. Gave that one a bath this afternoon and it looks completely normal now!
If I end up with 6 I'll be happy. Hopefully three are pullets since that is what I have room for.

 

[ocap]

one of my silkies has started laying again so I have started collecting brahma eggs in hopes that she will be broody in two weeks

 

[TiaRC]

one of my silkies has started laying again so I have started collecting brahma eggs in hopes that she will be broody in two weeks

Its never fails. They are broody like clock work. Lol

 

[Veer67]

My broody hen, Lemon sitting on her eggs. Spice, the one on the left is just laying an egg.

 

[ochochicas]

My broodies decided to tag team and raise their chicks together. At one point they had a broody "duplex" and the chicks could decide which hen they wanted. I'm sure by now the babies are completely confused as to who their momma is.

Out of 12 eggs, 10 hatched. The last one was a "sticky chick". I gave that one a bath yesterday and now you can bare tell which one has/had crusty feathers. We did lose one chick yesterday, so now we have nine. One is a turken, one is an EE, and the rest are probably going to be Wheaten (Faverolles and Marans).


Black copper Marans with two chicks.


BCM and Australorp hiding their 9 chicks together in the duplex.

 

[minnehaha]

My broodies decided to tag team and raise their chicks together. At one point they had a broody "duplex" and the chicks could decide which hen they wanted. I'm sure by now the babies are completely confused as to who their momma is.

Out of 12 eggs, 10 hatched. The last one was a "sticky chick". I gave that one a bath yesterday and now you can bare tell which one has/had crusty feathers. We did lose one chick yesterday, so now we have nine. One is a turken, one is an EE, and the rest are probably going to be Wheaten (Faverolles and Marans).


Black copper Marans with two chicks.


BCM and Australorp hiding their 9 chicks together in the duplex.

They are ADORABLE (both the moms and the chicks)!!!!!

 

[calichicken]

My broodies decided to tag team and raise their chicks together. At one point they had a broody "duplex" and the chicks could decide which hen they wanted. I'm sure by now the babies are completely confused as to who their momma is.

Out of 12 eggs, 10 hatched. The last one was a "sticky chick". I gave that one a bath yesterday and now you can bare tell which one has/had crusty feathers. We did lose one chick yesterday, so now we have nine. One is a turken, one is an EE, and the rest are probably going to be Wheaten (Faverolles and Marans).


Black copper Marans with two chicks.


BCM and Australorp hiding their 9 chicks together in the duplex.

Adorable!!! And what GREAT team work they have...can't see a chick between the 2 of them

 

[Morrigan]

Ugg, the hatch is not going well. Today is day 21 and so far only two more chicks have been born, and one of those I don't think is going to make it. It can't flip itself over. After a few hours of pitifully peeping and pin-wheeling its legs, I managed to gently flip the chick over. But, it immediately fell over onto its back again. It managed to wiggle back under the broody and I'm not optimistic I will see it alive again. So, only 2 healthy chicks out of 10 eggs so far. It's been so hot (90 to 100+) for the last several weeks and dry, I'm wondering if that effected the development. Or maybe the heat took the zip out of my rooster. I've noticed less mating going on lately. I'm really appreciating the old "don't count your chickens before they hatch" adage. On the bright side, the two healthy one's are adorable.