Broody Hen Thread!

[n3kms]

Well, I have 6 chicks under a very fluffed up broody. They are staying put and she doesn't seem a bit disturbed by them.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Okay after reading the last post LofMc, I took a chick from the incubator and stuck it under Anastasia then I walked back to the house and got another and put it under her. Now I'm going to give them 15 min and go check. There is a pipped egg under her and one that hasn't pipped that are from the incubator. I was worried about adding them at night for fear they would wonder out and get cold. I do have to leave in about 30 min and be gone for a couple of hours. Hope they'll be okay till I get back.

Good news is she is still hatching, so she will be parked on the nest which gives the fosters time to adjust. I do not do well with fostering if the hen is up and around with the hatchlings. The fosters simply need time to get used to the hen, and that in my experience has been easiest if she is parked on the nest. I even now leave an unhatched egg that I know isn't hatching as long as it isn't spoiled to encourage a hen to continue to set those first couple of days so that I can have time to get fosters adjusted under her.

Keep an eye out for the next day or so. You've got the benefit that these came out of your incubators so there is little travel stress on the chicks. That helps a lot as many feed store chicks already have had a very big travel transition and then attempting a heat lamp to broody transition can shock their systems due to the significant temperature change if they don't huddle with the hen properly.

Keep us posted.

LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Well, I have 6 chicks under a very fluffed up broody. They are staying put and she doesn't seem a bit disturbed by them.

Just saw this...excellent. Pics soon!
LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Yeah, we get some very large snakes around here. This one was at least 4 feet long and looked like it could have easily eaten every egg in there.

Well this is the first time I've been thankful for Cooper's Hawks...my killer predator...it is NOT a snake...especially a 4 FOOT snake! :sound of screaming and my footsteps pounding away:

LofMc

 

[chicksurreal]

Well this is the first time I've been thankful for Cooper's Hawks...my killer predator...it is NOT a snake...especially a 4 FOOT snake! :sound of screaming and my footsteps pounding away:

LofMc

Lol!

I guess I'm used to them. If you just grab the bullsnake by the tail, they dangle as you carry them off. Full of chicken eggs, unfortunately.

I would never carry a rattlesnake this way, but the bullsnakes, yeah.

 

[Jaybeetee]

I'm getting my chicks tomorrow, EEEEEK

 

[jhopp6]

I have a BR/Silkie broody that sat forever on nothing, so I got her 2 fertilized eggs to keep her busy. One quitter, and this little cutie . Sisters actually, same BR roo and most likely same Silkie hen. But don't tell Doris the baby isn't hers

 

[jhopp6]

 

[n3kms]

I got one too.

Anastasia has 6 chicks under her and1 hatched and 3 pipped in incubator. She is going to be a busy girl.

 

[JJSS89]

I have a silkied serama sitting on 6 eggs right now. Last fall she hatched one tiny little serama chick and doted over him like he was heir to the throne.