Broody Hen Thread!

[JJSS89]

The chicks you order are the same age as feedstore chicks...they order them and have them shipped, too. I have never had an issue with the chicks taking straight to their new mom. I have never had a hen refuse the chicks either, but then I have crazy mom centric chickens! Lol The main issue I see is being able to time the shipment right. Maybe check craigslist for someone regularly hatching and selling chicks?

That's the point. Timing the shipment and paying much more for shipped chicks wouldn't be cool if something went wrong...there are plenty of opportunities for something to go wrong. I'd say if you haven't had a bad experience then you haven't done it as much as I have

Who knows the nature of this broody hen? I've had production RIRs go broody and then kill the chicks. In her situation, a hen not properly incubating chicks is a reasonable indicator that she wouldn't be a great mother hen. Typically the best setters are the best mothers...typically.

My method would be to throw the eggs out and let her try again eventually with her own eggs.

 

[16 paws]

That's the point. Timing the shipment and paying much more for shipped chicks wouldn't be cool if something went wrong...there are plenty of opportunities for something to go wrong. I'd say if you haven't had a bad experience then you haven't done it as much as I have

Who knows the nature of this broody hen? I've had production RIRs go broody and then kill the chicks. In her situation, a hen not properly incubating chicks is a reasonable indicator that she wouldn't be a great mother hen. Typically the best setters are the best mothers...typically.

My method would be to throw the eggs out and let her try again eventually with her own eggs.

Am I missing something here?

I thought she had a broken egg in the nest and maybe bacteria got to the unhatched eggs. I dont think the broody improperly incubated the eggs from what I read.

 

[TXchickenchick]

That's the point.  Timing the shipment and paying much more for shipped chicks wouldn't be cool if something went wrong...there are plenty of opportunities for something to go wrong.  I'd say if you haven't had a bad experience then you haven't done it as much as I have 

Who knows the nature of this broody hen?  I've had production RIRs go broody and then kill the chicks.  In her situation, a hen not properly incubating chicks is a reasonable indicator that she wouldn't be a great mother hen.  Typically the best setters are the best mothers...typically.

My method would be to throw the eggs out and let her try again eventually with her own eggs. 

I am not doubting at all that you have done far more than me...I am sure many have. I was merely commenting on what you said, which was the chance of the chicks bonding with the mother at that age was slim to none. I still very much disagree with that as they would be shipped as day old chicks. All of your new points are valid and certainly possible. Ordering or buying chicks for a 'failed' broody could be disasterous. However, it's highly unlikely it would be based on the age of the shipped chicks.

 

[casey197530]

Is there a thread that has pics of pens etc that people use to separate the broody's? Just trying to get an idea of what kind of set up I need so I don't forget anything

We built a 4x4 pen with hardware cloth it has a lid on top and it keeps them with the group all day so no problems when they come out

 

[casey197530]

We built a 4x4 pen with hardware cloth it has a lid on top and it keeps them with the group all day so no problems when they come out

 

[Morrigan]

Casey -- I love your set up. It looks like it is 100% outside -- I gather there was no issues with the broody wanting back in the coop at night?

My broody adventures continue. For those interested -- and with a long attention span, lol -- here is the full tale.

It was day 23, my broody with still on the nest with only one chick visible. I could smell a whiff of rotten egg and there were flies everywhere. I lift her up to see what is going on. Lo and behold there are two more small chicks tucked way in the back. Small, but alive and fluffy. I take the nearest 2 of the 4 remaining eggs and give them the sniff test. One is clearly rotten. Further inspection revealed a dead embryo -- maybe 14/15 days and an truly awful smell. Yuck. The other I'm not so sure about, so I give it back to her.

A couple of hours later I see her struggling around in the nest. It looks like she is trying to get up, but can't. She is thrashing around and banging into her chicks. That's it, I'm taking her off the nest. I gather the babies up and put the in a box -- and lift her out. Poor, poor broody. She is skin and bones and crusted with reeking poo. She can't stand, her legs are collapsing into a splits position. I clean her up as best I can with damp paper towels and hold her for awhile in an upright position until she is able to get her legs back under her. After a few collapses, she is finally able to stand and teeter around.

I decide to ditch the eggs. I'm not hearing anything and it turns out each one contained a dead and decomposing embryo. It looks like they quit around day 17/18 -- right around the time of the first exploding rotten eggs.

She was able to lead her three chicks to a new corner of the coop. I put food, water and chick grit in front of her and then scrambled and fed her an egg with some sunflower seeds which she wolfed down. I'm a little worried about her. I know its good for a hen to sit tight, but I think she took her job way too seriously. I should have forced her off the nest a few time (like I did for her last year). I hope she and her chicks make it. She really was an incredibly dedicated mother with her chicks last year. The picture is from yesterday, when she was still on the nest with the one frisky chick.

 

[aart]

Casey -- I love your set up. It looks like it is 100% outside -- I gather there was no issues with the broody wanting back in the coop at night?

My broody adventures continue. For those interested -- and with a long attention span, lol -- here is the full tale.

It was day 23, my broody with still on the nest with only one chick visible. I could smell a whiff of rotten egg and there were flies everywhere. I lift her up to see what is going on. Lo and behold there are two more small chicks tucked way in the back. Small, but alive and fluffy. I take the nearest 2 of the 4 remaining eggs and give them the sniff test. One is clearly rotten. Further inspection revealed a dead embryo -- maybe 14/15 days and an truly awful smell. Yuck. The other I'm not so sure about, so I give it back to her.

A couple of hours later I see her struggling around in the nest. It looks like she is trying to get up, but can't. She is thrashing around and banging into her chicks. That's it, I'm taking her off the nest. I gather the babies up and put the in a box -- and lift her out. Poor, poor broody. She is skin and bones and crusted with reeking poo. She can't stand, her legs are collapsing into a splits position. I clean her up as best I can with damp paper towels and hold her for awhile in an upright position until she is able to get her legs back under her. After a few collapses, she is finally able to stand and teeter around.

I decide to ditch the eggs. I'm not hearing anything and it turns out each one contained a dead and decomposing embryo. It looks like they quit around day 17/18 -- right around the time of the first exploding rotten eggs.

She was able to lead her three chicks to a new corner of the coop. I put food, water and chick grit in front of her and then scrambled and fed her an egg with some sunflower seeds which she wolfed down. I'm a little worried about her. I know its good for a hen to sit tight, but I think she took her job way too seriously. I should have forced her off the nest a few time (like I did for her last year). I hope she and her chicks make it. She really was an incredibly dedicated mother with her chicks last year. The picture is from yesterday, when she was still on the nest with the one frisky chick.

I hope she improves quickly now that her sitting endurance trial is over.

This is exactly why I took a peek every few days during incubation and got her used to me doing so.
'Encouraging' her(pulled her out of nest and showed her the food and water) to get up to eat and drink even tho it was dead of winter and very cold.
Her legs were wobbly so she needed to get up and stretch them.
I had it set up so I could tell if she ate, drank, pooped everyday.....tho during the few days before and after hatch I left her alone, then pulled her out to clean the huge turd out of the nest.

 

[robbiebobbie]

Don't have any problem with pecking or fighting. They all are very mellow. We put a barrier between the nesting boxes the mamma's are in and the rest of the coop. The hens starting laying in the nesting boxes now. We took the barrier away now and everyone is laying eggs where they should and are not bothering the broody hens. Love the picture of your broody hen pens.

 

[Rose98]

I asked a few days ago if the eggs my hen has sitting on would be alright as she had stopped sitting and they were cold. I have since candled them again and only one is alive. I don't know what to do as it is due to hatch two days before I go away. I cannot cancel the going away as it is a surgery that I have been waiting for a while for. I will be away for about 6 days and my brother was going to come and feed the grown chooks I have every day or so. the hen is still making calling noises and pays little attention to two eggs I put with her. Do you think she will except a chicken in 3 or 4 days. I really don't know what to do as it will be one little lonely chicken, can't find any other day old for sale to be its friend were I live as it has just hit winter. someone suggested turning the incubator off but I don't think I can bring myself to doing that. I just don't know what to do, I mean would it really be satisfied to be the only chick, with no attention and feed and watered once a day?? it would have all my attention when I get home but it ha to survive six days on its own first. I'm just hoping someone will tell me the hen will accept it without any problems.

 

[sharol]

Quote:
I don't envy you the decision. I couldn't kill the living embryo either. Is your brother willing to see if the broody is interested in the chick (frankly it doesn't sound like she is, but who knows)? Is there a local thread on this list? There might be someone willing to share a chick with you or "mother" this one for a few days. Poor baby is going to be really lonely. It will have a couple of days to get on its feet before you leave (assuming it hatches on time), so maybe that will help. Good luck with the baby and the surgery.