Broody Hen Thread!

[chicksurreal]

Today is the day! I pick up chicks on my way home from work and tonight after dark I will swap them out for the fake eggs the girls are sitting on. Keep your fingers crossed for me please!

 

[aart]

Today is the day! I pick up chicks on my way home from work and tonight after dark I will swap them out for the fake eggs the girls are sitting on. Keep your fingers crossed for me please!

Good cLuck!!!

 

[svfarm]

I counted 7 internal pips from under my hens. The one hen had to be put back in her box up off the ground so that she would lay on the eggs again. Should I move the eggs that have pipped under her to the hen that is on the the ground and give her some eggs that have more time?

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Well, that won't be happening. *grrrrr* The chicks at the local place aren't day olds (and I'm ticked off because I talked to them about the shipment two fricken weeks ago; I think I'm done with that shop as this is not the first time they've left me in the lurch). And now I can't get up to the place a hour from here that HAS day olds today.

 

[alibabba]

Thinking I am pretty slick, Broody 1 started sitting 6/2. Broody 2 on 6/14.

I decided on which eggs for broody 2, but took one extra, marked it and gave it broody 1 to start (after I removed the 2 yolkers from broody 1 that I had seen when candling, like 14 days, so I am sure!)

Now I see that there are 4 yolkers under broody 2 (which I kind of expected now, it looks like these 2 girls have a fertility issue, hopefully just a fluffy butt)

Anyway, broody 2 gets her started egg back, right on schedule with her eggs!


But she only has 4 eggs.. Maybe I have to find a couple day olds....

This is getting a little nutty.

 

[16 paws]

Well, that won't be happening. *grrrrr* The chicks at the local place aren't day olds (and I'm ticked off because I talked to them about the shipment two fricken weeks ago; I think I'm done with that shop as this is not the first time they've left me in the lurch). And now I can't get up to the place a hour from here that HAS day olds today.

Durn it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[16 paws]

How and when do you reintegrate into the flock?
Betty had her baby out at the feeder today. It was so cute!

You can do that whenever you feel comfortable. My chickens free range in the afternoon and I am not comfortable letting them out with the flock until they are a little bigger so I keep them separate but still visible to the rest of the gang. If they all stayed in the coop and run I would let them out right away.

I have never had a problem with mama protecting the babies from any bullies in the flock. I also have 4 roosters and they are very good with the chicks. They seem to know each other already because I always let the broodies hatch somewhere that the flock can still see them but not touch.

Hope that helps a little....
Marie

 

[PD-Riverman]

Thinking I am pretty slick, Broody 1 started sitting 6/2. Broody 2 on 6/14.

I decided on which eggs for broody 2, but took one extra, marked it and gave it broody 1 to start (after I removed the 2 yolkers from broody 1 that I had seen when candling, like 14 days, so I am sure!)

Now I see that there are 4 yolkers under broody 2 (which I kind of expected now, it looks like these 2 girls have a fertility issue, hopefully just a fluffy butt)

Anyway, broody 2 gets her started egg back, right on schedule with her eggs!


But she only has 4 eggs.. Maybe I have to find a couple day olds....

This is getting a little nutty.

I am Scratching My head-----what do you mean---"Starter egg"? Why?

 

[katatonic123]

My older hen and roo go and see her during the day when they are ranging. The littles haven't ventured down that far. So the bigger ones have at least seen her and the new chick just haven't been close enough to interact. I'll give it about a week and go from there. I just wish the place she's in had a side door so she could go back in there if she wanted. She can hop in and out if I take the lid off but the baby can't and that wouldn't be good.

 

[Torch404]

My older hen and roo go and see her during the day when they are ranging. The littles haven't ventured down that far. So the bigger ones have at least seen her and the new chick just haven't been close enough to interact. I'll give it about a week and go from there. I just wish the place she's in had a side door so she could go back in there if she wanted. She can hop in and out if I take the lid off but the baby can't and that wouldn't be good.

Sounds like I have a similar situation. I have been thinking about stacking boards or bricks in a staircase for the little ones to get in and out. Mine are not due to hatch for another week. I've brooded other hens away from the flock and when I returned them they beat on the first chicken that comes up to say hi and then everything's fine after that. Mom and chicks in the flock like nothing changed. They were usually mid to high in the pecking order so I might worry about a bottom rung hen coming back in.