Broody Hen Thread!

[chicksurreal]

Today is day 21 for our eggs so I have some Broody hen questions:

1. what happens to the egg shells? will the mother eat them, leave them in the nest or throw them out of the nest like she did with a bad egg?

2. will the broody sit on the nest while they hatch or will she be off the nest to give them room?

3. I have a nipple waterer in the broody cage with the mom and the nest, if I lower the nipple waterer so the chicks can reach it will she show them how to use it and they'll just start off with the nipple waterer eliminating the need to put a regular waterer in for them and then teach them a nipple waterer later on?

thanks

My experience with hatching chicks under a broody is that she sits on them as they hatch and the eggs shells sort of get pushed to the side once the chick is out. One time all of the egg shell halves were sitting inside each other, it was funny.

I still have traditional waterers, but am wanting to move to the nipple waterers for everyone. So much cleaner! If I had to do it over aain I would start out with the nipple waterers.

 

[yyz0yyz0]

thanks for the responses.

My wife was checking out the broody while I'm at work and she said that she did appear to be more agitated than she has for the past 3 weeks. For 3 weeks she has been hunkered down and still and now she's more up(if that's a correct description) and she doesn't seem to be able to get comfortable. So we wondered if things were starting to happen under her. My wife even went so far as to throw some scratch in her run but she did not come out for it like she has in the past 3 weeks. She was hoping to get a peek at the eggs, but no luck.

I have not decided yet if I'll put in a 2nd lower waterer or if I'll make a ramp thingy so they can get to the higher one.

question 4. Should I keep the food and water in the dog crate with the nest box or keep them out in the run? The broody is in a dog crate with a cardboard nest box in it and it's open to a partitioned off section of the regular chicken run. So if I put it outside the crate it and the chicks will be separated from the flock but can see each other.

Question 5. I have a small(6ft long) piece of chicken wire that I used when my hens were small to give them a little free range on the grass outside the pen. I just placed the loop of fencing outside the gate and opened the gate so they could wander out into the small space and get some grass etc. How soon can I do this with the new born chicks?

 

[HighStreetCoop]

3. I have a nipple waterer in the broody cage with the mom and the nest, if I lower the nipple waterer so the chicks can reach it will she show them how to use it and they'll just start off with the nipple waterer eliminating the need to put a regular waterer in for them and then teach them a nipple waterer later on?

thanks

My chicks have been using nipple waterers since day one. I just hung bottle waterers low enough for them. Silly adult chickens keep using them, too.

 

[aart]

Today is day 21 for our eggs so I have some Broody hen questions:

1. what happens to the egg shells? will the mother eat them, leave them in the nest or throw them out of the nest like she did with a bad egg?

2. will the broody sit on the nest while they hatch or will she be off the nest to give them room?

3. I have a nipple waterer in the broody cage with the mom and the nest, if I lower the nipple waterer so the chicks can reach it will she show them how to use it and they'll just start off with the nipple waterer eliminating the need to put a regular waterer in for them and then teach them a nipple waterer later on?

thanks

1. She might eat some or shove them aside.1.
2. She'll keep them sheltered, probably standing a bit to make room for them.
3. Yes if she knows how to use the nipple waterer, she'll show them how. I use the horizontal nipple and put it low for the chicks, the adults can use it low too.
I put the waterer close and feed on the ramp because it middle of winter near zero temps.

thanks for the responses.

My wife was checking out the broody while I'm at work and she said that she did appear to be more agitated than she has for the past 3 weeks. For 3 weeks she has been hunkered down and still and now she's more up(if that's a correct description) and she doesn't seem to be able to get comfortable. So we wondered if things were starting to happen under her. My wife even went so far as to throw some scratch in her run but she did not come out for it like she has in the past 3 weeks. She was hoping to get a peek at the eggs, but no luck.

I have not decided yet if I'll put in a 2nd lower waterer or if I'll make a ramp thingy so they can get to the higher one.

question 4. Should I keep the food and water in the dog crate with the nest box or keep them out in the run? The broody is in a dog crate with a cardboard nest box in it and it's open to a partitioned off section of the regular chicken run. So if I put it outside the crate it and the chicks will be separated from the flock but can see each other.

Question 5. I have a small(6ft long) piece of chicken wire that I used when my hens were small to give them a little free range on the grass outside the pen. I just placed the loop of fencing outside the gate and opened the gate so they could wander out into the small space and get some grass etc. How soon can I do this with the new born chicks?

4. Food should be close to nest but they should have to leave nest to eat and drink....and poop. Feed should be small pieces, high protein, for ease of chicks eating.
5. Let the mama take care of the chicks, she will take them out when she's ready. If you don't have a predator safe run, I'd rig up something.

Pics of your setup would help folks make suggestions.

 

[rexannastar]

3 peeps so far! and 5 eggs still under her.... I coaxed her up for a minute just to check. Feeling like a jerk for doing so.... but I had to know! It's so unseasonable cool here, I wanted to make sure they were alright.

 

[S5apiotrowski]

Came home - found a busted egg in the broody nest - 3 marked eggs missing, 2 new eggs present. All the eggs are filthy. There was only remnants from one busted shell - we removed it and added new clean shavings. I did not clean off the other eggs though - hoping the others will be okay. Its only day 3 so we have a long way to go!

 

[Free Feather]

Came home - found a busted egg in the broody nest - 3 marked eggs missing, 2 new eggs present. All the eggs are filthy. There was only remnants from one busted shell - we removed it and added new clean shavings. I did not clean off the other eggs though - hoping the others will be okay. Its only day 3 so we have a long way to go!

I have had that happen before...makes you feel sick to your stomach. The first eggs that happened to went bad, but the second time around that that happened, the hatch rate was 70 percent. The ones that did not hatch, were bad from infection, though. So I would expect some to go bad.

 

[S5apiotrowski]

I have had that happen before...makes you feel sick to your stomach. The first eggs that happened to went bad, but the second time around that that happened, the hatch rate was 70 percent. The ones that did not hatch, were bad from infection, though. So I would expect some to go bad.

Thanks for the comment- I suspect some will get infected, but am hoping a couple will hatch

 

[svfarm]

My hens cracked some eggs early on. I used warm water in a spray bottle and misted the eggs then gently wiped them off with a paper towel. They all hatched.

 

[BuffsAndReds]

My broody had a bad day today. A snake got into our coop and my son got her and the nest out but she only had 3 eggs left.

My husband killed a snake last night in our other cope. Not sure why we have had so many snakes lately. Wish i knew how to keep them away.