Broody Hen Thread!

[JohnsonHomested]

Our first broody needed some help abandoning her nest since she had some unhatched eggs in there. Once we took away the eggs, she was more than willing to help her chicks out of the box and start teaching them how to scratch. Same thing with the second two broodies, although I had to help their chicks out of the box because she didn't have a ramp. First broody was over 48 hours and second set was just under that. Now the mamas have their babies in the coop but still haven't ventured into the fresh air. Does your broody have any eggs left? If they have access to food and water, don't worry about it, she'll move them when she's ready.

 

[TXchickmum]

My broody hasn't any eggs. She did not hatch any. She sat on her nest for two weeks so finally we purchased her a newly hatched chick (little thing was about 30 minutes old at the time). She seems very happy and content to have the chick with her. The chick is scurrying about in the nest box, scratching and pecking, eating, drinking, and climbing all over her mom. Every time that I go to change out the water, the chick runs underneath mom (and mom growls at me). -'tis a hoot!

The nesting box is about 1.5 feet off of the ground with no ramp. (but from what I've gleaned, that shouldn't cause any problem) I don't want to disturb them, but I do want to keep an eye on them. -would think that the nesting box needs cleaning after several days of chick waste building up.

 

[Jharper]

My Wyandotte was an awesome broody! She's now raising her 4 babies and is a good mama, too. Yesterday I noticed one poor hapless hen that wandered into "her" domain, and was quickly chased out. She'll let me near the chicks, but lets me know she is NOT happy about it. 

Wow. I didn't think my production RIR would be such a good momma, but she is.

 

[dodgewoman]

Wow thanks for that article! Yea, I think I may have helped her to much she was breathing on her own and the beak was out and moving. I should haw waited. Live and learn! I'm very glad to learn from this place.

So sorry that happened! Don't be hard on yourself, it's a learning experience and you're right - it may very well have been weak in the first place. I wish I'd have commented on that question sooner For next time this is an excellent article to read. It really helps with slowing down and resisting the urge to help until the right time - and knowing when it is time.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

 

[CaCO3]

Well, I'm sad to say that I did help the chick out. I didn't see the responses before I did that

the chick did die. Overnight

I feel like I killed the poor thing. My only hope is that the reason she wasn't coming out was b/c it was to weak and would have died anyway. Note to self, leave the animals alone and just observe!

I confess I have made this mistake, too. It feels horrible, but you are certainly not the first, or the last to do it. I had one chick that had an unabsorbed yolk sac that I took to the vet and had her stitched up. She survived and is able to lay eggs, but she also has a wry tail and something seriously deformed in her pelvis so she run-hops and is 1/2 size of the others. She's goofy and I love her. But she had congenital issues, beyond my misguided attempt to help her hatch. So yes, it may have been inevitable.

One trick that has worked for me, if a chick hatches with a bloody or otherwise incompletely closed navels, is quickly scooping the chick and putting it in a bathroom size Dixie cup and letting it rest in an incubator. It keeps the navel clean from debris and usually the chick will tend to stay in the fetal position and that reduces trauma to the exposed area. You could use anything that is similar to the egg shell shape. I've seen other posts where people used small dishes, etc.

 

[dodgewoman]

Thanks for that. It's nice to know I'm not alone. The chick didn't seem to have anything not absorbed but it was def. weak so it wither need more time to get the blood absorbed or it was just already weak. Just praying the other 3 will do well with momma.

 

[AVintageLife]

This is my Zelda, a one year old Easter Egger, who brought her chicks out yesterday for the first time. They are one week old. It took Zelda several days before she was comfortable taking the chicks out of the brooder area into the coop and a week before she wanted to take them outside. It was funny watching her at the open coop door, looking out longingly but so hesitant to step out. She finally did, clucked at the chicks and they all followed. They've mingled with the other hens in the coop but only under supervision. Zelda is a very good mom, very protective and has put a few of the other hens in their place pretty quickly but there's an EE who eyes the yellow bantams like they are a tasty looking morsel. So for now, interaction is supervised.

 

[TXchickmum]

How adorable!!!

 

[Keggen]

This is my Zelda, a one year old Easter Egger, who brought her chicks out yesterday for the first time. They are one week old. It took Zelda several days before she was comfortable taking the chicks out of the brooder area into the coop and a week before she wanted to take them outside. It was funny watching her at the open coop door, looking out longingly but so hesitant to step out. She finally did, clucked at the chicks and they all followed. They've mingled with the other hens in the coop but only under supervision. Zelda is a very good mom, very protective and has put a few of the other hens in their place pretty quickly but there's an EE who eyes the yellow bantams like they are a tasty looking morsel. So for now, interaction is supervised.

I love it! What a good broody mama! Mine wouldn't get up for the first few days either until I took away her last eggs (they were bad!).

 

[zippy722]

Well, yes and no. I'm going to say that most common is broody behavior. The hens that do rip out their feathers look like the are about to go in the oven as a roaster. Totally nekked.

On the other end of the spectrum, they can lose feathers around the vent area if something is wrong. This has only happened to me once, and it was a leghorn that died from egg yolk peritonitis and I didn't even notice it till the very end so the feather loss was not dramatic. I've seen other people's chickens with naked butts and they'd been like that for a long time with no apparent health issues. I have others one who is always bald in patches- one Araucana who always has bald rump (feather picking victim) and bald chin (muff alopecia???

). Then of course molting, but I think this is off-season to molt and I"ve never seen a bald molter.

I'm going to try and get a few pics. Will post.

PS- Is she lining her nest with the feathers? That's a good indicator that its her broodiness. They rip the feathers out for that plus the eggs are toasty right up against their skin.

CaCO3, thanks for your comments. Here bare area has been that way for at least a few months. Thanks for sharing the possible causes as well. I can't take a good look at her now since she's sitting, but don't recall seeing anything abnormal. And I have seen a stray feather or two in the nest but not a load of them. I also thought about eggs being up against the skin being warmer as well. If you find the pics, I would appreciate seeing them. Thanks again,