Broody Hen Thread!

[Audio51]

Hi I had an accident with my hen I went out yesterday and found a chick! I have them in a seperate area and such but I put medicated feed in the area but the hen isn't eating. I am worried should I be concerned. I put a little scratch on top to show her but she ate the scratch and nothing else is my food maybe bad? How long till I need to be concerned about the hen? I am worried that she wont eat and in turn the baby wont learn to eat.

Mickey Lou,


Has your hen started to eat yet? Do you know how old the chick is? Are there more eggs she is still incubating? Can you feel the keel bone on the hen and see how thin she is? You might offer her something extra tasty and see if that gets her eating. Is she up and moving around and showing the chick what to eat?

 

[foreverlearning]

I have a question!!! have a seven month old Ameraucana pullet that became determined to become a mom over a month ago. I've never had a broody hen before, and I didn't realize she was so determined! So after more than two weeks of battling with her, I let her sit on five eggs in a little coop I had set up for breeding pairs. She has been as faithful as can be, and yesterday two chicks hatched a day early. I checked on her this morning and she was sitting on the chicks and the other three eggs. But I guess the chicks must have hopped out of the little nest box they were in and weren't able to get back in, cause when I went down this afternoon, she was on the floor (on wood chips) with the chicks under her, and the eggs were totally cold in the nest box.

These eggs are due to hatch any time. Here is my question . . . I stuck the eggs back under her on the floor, but does anyone have any experience with eggs getting cold this close to hatch and surviving?? I really wasn't expecting her to follow through and hatch any chicks at all so I wasn't stressing. But now that I've seen two really adorable day old chicks, I'm really wanting the other ones to hatch too! I'd be really interested in hearing any experiences you've had along these lines. Thanks!!!

My broody did the same thing and still hatched out the last eggs. The lip on the nest box was too high for the new borns to get back in and she dragged the eggs to the edge but couldn't get them out to her. I removed the nest box and placed the cold eggs in a nest on the floor. Two days later she hatched out the last 3 eggs. During this time, when she was showing the chicks what to do, she would drag the eggs under her wherever she would go in the coop. The only thing you can do is try. Don't allow outside access until you give up on the eggs because once she brings the chicks outside she will not care for the eggs anymore. I wouldn't stagger the hatch too long. Good luck!

 

[Mickey Lou 04]

There were 2 eggs we lost the first because we didn't know it was coming and it fell out of the nest box and froze while mom was incubating the 2nd egg,

At this point I am more worried about the mom, the baby was dry and fluffed when we found it. that was friday morning, But she hasn't shown baby how to eat. I don't know if she's drank much either.

Momma still hasn't ate but is still pretty lively. I tried to tempt her with scratch but that didn't work. I am probably going to try boiled egg next.

I think it could be from it being so chilly here, that she doesn't want it to get cold.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

There were 2 eggs we lost the first because we didn't know it was coming and it fell out of the nest box and froze while mom was incubating the 2nd egg,

At this point I am more worried about the mom, the baby was dry and fluffed when we found it. that was friday morning, But she hasn't shown baby how to eat. I don't know if she's drank much either.

Momma still hasn't ate but is still pretty lively. I tried to tempt her with scratch but that didn't work. I am probably going to try boiled egg next.

I think it could be from it being so chilly here, that she doesn't want it to get cold.

Is mom and chick where they can get to food without being in the elements? Is mom simply sitting with baby a lot?

My Silkie hatched in mid Feburary (I'm in the wet NW so no snow on the ground but ave. temp was 39 day 32 night...I did not have heat in the coop but they were in a covered coop)....she sat a lot with the babies during that first week as they feather in...then they were up and scratching for noticeably long periods.

I'm thinking she is eating and drinking when you aren't looking, and doing so with the baby....just still sitting a lot as the baby is so small and new and needs that warmth. If she isn't up and scratching with baby by the end of the week, then I would investigate deeper.

Lady of McCamley

 

[soldonold]

I went out this morning, and she had a third chick hatched out in her little floor nest. So at least one of the eggs made it after cooling down. And she is still tending the other two eggs. I let some cold air in when I opened the coop and the three babies scooted under her. When one of the eggs rolled out, she very gently scooted it back up under her. She is such a good momma for being a 7 month old pullet. This is my first experience with a broody, and I am just so impressed with her determination! And I've learned to just put her in a nest on the floor of my little spare coop next time so she doesn't have to choose between warming babies or warming eggs!

 

[Mickey Lou 04]

Is mom and chick where they can get to food without being in the elements? Is mom simply sitting with baby a lot?

My Silkie hatched in mid Feburary (I'm in the wet NW so no snow on the ground but ave. temp was 39 day 32 night...I did not have heat in the coop but they were in a covered coop)....she sat a lot with the babies during that first week as they feather in...then they were up and scratching for noticeably long periods.

I'm thinking she is eating and drinking when you aren't looking, and doing so with the baby....just still sitting a lot as the baby is so small and new and needs that warmth. If she isn't up and scratching with baby by the end of the week, then I would investigate deeper.

Lady of McCamley

okay thanks

But I have been monitoring the food level and water level. They are locked in a coop but I'll give them a few days. If things don't get better I'll let ya'll know too.

 

[soldonold]

My broody did the same thing and still hatched out the last eggs. The lip on the nest box was too high for the new borns to get back in and she dragged the eggs to the edge but couldn't get them out to her. I removed the nest box and placed the cold eggs in a nest on the floor. Two days later she hatched out the last 3 eggs. During this time, when she was showing the chicks what to do, she would drag the eggs under her wherever she would go in the coop. The only thing you can do is try. Don't allow outside access until you give up on the eggs because once she brings the chicks outside she will not care for the eggs anymore. I wouldn't stagger the hatch too long. Good luck!

Thanks for your encouragement!! The final count was two out of three of the cold eggs hatched. I brought the last egg up to the house and candled it and the chick was in hatching position but had died. So I ended up with four chicks out of five eggs. So that just goes to show, they are tougher than I thought. So my young rooster did his job and my young broody hen is doing her job, and I'm a happy grandma

 

[chicken farmer]

Has anyone had a broody turken naked neck?

 

[Audio51]

Thanks for your encouragement!! The final count was two out of three of the cold eggs hatched. I brought the last egg up to the house and candled it and the chick was in hatching position but had died. So I ended up with four chicks out of five eggs. So that just goes to show, they are tougher than I thought. So my young rooster did his job and my young broody hen is doing her job, and I'm a happy grandma

How is it going with Mom eating?

 

[soldonold]

Thanks for your encouragement!! The final count was two out of three of the cold eggs hatched. I brought the last egg up to the house and candled it and the chick was in hatching position but had died. So I ended up with four chicks out of five eggs. So that just goes to show, they are tougher than I thought. So my young rooster did his job and my young broody hen is doing her job, and I'm a happy grandma

Here is a picture of mom and babies. There are four, but I think one is under her taking a nap. The cuteness factor is extreme !!