Broody Hen Thread!

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chickencrazy999 said:
Hey Guys,
Ok so my Hen is sitting on 5 silkie bantam eggs and today is day 20 and I haven't heard or seen anything yet So my question is should I be seeing or hearing anything by now or am I just being Impatient? Thanks
Ella
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Wait a few more days...technically it is 21 days after setting...and the first day often is just the eggs heating up so it is very usual to have 22 and 23 days for the first hatch.

If nothing seems to be happening by day 23, candle to see if there is any activity....but chances are mom knows there is already activity and you'll have a surprise tomorrow morning.

Lady of McCamley
 
One of my one year old lavender orphingtons just went broody for the first time. I gave her 14 eggs last night and today she was still covering them effortlessly. I also set 42 eggs in my incubator last night. It will be interesting to see who has better luck... first time mommy hen or me. I am betting on her!!!
 
hereorthere said:
Hello everyone! Thought I'd join in.....have an EE that just turned broody a few days ago, but I kept pushing her off the nest box to collect the eggs but she is 1 very determined gal! Anyways, I've decided to let her sit on some adoptees (Welsummers) since yesterday and have just added 4 more. I'm hoping she stays on task as this will be her 1st time - me included!! So I'm kinda nervous about this! She actually let me lightly pet her head and back as I marked, checked, and added the eggs..... the trance thing is weird!! But I suppose it makes sense biologically if their metabolism slows down...... and did someone mention poop?? OMG- the gas coming from her rear end! My nose hairs won't ever recover!!!
th.gif


Right now, the nesting boxes are sitting 2ft up off the ground. I'm worried about hatching time and baby chicks running everywhere. I've got a larger cat kennel which would sit much lower to the ground and be a better fit for her, but when would be a good time to move her? Now? Or watch for the next few days that she's really serious about her future motherhood, and then move her around Day7-8??

On top of that I've got an incubator full of 24 eggs that is on Day 9. When all eggs hatch - from EE and incubator - I'd love to introduce them effortlessly without too much stress for all, but am I asking too much?? Given that incubator chicks will be at least 1 week older than EE's "babies"?
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Moving a broody, especially a first timer, is always a bit touchy. Some birds move with ease; others fight it and return to the original nest abandoning the eggs. In unsure situations, I leave the hen in the nest if it is safe for the hen and she is free from intruders; otherwise, it is better to risk moving her.

I have set up a partition around a hen who insisted on nesting in the main box, so sometimes that is the best avenue.

She can hatch from a higher nest, just move the babies after they hatch on their first day. Mom will likely be moving them then anyway as she'll know they can't get into the nest from the ground. I've had great success with moving broodies with their freshly hatched babies (make sure all are hatched and dry).

You may have some staggering since you set yesterday and today...but likely not much. I would not recommend adding anymore eggs as you don't want a significantly staggered hatch especially if you plan to move the hen from the high nest after the babies dry.

As to "effortlessly" adding them all in for integration...I'm not sure what you mean....adding them all at once in one pen to grow up together? Adding the incubator chicks to the EE with her babies? Adding them to the flock with mom EE? That would be a LOT of chicks for a hen to try to take care of, especially a first time hen.

I've also personally had issues with adding multiple age chicks in a mixed situation (chicks hatched by a broody and then adding fosters from the store which are of course incubated then brooded by a heat lamp)...the hatchlings tend to trample the fosters as they are especially vigorous being used to being hen brooded. Also there is a big difference in one week with chick ages...week olds run around a lot more and mom might find them intruders and try to protect her chicks. Some hens welcome everybody, others not so much. The older ones can trample the younger ones in that instance.

I guess to sum it up...I personally prefer mom to brood as it saves on stress and trouble with integration...but that would be a lot of chicks for one hen, of mixed ages. Adding a heat lamp, if it is safe to do so, can help, but will introduce some integration issues with the environment as the chicks will need to be weaned off the heat lamp, but it may be the best direction for you with that many unless you keep the two broods separate...let mom do her thing with the hatchlings and brood the incubator chicks as you normally would integrating after they have fully feathered around 6 to 8 weeks, depending on your pens. From my experience (failures) in mixing fosters with hatchlings, especially of week or more age differences, I'd keep them separate.

Lady of McCamley
 
heading into the home stretch!!! should start hatching on or before the 6th!!! she has starting flattening herself out, took an opportunity to candle and air sacks look really good!!

400
 
Lady of McCamley said:
Wait a few more days...technically it is 21 days after setting...and the first day often is just the eggs heating up so it is very usual to have 22 and 23 days for the first hatch.

If nothing seems to be happening by day 23, candle to see if there is any activity....but chances are mom knows there is already activity and you'll have a surprise tomorrow morning.

Lady of McCamley
Click to expand...
Ok Thank you I am just going to check on her now!
 
I have a non Crested Cream Legbar hen that decided she wanted to sit on my nest box with a dozen fake eggs. I have been slipping fertile eggs under her and she will have hopefully a nice clutch of Buckeyes, Blue Americanas and a couple Legbar/Leghorn crosses.

She's doing great and gets her hackles up when I mess with her but seems to not mind too much. She is just under 1 year old. I had a Leghorn photo bomb her. Haha, She will be part of the Spring Easter Hatchalong.

 

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