Broody Hen Thread!

[sonderah]

My sweet girl sitting on her eggs faithfully waiting for some babies!

 

[sweetbeak]

How sweet, I hope you have many hatch for her

 

[sonderah]

How sweet, I hope you have many hatch for her

Thanks! She has 17 under her, but she won't have to raise all of them. Lol Fingers crossed!

 

[ocap]

Has anyone ever seen a broody help a stuck chick get out?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Has anyone ever seen a broody help a stuck chick get out?

I have not yet...to date. Not that I am aware (I don't have a mini-cam in the broody hutch to watch a hen as the chicks hatch.) @fisherlady have you ever seen a hen on your cam help hatch a chick???

I have had a last chick pip, peep furiously, but found it dead in the morning, cold and abandoned as momma took care of the others that had hatched first.

I have always believed that the broody hen knows if the chick can't survive the rigors of hatching, it likely won't do well as a chicken.

I'm curious as to experiences of others.

Great question.
Lady of McCamley

 

[DarynA146]

Day 5 today and my broody silkie is happily on her eggs

 

[Basil G]

I can hear tapping and cheeping coming from my broody's eggs!
Has anyone tried artificial incubator vs. broody? I'm doing both right now and was wondering is anyone found one better than the other. Everyone one will get raised by a hen, but has anyone compared the hatch rates?

 

[Ellaluvsbirds]

I am trying to get a bantam hen to set on eggs. If she does I will put Indian Runner Duck eggs under her. Fingers crossed!!

 

[chickenlickin8]

Question...today is Day 18 for my broody eggs. Will she go into lockdown (meaning not get out to eat or drink) or will she still come out when the eggs are hatching? I gave her the coop to herself now. Hope she doesn't miss the other hens. I figured it would be best to give her a few days alone before the kids come...lol! I'm soooo excited!

 

[fisherlady]

Quote: I have seen it happen once, but I think it was more that the hen was trying to remove the shell from under her than a conscious effort to 'help' the chick since it was already mostly out, it just hadn't kicked the lower half of the shell away yet. I honestly don't know if they have 'helped' otherwise. I know I often have seen them with their head under their belly while hatching is going on, but again, I think part of that is them rearranging sharp egg shells away from their belly and the chicks. Quite often when I check under the broody after a hatch I find all of the shells tucked in one area, usually near her tail. I don't know if that is just a coincidence or not...