Broody Hen Thread!

[Zombified]

I need some advice. One of my ducks stopped sitting, and another disappeared(I believe she was eaten, but I'm not certain, and have found no trace or evidence). I have some eggs in a makeshift incubator, like this one: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ral-nest-incubation-experiment-1-so-it-begins only slightly different. If you read the later pages, my version is based on the fourth nest that Beekissed made using this method.

I'll copy and paste the post I made over on that thread.

I have a styrofoam box, filled with dirt, and leaves and feathers on top. My Mallard(the only broody one) was kind enough to lend me a few of her eggs and some of the softer feathers from her nest. I have a heating pad over the eggs, but there are two sun-warmed bricks on either side holding the heating pad so that it isn't laying on the eggs. I don't know if that's good or bad, but I remember you mentioning that you had better success when the heating pad wasn't actually touching the eggs.

I don't have an available thermometer, so I'm using my hand. No spray bottle (what the heck kind of home doesn't have a spray bottle?! My home) but I did take a slightly wet washcloth and kind of wrang it out over the eggs. They didn't get soaked, but each egg had a few good-sized drops on it. The heating pad I have does turn off automatically (ugh) but when I get the money, I'll buy a better one. This is going to have to do for now. It doesn't shut off every two hours or anything, just if it gets "too hot." I don't know what temperature that is. But I go to sleep pretty late and wake up pretty earlier anyways, so if it does turn off at night, it's unlikely the eggs will get more than a couple of hours of colder temperatures.

Any other advice you have?

 

[Beldenfarm]

i have a broody cochin, and 3 four-week old silkie chicks (smaller than grapefruits)

is there any chance we could introduce them and have her adopt the chicks as her own? she is SOO broody, refuses any sort of "breaking" to her broodiness. we have separated her from the boxes for a few days, dunked her in water, pushed her gently off the nest and after a little while up she hops again! we are depurate to get her up and active again, but don't have space for more chickens on top of the new chicks we just got this spring.

she is desperate for babies from what I can tell and gets quite agitated when not on her nest. she has been broody for at least 1 month, and even sits in an empty nest after we have taken away her eggs

so my question is, can we introduce the chicks we have been raising in the brooder to her? or is it way too late? these chicks have been raised under an eco glo- so they are accustomed to sleeping under something for warmth and protection, and are still quite skittish around hands even slow movements.

should we introduce at night? I am newish to the chicken world, this will be my second summer having them. so please advise me what do do i appreciate any tip!!! even tips on how to break her broodiness if it isn't advised to give her the babies!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

bo is happily setting on her 8 out of 12 eggs. they are due to hatch tomorrow the next day the next day.

the one that hatched a week ago is going strong in the brooder by herself.

I wonder if I can stick her under bo when the other chicks hatch?

You can try it...if I remember right, Bo is a pretty laid back bird...just watch closely the first couple of days to make sure the chick grafts well and is not stressed by any cold as she figures out the big scary hen provides warmth rather than the glow light.

I would do it when the babies are hatched and just dried out...1 or 2 days old, so mom is still sitting a lot and welcoming of babies...I have better luck with heat lamped fosters then. It gets harder, especially in cooler weather, after the hatchlings are up and running...Mom doesn't stay sitting a lot then, but the foster needs that extra time to adjust. Having the foster a little older, and stronger, should help with the stress of grafting.

My experiences.
Lady of McCamley

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I need some advice. One of my ducks stopped sitting, and another disappeared(I believe she was eaten, but I'm not certain, and have found no trace or evidence). I have some eggs in a makeshift incubator, like this one: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ral-nest-incubation-experiment-1-so-it-begins only slightly different. If you read the later pages, my version is based on the fourth nest that Beekissed made using this method.

I'll copy and paste the post I made over on that thread.

I have a styrofoam box, filled with dirt, and leaves and feathers on top. My Mallard(the only broody one) was kind enough to lend me a few of her eggs and some of the softer feathers from her nest. I have a heating pad over the eggs, but there are two sun-warmed bricks on either side holding the heating pad so that it isn't laying on the eggs. I don't know if that's good or bad, but I remember you mentioning that you had better success when the heating pad wasn't actually touching the eggs.

I don't have an available thermometer, so I'm using my hand. No spray bottle (what the heck kind of home doesn't have a spray bottle?! My home) but I did take a slightly wet washcloth and kind of wrang it out over the eggs. They didn't get soaked, but each egg had a few good-sized drops on it. The heating pad I have does turn off automatically (ugh) but when I get the money, I'll buy a better one. This is going to have to do for now. It doesn't shut off every two hours or anything, just if it gets "too hot." I don't know what temperature that is. But I go to sleep pretty late and wake up pretty earlier anyways, so if it does turn off at night, it's unlikely the eggs will get more than a couple of hours of colder temperatures.

Any other advice you have?

Well, that is pretty make shift, but in emergencies, one has to do what one has to do. You might put a heat lamp overhead if you find the eggs are not staying warm enough.

If you are a parent, I'm sure you've learned the trick of feeling your forehead first with your hand then feeling your child's forehead (making sure your hand isn't too cold or warm to tell the differences). You may seriously consider putting the eggs to your forehead. (I always kissed my kids as my lips are very sensitive to judge...but I don't know if I'd want to kiss the eggs for fear of bacterial transfer...to me...never mind the embryo!

).

You should be 98.6, which would approximate hatching temperatures for ducks (99 F)...so the egg should feel a bit warmer than your forehead (presuming you haven't been outside or just in from a run).

This article indicates what kind of temp and humidity you are attempting to achieve http://www.duckhealth.com/hatcduck.html

...55% humidity is pretty humid, but not sweatbox/shower stall. I should think that would be a "rainy day" feel here in Oregon as we typically run 55% humidity on most fall/spring days...this week it's rained a lot so our ground is soaked, and we are currently 57F but feels 70F with 52% humidity...but not in Texas before a summer thunderstorm...maybe more of your cooler fall/winter storms? If you have a weather app on your phone or computer, that might help set a baseline environmental humidity, and help you guess how much wetter your incubator should feel than the ambient environment.

I personally wouldn't expect a lot of success with this method as you aren't checking/controlling for humidity and temperature well...but it's worth a try. I've been surprised what a little ingenuity, creativity, and general amazing poultry hardiness can produce.

Good luck.
Lady of McCamley

 

[Lady of McCamley]

i have a broody cochin, and 3 four-week old silkie chicks (smaller than grapefruits)

is there any chance we could introduce them and have her adopt the chicks as her own? she is SOO broody, refuses any sort of "breaking" to her broodiness. we have separated her from the boxes for a few days, dunked her in water, pushed her gently off the nest and after a little while up she hops again! we are depurate to get her up and active again, but don't have space for more chickens on top of the new chicks we just got this spring.

she is desperate for babies from what I can tell and gets quite agitated when not on her nest. she has been broody for at least 1 month, and even sits in an empty nest after we have taken away her eggs

so my question is, can we introduce the chicks we have been raising in the brooder to her? or is it way too late? these chicks have been raised under an eco glo- so they are accustomed to sleeping under something for warmth and protection, and are still quite skittish around hands even slow movements.

should we introduce at night? I am newish to the chicken world, this will be my second summer having them. so please advise me what do do i appreciate any tip!!! even tips on how to break her broodiness if it isn't advised to give her the babies!

I think you've done about all you can do to break her broodiness...one trick I've used with success is to gently remove them from the nest and place them into the middle of the yard/pen and immediately feed them their absolute, to die for, treat. Keep doing that regularly about 3 times a day. They should view this as a gift from heaven treat experience, not punishment (positive reinforcement technique I learned with dog training and have applied to chickens with some success). Timing is essential...placed in yard equals heavenly reward. Place them in the same place each time. In a few days invariably I see them running to me for the treat as I step into that spot. Within a week, I see them lingering in that spot. It is positive reinforcement for getting off the nest, but it has to be a "to die for treat" not just regular food as they won't be interested and the timing as to be immediate...out in yard...immediate treat. (Dogs have a 3 second retention learning enforcement period...I suspicion birds have shorter.)

The other option is to place the chicks with her. Smaller than a grapefruit to me is big...as we see large grapefruits in the store...so I am going to assume you've got typical 4 week old Silkie chicks, which means still fairly small, and likely partially feathered. I would try it but stay close by and watch. Since you don't say where you are located, I can't recommend evening or day as I find the weather contributes to my fostering success. Warm weather I place at night. Cool weather I place during the day. Small babies under the brood lamp often are fearful of the big scary hen at first, and since they don't regulate their body temp well, they can undergo quite a bit of physical stress as they figure out she's okay to go to...I have had chicks succumb to the environment stresses after several days of being with an inviting hen in cool weather. (I pull them out dead from under her). I do better in warmer weather.

Good news is your chicks will have some feathering. You also can add a heat lamp in your coop if it is safe to do so and that allows the chicks to run to mom or stay by the lamp. (Be careful though, I've burned down a coop that way, and so have several of my friends...always when a chicken knocked it down into the straw.)

Watch and see if the broody clucks and invites them...since she is soooooo broody, chances are she will...but as your chicks are older and very skittish, chances are it will take them a few days to learn to graft to her, if they ever do....but she may be so warm and there may be enough natural imprinting instinct left for them to do so...however watch carefully and frequently...if you see them huddled in cold away from the hen, you know it isn't going well.

EDITED TO ADD: I would also provide vitamins/electrolytes in the water to help booster their immune systems for the shock of the change. With small chicks, I literally dropper load them then place them so that they are well hydrated before the stress of change. You might put the nummy Chick Saver in the water and let them tank up just before you place them.

Good luck.
Lady of McCamley

 

[GuineaFowling]

I have a guinea hen sitting on guinea fowl eggs. She is very protective over them but my other hens (chickens) go into her nest box and push her away and sit on the eggs (to lay their eggs not because they are broody). One of the eggs cracked and now the rest are covered in yolk and stuff. I stopped the hens from going in the nest box of the guinea but will the eggs hatch? They are dirty now but my guinea wont let me take them. Is there any chance they'll hatch or will they get e. coli and rot?

 

[GuineaFowling]

I'd like to mention that she goes broody every year and hatches eggs but this year I bought more hens and they are making a problem.

 

[fisherlady]

I have a guinea hen sitting on guinea fowl eggs. She is very protective over them but my other hens (chickens) go into her nest box and push her away and sit on the eggs (to lay their eggs not because they are broody). One of the eggs cracked and now the rest are covered in yolk and stuff. I stopped the hens from going in the nest box of the guinea but will the eggs hatch? They are dirty now but my guinea wont let me take them. Is there any chance they'll hatch or will they get e. coli and rot?

We have had eggs break in the nest and the rest still hatch out with no problem.... if the egg is still wet you can gently wipe of the heaviest with dry bedding or a soft cloth, but don't rub hard. Sometimes I think a broody deliberately breaks eggs because honestly, of all of the ones I've had broken (before day 15 in my experience) none have been developing eggs... I don't know how they tell, but it seems they do and often will reject bad eggs. I don't always understand the broody instincts, but I have come to trust them as more dependable than us 'smart' humans.

 

[PortlandHen]

We have 2 hatched! Oh man. It's adorable.

 

[fisherlady]

We have 2 hatched! Oh man. It's adorable.

Congrats! They are cuties!