Broody Hen Thread!

[happyfrenchman]

Quote:
Sonderah. Thank you. That is very helpful. I don't want to try to move her at this point because the chicks are within days of hatching. Should have tried it earlier but I did not want to upset the applecart. If I box the hen in at this point, (maybe 3 or 4 days to go, (not entirely sure), that could cause a problem for the hen. I might try a barrier that the hen can get over but that would stop a chick. This is going to be tricky. I have Black Copper Marans chickens and I did not build for broody hens. (I used to have RIRs) I think now that these BCMs apparently go broody enough that it would be worth while. I am going to have to get the skill saw out and make some kind of add on broody box. Ground level, with food and water space, and able to stop a chick while allowing a hen to come and go. I am pretty handy with tools. I guess what I really need to know is about moving the next hen. This hen has sat rock steady for almost 3 weeks now. If I had known how serious she was I could probably have moved her if I had a dedicated broody box. Can you please tell me what you know about moving a mother hen and her eggs? Would it be a risk at this point if by tomorrow I had a box made?

 

[sonderah]

Quote:
Sonderah. Thank you. That is very helpful. I don't want to try to move her at this point because the chicks are within days of hatching. Should have tried it earlier but I did not want to upset the applecart. If I box the hen in at this point, (maybe 3 or 4 days to go, (not entirely sure), that could cause a problem for the hen. I might try a barrier that the hen can get over but that would stop a chick. This is going to be tricky. I have Black Copper Marans chickens and I did not build for broody hens. (I used to have RIRs) I think now that these BCMs apparently go broody enough that it would be worth while. I am going to have to get the skill saw out and make some kind of add on broody box. Ground level, with food and water space, and able to stop a chick while allowing a hen to come and go. I am pretty handy with tools. I guess what I really need to know is about moving the next hen. This hen has sat rock steady for almost 3 weeks now. If I had known how serious she was I could probably have moved her if I had a dedicated broody box. Can you please tell me what you know about moving a mother hen and her eggs? Would it be a risk at this point if by tomorrow I had a box made?

Its always a risk to try to move mom with eggs. Ur idea about making it so mom can get out, but babies cannot sounds like a good plan. Then after they all hatch, its much easier to move mom with babies. I've never moved mom & eggs. But just from what I've read on here, its always risky, & so close to hatch , I personally would not want to try.

 

[Rhandi74]

Its always a risk to try to move mom with eggs. Ur idea about making it so mom can get out, but babies cannot sounds like a good plan. Then after they all hatch, its much easier to move mom with babies. I've never moved mom & eggs. But just from what I've read on here, its always risky, & so close to hatch , I personally would not want to try.

I waited until all eggs hatched and then moved Mom with babies. While she was still sitting on her eggs but had a chick running around, I added a lip to the coop door. Now she is Moved and doing great with her chicks!!!

 

[ChickyChickens]

I will hopefully have 14 little fluff balls soon! My broody is due tomorrow! Cant wait!

 

[happyfrenchman]

I went out this afternoon and there is a chick sitting next to his mama in the nest. Very cute. I have made a drop zone catcher if the chick should come out. But I guess instinctually it will stay with Mom til tomorrow afternoon. Can mother bring food a short distance to a chick. Likewise water? I didn't want to put the chick feeder inside the little pen cause I could see other chickens getting in there for it. I can do that tomorrow. The chick is alright for now. Will a mother do that? I have zero experience with managing a broody hen. I have alot of experience with other birds, (pigeons and lovebirds) and I have incubated and hatched lots of chickens but always in a brooder box with a light. (There are still 5 eggs under the mama hen)

 

[Hannahs Hollow]

I went out this afternoon and there is a chick sitting next to his mama in the nest. Very cute. I have made a drop zone catcher if the chick should come out. But I guess instinctually it will stay with Mom til tomorrow afternoon. Can mother bring food a short distance to a chick. Likewise water? I didn't want to put the chick feeder inside the little pen cause I could see other chickens getting in there for it. I can do that tomorrow. The chick is alright for now. Will a mother do that? I have zero experience with managing a broody hen.  I have alot of experience with other birds, (pigeons and lovebirds) and I have incubated and hatched lots of chickens but always in a brooder box with a light.

chickens don't regurgitate like other birds. That i know of anyway. chick should be fine for the first 2 or 3 days.

is this " drop zone capture" sing something the baby check can get out of and back to mom? it may freeze to death even in warm climates without mom.

 

[happyfrenchman]

Thank you HH. No, If the chick drops into the little crib, it could not get back up into the nest. I have to watch carefully. But I have to work. I could take it and put it in my brooder. Give it back to her when more are hatched. I am hoping it stays close to it's mom in the nest.

 

[ChickyChickens]

My broody has 3/14 chicks and the rest are pipping! YAY!!!!!

 

[Junibutt]

@mudwoman did any of your chicks hatch?

 

[ochochicas]

Today is technically day 16 for my eggs. I candled them at Day 9 and they seemed more developed than they should be, so I expect they could hatch as early as this weekend or as late as the middle of next week. They are officially on "lockdown" until next week. I'll leave it to the broodies to do their thing. One broody is eating the food in her box, but the other one isn't.

Today I checked the nests for the last time and weighed the eggs. There is only one egg that has lost 14% of its weight, and unfortunately that egg has a crack in it. The crack is on the side. It looks like it bumped up against another egg. Is there any chance that the egg will still hatch? I'm bummed since it is my only true blue egg.

My other EE eggs have lost 10 - 11%, the Marans eggs lost 7 - 10%, and the Welsummer eggs lost 6 - 8 % of their starting weight. This is obviously concerning since some of the eggs have only lost half the weight they should have. Is this OK for broody eggs? Obviously there is nothing I can do to control the humidity. The hens seem to be doing a good job with setting on the eggs.