Broody Hen Thread!

[ChickyChickens]

So far, so good! This morning she had them under her by the door ready to go out with everyone else. They all seem fine. My recently integrated 14-week-olds seem to have a tougher time than these little guys.

LOL! The older ones always have a problem!!

 

[16 paws]

Well....after I put straw in the little coop and hooked up a heated bowl, she took those little ones into the big coop again - and stayed this time. It would work perfectly to have all of my chickens in the one coop just in time for winter. BUT - you guys are saying I don't need to worry about them being pecked to death by the other chickens in the morning before I open the door? I'm worried about that because I would never put chicks that little in with the big ones.

I have never had a baby chick get hurt from bigger hens and roos in the coop. The mother has always protected them. Put up a box or something at a angle in a corner so they can run behind it if they get scared. They can get behind it but the bigger ones cant. The littles get a bit nervous around the bigger ones sometimes but I have never out of maybe twenty hatches had a problem.
Marie

 

[kmollyhughes]

Love the grey hen!! She is nice!!

The grey girl with the babies is an olive egger. BW Ameraucana mother with a golden cuckoo Marans father. She's actually co-parenting with her full BWA sister. They share the 8 silkie/showgirl chicks. We've always got a couple mothers with babies. Too cute and fun not to let them have babies.

 

[ChickyChickens]

A friend of mines broody died!! O I got the chicks!!

 

[darajosami]

My first chick to hatch under broody. Have another 10 due next weekend which i need to candle in Monday as incubator at my sons school.

 

[AmyP716]

Here are my new babies. Hatched out yesterday under my broody. They are black silkieXGL polish crosses. They are outside with there mom in my small coop. They seem to be doing fine, but im worried

about them cause its so cold here. The low tonight is going to be 21 :/

 

[cafrhe]

My young broody BO just hatched out 2 of the 3 eggs she has been sitting on. Today is day 20. I checked the 3rd egg tonight and there is no sign of pipping. The 2 hatched between 7am and 2pm today. When I disturbed mama to check the egg, she did tuck it back under herself. How long to should I wait to do anything with the unhatched egg? I think I read that she will get off the nest when she thinks she is done. I am just hoping to be able to help hatch the chick if it cant itself and before it dies.

This is our 1st year with chickens and we didnt expect a broody hen (really committed lol!!!!) this year. We got her some eggs because it was obvious she was going to sit no matter what (and egg production is low anyway). So while we have read quite a bit, we (my daughter and I) are still fairly unsure of what to expect. Peanut the hen has her own box in a small enclosed area in the coop. Will she bring her new chicks outside of the box as early as tomorrow? The chicks are so small!!!

 

[vpatt]

Here are my new babies. Hatched out yesterday under my broody. They are black silkieXGL polish crosses. They are outside with there mom in my small coop. They seem to be doing fine, but im worried

about them cause its so cold here. The low tonight is going to be 21 :/

So cute!

 

[PD-Riverman]

My young broody BO just hatched out 2 of the 3 eggs she has been sitting on. Today is day 20. I checked the 3rd egg tonight and there is no sign of pipping. The 2 hatched between 7am and 2pm today. When I disturbed mama to check the egg, she did tuck it back under herself. How long to should I wait to do anything with the unhatched egg? I think I read that she will get off the nest when she thinks she is done. I am just hoping to be able to help hatch the chick if it cant itself and before it dies.

This is our 1st year with chickens and we didnt expect a broody hen (really committed lol!!!!) this year. We got her some eggs because it was obvious she was going to sit no matter what (and egg production is low anyway). So while we have read quite a bit, we (my daughter and I) are still fairly unsure of what to expect. Peanut the hen has her own box in a small enclosed area in the coop. Will she bring her new chicks outside of the box as early as tomorrow? The chicks are so small!!!

Congratulation. Everyone does things their way. "Me" personally ---from day 18 to day 22 "I" would Not be tilting her, picking her up Or Removing a egg from under her to look at---Not even for one second. Doing that is just like opening a incubator during Lock-Down-----some people say it does not bother their hatch, some say it does, some say they had several eggs to not hatch that had pipped or had a fully developed chick in it that was dead. "I" say this----since I quit trying to "help" leave the hen alone during this time----just this season alone my 33 broody hens hatched probably 99% of the fertile eggs I put under them.

She will bring them off the nest when she is ready. A baby chick can go 3/4 days without eating/drinking with No Problem.

 

[cafrhe]

Thanks for the info...We are trying very hard to be patient, but it is difficult! I was careful not to turn the egg, just picked it up, looked and put it back down. Hope we didnt mess anything up.