Broody Hen Thread!

[mymilliefleur]

Sorry about the hawk, I lost a few birds lately as well.
I don't have silkies, but I have a black bantam Cochin hen. she does just fine with my big hens which I keep outside in net fencing. She was a good mother for me, though she only hatched 1 out of 5 eggs. I have heard that they are not quite as broody as the silkies, which are known as the ''queens of broodiness'' but they still make very good mothers.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thanks for all the condolences for my lost Silkie, advice on bantam Cochins (looks like my impulse buy is a really good idea), and well wishes on the new grandbaby.

I plan to check in regularly again now that life is getting more normal.

@fisherlady let's talk come spring. I have not had great luck with my first try at shipped eggs but would love to get some of your penciled rocks. Hopefully 1 or both of these bantam cochins will be broody come spring.

I updated my signature line so you can see my last 3 broods...the Buckeyes were a hair raising experience with 4 chicks out of the 16 eggs shipped...and 2 of those were rescue hatches! My first!

I learned a lot of stuff this summer with these hatches (from hatch rescues to incubating eggs to swap out duds so I could maximize my hatch to several new breeds). Always new stuff to learn.

Lady of McCamley

 

[vpatt]

Th broody seems to be pooping in her nest.....I don't see a good way to clean it and the chicks ...if they hatch..will be any day now. Why is she doing this? She can easily get off the nest. Does this mean she will not be a good mama?

 

[fisherlady]

Th broody seems to be pooping in her nest.....I don't see a good way to clean it and the chicks ...if they hatch..will be any day now. Why is she doing this? She can easily get off the nest. Does this mean she will not be a good mama?

This sometimes happens when they are near hatch and for the first couple of days after. She is probably reluctant to leave nest due to temperatures. It doesn't mean she will be a bad broody. Get some fresh bedding and remove her carefully from nest and quickly swap out the soiled bedding. Encourage her to move around a little while she is off of the nest. A second person will make it easier but isn't a necessity.

 

[vpatt]

Th broody seems to be pooping in her nest.....I don't see a good way to clean it and the chicks ...if they hatch..will be any day now. Why is she doing this? She can easily get off the nest. Does this mean she will not be a good mama?

So I got the great idea to put her out in the coop for a few minutes and I did.......I picked up an egg and I could hear it peeping!! I tried to clean the mess as she was getting back in the nest cause she simply got back in almost the second I set her out. Now I think I put the egg back the way it was but I am not sure......why did I even mess with her?? Sigh

 

[vpatt]

So maybe I didn't hurt anything??

 

[A6chickenhome]

So maybe I didn't hurt anything??

My hen had our first hatch last Thursday. It being my first time, I messed with those eggs A Lot. I candled multiple times during that really cold whether we all had across the country. I pulled the eggs out from under the broody hen on hatch day multiple times to make sure I could still hear the chicks peeping. I basically just busy body fused over those eggs throughout the entire incubation period and all the viable eggs hatched! I think you are doing fine and all those babies are gonna be just fine! Ps. I won't do the fussing thing again next time but I did learn a lot because of all that fussing. Also, my broody pooped in the nest for 4 days after the chicks hatched. Good luck!

 

[PD-Riverman]

So maybe I didn't hurt anything??

I hope Not, I got this message just nows-----I would have Highly Suggested you Not even Look under her or bother her in her last days----for sure Not put her out the nest and change the bedding. Hope everything will go good!


Edited to add------are you feeding her where she can reach the food while sitting in the nest?? That can cause her to poop in the nest. I never do that and rarely see any poop in the nest.

 

[vpatt]

Yes I do have the food close by. Sigh......next time I will do it all differently. I had the food and water set so that the others could not get to it and that made it close to her. I can say at least I learned from this experience....and will not do this again until I am really prepared. I hate for the chicks to suffer because me, tho. I did go ahead and fix the water for chicks with marbles and put chick starter out. I will shut the others out of the coop except at bedtime so that they wont cause issues...but I think I am the only one doing that.

 

[vpatt]

My hen had our first hatch last Thursday. It being my first time, I messed with those eggs A Lot. I candled multiple times during that really cold whether we all had across the country. I pulled the eggs out from under the broody hen on hatch day multiple times to make sure I could still hear the chicks peeping. I basically just busy body fused over those eggs throughout the entire incubation period and all the viable eggs hatched! I think you are doing fine and all those babies are gonna be just fine! Ps. I won't do the fussing thing again next time but I did learn a lot because of all that fussing. Also, my broody pooped in the nest for 4 days after the chicks hatched. Good luck!

Thnx.....I know they may be fine and I sure hope so......BUT I see now that there is a lot I should not have done.

But on the positive side....how long do you all think before the egg i heard should hatch......would it likely be before Sunday? Sunday is day 21 starting with the day after I set them under her.