Broody Hen Thread!

[16 paws]

What are good silkie names?

My buff silkies name is JuneBug
Black silkie is Licorice
White silkie is Powder and her sisters name is Puff

 

[PheobeLover21]

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My buff silkies name is JuneBug
Black silkie is Licorice
White silkie is Powder and her sisters name is Puff

those are cute I like junebug, I was thinking of Jackie because she's a troublemaker

and Amelia

 

[Sonya9]

Congratulations Sonya! I bet they are so adorable, cant wait to see them.

I put pix up (and a little video) 2 pages back, page 827. These babies seem so much calmer than last years.

 

[JaceAgain]

I finally couldn't wait any longer and lifted up an ornery broody to see if both eggs hatched and yes they did!

Two little angels!  One (obviously male) is twice as big as the other (formerly known as "dud" egg) but both appear healthy.  The runt chick also looks male, he is very small so I hope he does okay.

Broody hen is already peeved at me for bothering her this morning so I will wait until later today to snap pix, hoping when the temps warm up the chicks will start peeking out from under her.

Did you vent check them?

 

[TXchickenchick]

These are my two recent broodies and their babies. Both hid away and only hatched their own eggs. The first one is Violet, a tiny little bsntam nn. Her babies are half standard polish so they are about to outgrow her. The second pic is a standard nn, Blanca. Same polish roo is the father. She is a sweet girl and a terrific broody. Poor girl would always have babies if i let her.

 

[Sonya9]

Did you vent check them?

No, OEG Bantams are wildtype so they can be sexed based on their markings. The coloring is natural and appears in every generation (unlike sex links). I first thought I might have two males but I think the smaller chick was still damp, later in the day her markings were much sharper and very female.

 

[n3kms]

Thanks, good luck to you also. 
I hung a hamster water bottle in with my broody so she can just stretch over and drink without getting up during the last two days before hatch. I assume your broody has water close by right? She sounds very determined!
Marie

Yes she has a tea bottle with a vertical nipple screwed into the lid. She would have to get up to get to it but only walk a few inches. Only 4-5 more days. Hope she does okay, looks a bit pale. It's funny how different hens brood differently.

 

[BeanHen]

Hey all, I just posted a general semblance of this in a new thread, but I'm rather pressed for time, so I'll post it here too -if that's alright.

I just I've had a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, Pickle, who's been broody (first time) for little over a week now. Today, we drove an hour to get two four-day-old chicks to put under her (a Welsummer and a BO). I just 'grafted' the two chicks to her -as it's dark outside. I put them in front of her to see if she'd pull them under her, and she pecked at them. Then, I slipped them underneath her. She growled, but made no move to stop me and the chicks stayed under her (they're under her back leg). The chicks peep if I move her, so they don't seem to be in trouble...

I just had a few questions:
- Would she have pulled them under her if she wanted to accept them? (She's in the night-trance, so she kind of pecks at everything near her face because she can't see very well...)
- Is there chance of the chicks suffocating down there? Will they move around of their own accord?
- How often should I check the momma and babies tonight? (Every half-hour or so?)
- Will things get better by the morning?
- Did I do the right thing?

Thanks! Hope everything turns out alright!!

 

[TiaRC]

Hey all, I just posted a general semblance of this in a new thread, but I'm rather pressed for time, so I'll post it here too -if that's alright. 

I just I've had a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, Pickle, who's been broody (first time) for little over a week now. Today, we drove an hour to get two four-day-old chicks to put under her (a Welsummer and a BO). I just 'grafted' the two chicks to her -as it's dark outside. I put them in front of her to see if she'd pull them under her, and she pecked at them. Then, I slipped them underneath her. She growled, but made no move to stop me and the chicks stayed under her (they're under her back leg). The chicks peep if I move her, so they don't seem to be in trouble...

I just had a few questions:
- Would she have pulled them under her if she wanted to accept them? (She's in the night-trance, so she kind of pecks at everything near her face because she can't see very well...)
- Is there chance of the chicks suffocating down there? Will they move around of their own accord?
- How often should I check the momma and babies tonight? (Every half-hour or so?)
- Will things get better by the morning?
- Did I do the right thing?

Thanks! Hope everything turns out alright!! 

No she wouldn't pull them under her. She pecked most like cause she was confused and couldn't see. You don't have to check them at night, check in the morning, if she is masking soft clucking with the chicks she accepted them, if she is pecking them and running them off then she didn't. It may be too early for you to graft chicks since she's only a week into broody mode. Only time will tell

 

[BeanHen]

No she wouldn't pull them under her. She pecked most like cause she was confused and couldn't see. You don't have to check them at night, check in the morning, if she is masking soft clucking with the chicks she accepted them, if she is pecking them and running them off then she didn't. It may be too early for you to graft chicks since she's only a week into broody mode. Only time will tell

Okay, thank you! I don't have to worry about them as much, hopefully. Fingers crossed.