Broody Hen Thread!

[Free Feather]

Eeeee!!!!
Today is day 20 and the cutest little chick hatched. The mother could either be a bantam Red Cochin or a Silkie x Game, and the father could either be a black Jersey Giant or a Silkie x Game. The two silkies are siblings, and every chick that hatched of that pairing died before three weeks after hatching. He/she has white feathered legs, so.....I do not know...

 

[alibabba]

Eeeee!!!!
Today is day 20 and the cutest little chick hatched. The mother could either be a bantam Red Cochin or a Silkie x Game, and the father could either be a black Jersey Giant or a Silkie x Game. The two silkies are siblings, and every chick that hatched of that pairing died before three weeks after hatching. He/she has white feathered legs, so.....I do not know...

Eeeee!!! what fun, figuring out who is what... Jersey Giant with the bantams interesting.... ouch!

 

[Free Feather]

Eeeee!!! what fun, figuring out who is what... Jersey Giant with the bantams interesting.... ouch!

I am thinking it is the silkie mutt, but you never know.

 

[Demidog]

Just bought 10 new chicks, 3-4 days old, to add to the 3 that my broody is currently hatching. One is hatched, another almost out and the last is lagging behind by about a day i think. The guy told me to wait till tonight when they are sleeping and slip them under her. He says that's how he does it and it works successfully, no need to quarantine them first. I would like other peoples opinions on this. What's the best way to introduce new chicks to an adoptive mother? What about the egg that's still to hatch, is she likely to get up before it hatches if i give her all these chicks? Should i wait till her eggs all hatch first?

 

[tobit]

I have 2 broodies, one is an easter egger and one a cochin bantam. The easter egger has sat on a cluth of shipped eggs that all failed. today would have been day 23, the cochin bantam has been broody for roughly 1-2 weeks. I am going to buy some 1 day old cream legbar chicks to sneak under one of them either tomorrow or monday depending when they hatch. The EE has never hatched chicks and is still a pullet, she seems a bit more feisty as a broody than the cochin bantam that is very docile and 2 years old, the cochin bantam has also previously hatched some of our own eggs when we had a rooster.

Basically i was wondering which one i should give the chicks to and which to break? I would have to break the EE and move the cochin banty into the broody coop (in which the EE currently is, the cochin bantam is on a nest, in a card board box for easy movement, in her own coop that she shares with 3 other bantam hens). The chicks would ultimately be introduced into the flock of 3 LF hens that the EE is technically part of.

 

[chicksurreal]

Not to sound hysterical, but if you touched any of the skunk's saliva or body fluids, you need to talk to your doctor. Many skunks carry rabies, and if there is ANY chance you contacted his/her fluids, you are at risk. Any chance you killed the skunk?

We keep seeing evidence of it digging under the fence at night, but haven't seen it to kill it since this happened. I don't think we touched any of the saliva or body fluids, my SO put gloves on to get the poor girl out of the nesting box and I closed it off completely to disinfect it. I know that skunks are a big carrier of rabies, but I didn't think about the saliva. Thanks!

 

[Free Feather]

Just bought 10 new chicks, 3-4 days old, to add to the 3 that my broody is currently hatching. One is hatched, another almost out and the last is lagging behind by about a day i think. The guy told me to wait till tonight when they are sleeping and slip them under her. He says that's how he does it and it works successfully, no need to quarantine them first. I would like other peoples opinions on this. What's the best way to introduce new chicks to an adoptive mother? What about the egg that's still to hatch, is she likely to get up before it hatches if i give her all these chicks? Should i wait till her eggs all hatch first?

Do it at night, VERY sneakily. Do not give them to her all at once, but one at time.If she accepts the first one, wait about twenty minutes and add another, then twenty minutes and add another. From then on, you can give them to her closer together. Just be VERY SNEAKY. She likely will not get up if you add all those chicks as long as the last one does not take too long. You can get her to stay on the nest for a lot longer if you give her food and water on the nest for herself and the babies and give her enough room to use the bathroom a few inches from the nest that you clean up. I have kept a hen on the nest for five hatching days doing this. When I keep her on longer, I usually sit by the nest and act her midwife/servant. I get her to understand that I am a friend in this. I have not had a hen freak about me helping her, and you should not either if you are slow and smart about it.

 

[Demidog]

Quote:Originally Posted by Free Feather

Do it at night, VERY sneakily. Do not give them to her all at once, but one at time.If she accepts the first one, wait about twenty minutes and add another, then twenty minutes and add another. From then on, you can give them to her closer together. Just be VERY SNEAKY. She likely will not get up if you add all those chicks as long as the last one does not take too long. You can get her to stay on the nest for a lot longer if you give her food and water on the nest for herself and the babies and give her enough room to use the bathroom a few inches from the nest that you clean up. I have kept a hen on the nest for five hatching days doing this. When I keep her on longer, I usually sit by the nest and act her midwife/servant. I get her to understand that I am a friend in this. I have not had a hen freak about me helping her, and you should not either if you are slow and smart about it.


OK, i will make sure i do it slowly, i can even do it over a few nights. I'm worried that the new chicks will trample her younger chicks though. I'm still waiting on 2 to hatch, one has piped and is chirping away and the other no signs of hatching yet. I don't want to loose her chicks, the first one out has really pretty markings and is from one of my Italian crosses which all have interesting coloring. I don't know what these new chicks are, just mutts i think. They are all yellow and i see their wing feather coming in mostly white, so maybe they're not going to be so brightly colored.

 

[chicksurreal]

Just an interesting observation - Seven of the thirteen Dark Cornish girls we got from McMurray have gone broody in their first year, with two of the seven repeating after a short time. I don't know what other people have experienced with this breed, but these girls are dedicated! Lol!

 

[drumstick diva]

Demidog, Hope it all works out,

I'm excited to see an update