Broody Hen Thread!

[16 paws]

The bra is a good idea! I can think of a few occasions where I have had an egg or two in the process of hatching that was ditched, and I was scrambling for a warm place to put it. I would not try the whole incubation period like that, but it sounds like a great idea for hatching.

Cant wait to hear about the bra hatch!

How exciting, I would be walking around on pins and needles thinking someone was going to hug me and crack the poor thing. Good luck!
Marie

 

[aart]

Quote: There's couple of threads on here about bra hatching.

 

[lot to learn]

I have a hen that hatched a chick today. She has 7 more eggs, but none of them look close to hatching. I already have 4 week old chicks from another hen so I'm worried about finding places to keep all these chickens of different ages. Will 1 chick with a Mama be ok? Will she abandon the other eggs?

 

[sharol]

I have a hen that hatched a chick today. She has 7 more eggs, but none of them look close to hatching. I already have 4 week old chicks from another hen so I'm worried about finding places to keep all these chickens of different ages. Will 1 chick with a Mama be ok? Will she abandon the other eggs?

Maybe.

I've had weird hatchings this year. I had 2 broodies, each with 8 eggs that were due at the same time. I let them brood in the main coop and planned to move them to the hoop where I had 2 nest boxes set up on Sunday (4 days before due date). On Saturday one chick hatched. I immediately moved both broodies and all their eggs and the baby to the hoop. She stayed on the eggs until the rest hatched as did her coopmate, and they are co-parenting the 9 resulting chicks. The one chick was up running around and diving under one or the other of the broodies. Those chicks are now 7 weeks old, and one of the moms.

2 weeks later I had another singleton early hatch. The hen abandoned the eggs to care for the chick, and I had to put the remaining eggs in an incubator. (Most of them hatched -- 8 of 10) and they are being raised in a brooder coop and coming in the house at night. I should have sneaked them under their mom, but I was afraid she might hurt them.

So, maybe.

 

[BuffsAndReds]

My poor broody kept losing eggs. Some cracked, some where eat by a snake, so I went and bought her 4 one day old chicks. I put them under her yesterday. She sat on them all night. This morning she was up and showing them the food and water. She took them in and they took to her. Its so cute watching them peek out from under her wing. I'm so happy for her.

 

[rexannastar]

My poor broody kept losing eggs. Some cracked, some where eat by a snake, so I went and bought her 4 one day old chicks. I put them under her yesterday. She sat on them all night. This morning she was up and showing them the food and water. She took them in and they took to her. Its so cute watching them peek out from under her wing. I'm so happy for her.

success!

 

[Ivytalon]

My broodies never seem to stay set, until now. My Sumatran started to set on a clutch of about eight eggs. She was happy for about four days...and then my Barred Rock decided she wanted to be broody two and sat on a clutch of four eggs. The Sumatran is lower on the pecking scale, the Barred Rock is at the top. Somehow they seem to get along, except I have a few problems.

1: They keep switching which clutch they're on. They both want the bigger clutch. If the Sumatran gets in first she will set on the large clutch and the Barred Rock will come in and set on the smaller clutch. Vice versa if the Barred Rock makes it in first. No fights break out over this, but I'm worried that if the babies make it they will have issues between the two hens.

2: My coop is raised about two feet off the ground out to the run, and I haven't moved the hens out of their nest boxes because I am afraid they will break out of broodiness. Most of my hens set for two or so days then just walk off like nothing happened. The Sumatran has been set about a week, and the Barred Rock about three days. I'm worried that if I don't move them the chicks will fall and be injured, get stuck and perish (recently had this happen to one of my big polish hens), or get attacked by the other hens. Yet I'm so frightened to move the hens.

3: If I do move them, should the two hens be kept together in my smaller coop i have saved or should they be divided, one in the small coop one in a in-house cage?
I'm freaking out, these two have me in such a knot!

 

[casey197530]

Can anybody tell me what color these cochin chicks will be when adults?

I had some that started out that way and turned all black with a few white tu feathers

 

[lot to learn]

My broodies never seem to stay set, until now. My Sumatran started to set on a clutch of about eight eggs. She was happy for about four days...and then my Barred Rock decided she wanted to be broody two and sat on a clutch of four eggs. The Sumatran is lower on the pecking scale, the Barred Rock is at the top. Somehow they seem to get along, except I have a few problems. 

1: They keep switching which clutch they're on. They both want the bigger clutch. If the Sumatran gets in first she will set on the large clutch and the Barred Rock will come in and set on the smaller clutch. Vice versa if the Barred Rock makes it in first. No fights break out over this, but I'm worried that if the babies make it they will have issues between the two hens.

2: My coop is raised about two feet off the ground out to the run, and I haven't moved the hens out of their nest boxes because I am afraid they will break out of broodiness. Most of my hens set for two or so days then just walk off like nothing happened. The Sumatran has been set about a week, and the Barred Rock about three days. I'm worried that if I don't move them the chicks will fall and be injured, get stuck and perish (recently had this happen to one of my big polish hens), or get attacked by the other hens. Yet I'm so frightened to move the hens. 

3: If I do move them, should the two hens be kept together in my smaller coop i have saved or should they be divided, one in the small coop one in a in-house cage?
I'm freaking out, these two have me in such a knot!

 

[lot to learn]

Sorry, the first didn't work. I've had no problem moving mine after dark. I now have learned to pick them up each night & remove new eggs that my other hens lay. & when you're ready, you can gently move the eggs & hen to wherever you want them to hatch & stay.