Broody Hen Thread!

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

Fisherlady and Lady of McCamley, I too am having some issues with Mama & chicks. Saturday & Sunday, two chicks hatched, then on Monday, I checked the remaining eggs under her, and found one had pipped and not zipped, so I helped. Because of her being tired, weak and not standing well, after fluffing up, I kept her in a separate container till she got stronger. Tucked her under Mama today, ran errands and prayed nothing would happen to her while I was gone. When I got home, I felt under Mama, she was there, and doing well. Just before I left to take my daughter to choir practice, I checked again, because she had not been out to eat or drink. Pulled her out, and looked down, and yelled to my hubby, We Have A 4th Chick!
I set her down to look for chick #3, and found her, she was well, but Mama too one look at chick #4 and pecked at her. I guess chick #4 never came out after she hatched, and Mama did not recognize her. So I took chick #3 & #4 and put them in the container I used for chick #3 last night, so they would be safe.
My hubby called while I was at choir practice, and said he reintroduced chick #3 back to Mama & siblings, and Mama was fine with her. Kept checking throughout the evening, and all 3 tucked in under Mama and went to bed. Chick #4 is in her own container, she is quite tiny, she came out of an Easter Egger Egg, so it was a good size egg, but she looks tiny like a Banty chick.
Will post pictures tomorrow.

On a side note, Mama decided that she needed some time away from her chicks and wanted out. So I let her out, and Hank spotted her, and had his way with her. A few minutes later, No Name our other rooster saw her, and he had his turn. Hank heard her screaming, and chased No Name away, and then went and had his way with her again. It got a bit rough, because when I got home, my youngest daughter was in tears. Mom, Hank pulled some of Ramin's head feathers out. I told her, Ramin would be okay, that Hank was happy to see her, and just was a bit too excited.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Fisherlady and Lady of McCamley, I too am having some issues with Mama & chicks. Saturday & Sunday, two chicks hatched, then on Monday, I checked the remaining eggs under her, and found one had pipped and not zipped, so I helped. Because of her being tired, weak and not standing well, after fluffing up, I kept her in a separate container till she got stronger. Tucked her under Mama today, ran errands and prayed nothing would happen to her while I was gone. When I got home, I felt under Mama, she was there, and doing well. Just before I left to take my daughter to choir practice, I checked again, because she had not been out to eat or drink. Pulled her out, and looked down, and yelled to my hubby, We Have A 4th Chick!
I set her down to look for chick #3, and found her, she was well, but Mama too one look at chick #4 and pecked at her. I guess chick #4 never came out after she hatched, and Mama did not recognize her. So I took chick #3 & #4 and put them in the container I used for chick #3 last night, so they would be safe.
My hubby called while I was at choir practice, and said he reintroduced chick #3 back to Mama & siblings, and Mama was fine with her. Kept checking throughout the evening, and all 3 tucked in under Mama and went to bed. Chick #4 is in her own container, she is quite tiny, she came out of an Easter Egger Egg, so it was a good size egg, but she looks tiny like a Banty chick.
Will post pictures tomorrow.

On a side note, Mama decided that she needed some time away from her chicks and wanted out. So I let her out, and Hank spotted her, and had his way with her. A few minutes later, No Name our other rooster saw her, and he had his turn. Hank heard her screaming, and chased No Name away, and then went and had his way with her again. It got a bit rough, because when I got home, my youngest daughter was in tears. Mom, Hank pulled some of Ramin's head feathers out. I told her, Ramin would be okay, that Hank was happy to see her, and just was a bit too excited.

Staggered hatches can be difficult even in good circumstances. That is why nature has provided chicks with 2 days of food/hydration by way of the left over yolk sac that has drawn into their abdomen. Momma is also prepared to be locked down for several days and can handle the marathon. I keep food and water close by during the lock down and first days of hatch so that momma can reach it with just a few quick steps. I never take my hens off of their hatched chicks. I learned that lesson the hard way early on as you generally create one sort of problem or another.

I doubt momma pecked at chick because she didn't recognize her but likely to tell it to get back after being pulled off...hens will do that with chicks. Momma and chicks need undisturbed time to bond well those first days. Interrupting during this phase can cause confusion, and a hen can lash out at a chick viewing it as a threat to her other chicks. Momma will know when she needs to get up and eat and drink, and will then lead the chicks to food and water when she is ready. She likely was waiting for that youngest to get strong enough to follow her to food and water.

As to the small chick. That might be because there is some banty blood somewhere in its background....I had a smaller but still full size egg hatch a small game/EE mix. If it is a mix breed chick, it may be smaller because of that...but temperature during hatch affects chick size more than anything.

If it is small because it is under developed, that could be from having been on the fringe of the broody and being just a bit cooler, or it could be poor genetics, or a harbinger of failure to thrive due to some internal malformation.

If it is a weak, undeveloped, struggling to thrive chick, you'll know in a week or so as it will not grow well.

But if chick #4 seems to be doing well enough, I'd put it with momma as soon as I could after dark. You don't want to delay re-introducing that chick back into the brood for very long as it already is several days behind the others. Momma will be getting up with the oldest which can be harder for the just hatches to keep up...you want this baby bonding while momma is still in the sitting mode. Leaving an unhatched egg for a day or two can help momma continue in brood mode to allow a little extra time for the later hatch to catch up and get onto their feet better.

My thoughts...let us know how it goes with these little ones.

LofMc

 

[fisherlady]

@Mommy 2 Wee Ones

I agree with what Lady of McCamley stated...don't give up on the broody raising #4 quite yet. Hope it does well.

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

Staggered hatches can be difficult even in good circumstances. That is why nature has provided chicks with 2 days of food/hydration by way of the left over yolk sac that has drawn into their abdomen. Momma is also prepared to be locked down for several days and can handle the marathon. I keep food and water close by during the lock down and first days of hatch so that momma can reach it with just a few quick steps. I never take my hens off of their hatched chicks. I learned that lesson the hard way early on as you generally create one sort of problem or another.

I doubt momma pecked at chick because she didn't recognize her but likely to tell it to get back after being pulled off...hens will do that with chicks. Momma and chicks need undisturbed time to bond well those first days. Interrupting during this phase can cause confusion, and a hen can lash out at a chick viewing it as a threat to her other chicks. Momma will know when she needs to get up and eat and drink, and will then lead the chicks to food and water when she is ready. She likely was waiting for that youngest to get strong enough to follow her to food and water.

As to the small chick. That might be because there is some banty blood somewhere in its background....I had a smaller but still full size egg hatch a small game/EE mix. If it is a mix breed chick, it may be smaller because of that...but temperature during hatch affects chick size more than anything.

If it is small because it is under developed, that could be from having been on the fringe of the broody and being just a bit cooler, or it could be poor genetics, or a harbinger of failure to thrive due to some internal malformation.

If it is a weak, undeveloped, struggling to thrive chick, you'll know in a week or so as it will not grow well.

But if chick #4 seems to be doing well enough, I'd put it with momma as soon as I could after dark. You don't want to delay re-introducing that chick back into the brood for very long as it already is several days behind the others. Momma will be getting up with the oldest which can be harder for the just hatches to keep up...you want this baby bonding while momma is still in the sitting mode. Leaving an unhatched egg for a day or two can help momma continue in brood mode to allow a little extra time for the later hatch to catch up and get onto their feet better.

My thoughts...let us know how it goes with these little ones.

LofMc

LofMc, Debi, chick #3, was tucked under Mama last night, by the time I got home from choir practice, all was well with all three chicks & Mama. Little One, because of balance issues, and being so tiny, was kept apart till early this morning. I tucked her under Mama before daylight, and as you can see in the pic. below, everyone is happy.

 

[fisherlady]

LofMc, Debi, chick #3, was tucked under Mama last night, by the time I got home from choir practice, all was well with all three chicks & Mama. Little One, because of balance issues, and being so tiny, was kept apart till early this morning. I tucked her under Mama before daylight, and as you can see in the pic. below, everyone is happy.

Great news! Glad it worked out for both 3 & 4!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

LofMc, Debi, chick #3, was tucked under Mama last night, by the time I got home from choir practice, all was well with all three chicks & Mama. Little One, because of balance issues, and being so tiny, was kept apart till early this morning. I tucked her under Mama before daylight, and as you can see in the pic. below, everyone is happy.

x2 Good to hear. Good luck to them all. Keep us posted.

LofMc

 

[kendallb12]

Hello, I have a buff Orpington that is broody! we put 10 eggs under her April 8th, it has been 27 days. no chicks or pips!! We have 1 rooster and 13 hens. these eggs were Layed here at the house not shipped. I candle them and they seem to be really dark and have the air cell. I use a flash light so I don't see anything really in detail. I'm so worried they won't hatch and my BO won't have her chicks!! I also candled one today and it was dark in there but it was also watery? what does that mean? please anything helps!! I need to know!! I have done so much research and still haven't gotten a clear answer if they are dead, are they going to hatch?


-Thanks, Kendall

 

[WildHens]

Hello, I have a buff Orpington that is broody! we put 10 eggs under her April 8th, it has been 27 days. no chicks or pips!! We have 1 rooster and 13 hens. these eggs were Layed here at the house not shipped. I candle them and they seem to be really dark and have the air cell. I use a flash light so I don't see anything really in detail. I'm so worried they won't hatch and my BO won't have her chicks!! I also candled one today and it was dark in there but it was also watery? what does that mean? please anything helps!! I need to know!! I have done so much research and still haven't gotten a clear answer if they are dead, are they going to hatch?


-Thanks, Kendall

My iPhone flashlight works better than any of my others..27 days is really late..can u see any movement at all? If it's dark, there is (or was) definitely development at some point. Has she been sitting faithfully since the 8th ? If u absolutely can not see inside the eggs to figure out what's happening, I'd try to float test a few to look for movement that way.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Hello, I have a buff Orpington that is broody! we put 10 eggs under her April 8th, it has been 27 days. no chicks or pips!! We have 1 rooster and 13 hens. these eggs were Layed here at the house not shipped. I candle them and they seem to be really dark and have the air cell. I use a flash light so I don't see anything really in detail. I'm so worried they won't hatch and my BO won't have her chicks!! I also candled one today and it was dark in there but it was also watery? what does that mean? please anything helps!! I need to know!! I have done so much research and still haven't gotten a clear answer if they are dead, are they going to hatch?


-Thanks, Kendall

Its been 26 days---you put them in on the 8th, the 9th is 1 day. Chances of them hatching this late is very, very low. Dark and watery this late means a bad egg. Something had to happen. I have set 150 broodies in the last 3 years, never had one to hatch after day 22. Did you have this broody in a private pen the whole time or was she using a nest---where the other chickens can get to it?

 

[fisherlady]

Hello, I have a buff Orpington that is broody! we put 10 eggs under her April 8th, it has been 27 days. no chicks or pips!! We have 1 rooster and 13 hens. these eggs were Layed here at the house not shipped. I candle them and they seem to be really dark and have the air cell. I use a flash light so I don't see anything really in detail. I'm so worried they won't hatch and my BO won't have her chicks!! I also candled one today and it was dark in there but it was also watery? what does that mean? please anything helps!! I need to know!! I have done so much research and still haven't gotten a clear answer if they are dead, are they going to hatch?


-Thanks, Kendall

I would float test to be sure but it sounds like her eggs quit at some point. 26 days is just too long in my experience.
If you can find a source for day old chicks I would graft 3 of them to her and let her get up and raise them.