Broody Hen Thread!

[Kristin99]

I just had 2 chicks hatch out of the incubator two days ago. And I have a broody hen due to hatch her eggs in the next day or two is there a way I can add the slightly older chicks in with the hen?

 

[crealbilly]

Good you got some food in her! I have hatched 100's of broody hens, never had one to die or even get sick and leave the nest---I think this hen must of had other problems.

I agree, I think this hen had other problems-----I too thought about the heat from being up high---It had been some hot days here.

Well unfortunately she died late this morning. I don't think she got overheated it's been cool over the last week. I just don't know what happened to her - it wasn't meant to be I guess. She had access to food and water at all times. My other RIR hens and roo that are in the same yard and coop as her, appear very healthy.

After this experience I'm seriously considering refeshing with BOs instead.

 

[varidgerunner]

Who knows? That rooster can not stop a hawk that scoops down and grabs a chick-flying off with it to be back shortly for another one. Well really that rooster can not stop a good size hawk from killing him---he might put up a fight for a few seconds while that hawk tears his throat out---I have seen it done. So if you got Hawks---might better put them chicks/mom under a wire top----pen.

There have been many hawks found dead with a game rooster standing on top of them crowing. It all depends on the rooster. And the hen, to some extent. I have chicks running all over the place here, with good mamas that tell them to hide every time a rooster says "bird".

 

[PD-Riverman]

There have been many hawks found dead with a game rooster standing on top of them crowing. It all depends on the rooster. And the hen, to some extent. I have chicks running all over the place here, with good mamas that tell them to hide every time a rooster says "bird".

True, I agree it can happen, Here where I live only one game and he is in a pen----Lots of other dead chickens/guinea's over the years. I think the difference can be location---here the chickens are under or at the edge of the tree's, the hawks set in the tree's and scoop down and get chicks, small chickens and fly off with them---if all that is out is the bigger birds----the hawks will scoop down and grab them by the neck and tear their necks up. I have come to close mine up and a hawk flies off---dead 1/2 eaten big chicken laying there. I have seen a hawk scoop down behind the 6ft tall pens-----by the time I got around there the hawk was still holding on to the quinea's neck steady tearing up its neck as it flipped and the Hawk flipping with it. Roosters can not give them warnings when the hawks come from behind the tree's. Sure out in a open field---it would probably work. I have been hit by a hawk diving through the tree after a chicken---by the time he seen me it was to late for him to turn and he hit me in the head-----no damage.

 

[WildHens]

There have been many hawks found dead with a game rooster standing on top of them crowing. It all depends on the rooster. And the hen, to some extent. I have chicks running all over the place here, with good mamas that tell them to hide every time a rooster says "bird".

I think the key word there is game bird..lol.. my Silkie roo may put up a fight, but guarantee he will not be the one crowing when it's all said and done..

 

[WildHens]

Luckily, either they just have too many wild food sources or my dogs are just a natural deterrent bc I've never even seen them hanging around my place...every once in a while I'll see one swoop down and grab a field mouse down in the horses meadow, but the avoid the whole area around the barn, house and coops ?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Well unfortunately she died late this morning. I don't think she got overheated it's been cool over the last week. I just don't know what happened to her - it wasn't meant to be I guess. She had access to food and water at all times. My other RIR hens and roo that are in the same yard and coop as her, appear very healthy.

After this experience I'm seriously considering refeshing with BOs instead.

It can happen and if you had as many as I have had----to loose a chicken a week is not strange----I lost almost 30 in a little over 1 week---found out they were loaded with tape worms----so now I worm anytime I feel its needed. Loosing 30 is a lot but I had close 1200 at that time so not a high % of lose----could have been a lot more and would have been a lot more if I had not driven 6 hours and had some of the dead tested. Check your chickens---if they eat good but are skinny---they probably got worms----and the worms will win if not taken care of.

 

[crealbilly]

It can happen and if you had as many as I have had----to loose a chicken a week is not strange----I lost almost 30 in a little over 1 week---found out they were loaded with tape worms----so now I worm anytime I feel its needed. Loosing 30 is a lot but I had close 1200 at that time so not a high % of lose----could have been a lot more and would have been a lot more if I had not driven 6 hours and had some of the dead tested. Check your chickens---if they eat good but are skinny---they probably got worms----and the worms will win if not taken care of.

Thank you for responding. They others look fine and are good and weighty. But just incase what is a good wormer to get to add to their waterer?

 

[WildHens]

Thank you for responding. They others look fine and are good and weighty. But just incase what is a good wormer to get to add to their waterer?

Don't know that it's the best, but I use Safeguard horse or goat (depending on which animal I'm deworming) but I use it on everything from 3 week old pups /kittens to the chickens. .ironically, not my horses...
But I either drop a CC of it in their beak 1 day, followed by one day off and then dose again the 3rd day (I use the goat on the birds).. or if they're out of that, I will add a pea size drop under the wing on the body/skin

 

[PD-Riverman]

Thank you for responding. They others look fine and are good and weighty. But just incase what is a good wormer to get to add to their waterer?

Well There are several, Wazine will kill round worms etc, but will not touch a tape worm, Safeguard goat wormer will kill the round worms and the tape worms etc, etc. So You know which one I use. There are probably many other good wormers----Safeguard works and saved a lot of my chickens when I had the problem a couple years back. I use SafeGuard Goat wormer---I mix it by what the DVM told me---I been well pleased.