Broody Hen Thread!

[mossyroo]

I had 12 eggs divided evenly between 2 hens that went broody about the same time. Hatch began last Fri on day 20 and lasted through Sat. all were off the nest by Sun. Sweetie ended up with 5 and Mel B with 4. Everyone was out in the general population and the other 10 hens were fine butt Mel was extremely aggressive toward Sweetie and her brood. Ended up putting Sweetie and hers is a brooder space I had set up in the coop on Sun night then last night I switched them up and put Mel and hers in lockup. I'm hoping Mel will mellow a bit and I can keep everyone out soon.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I'm hoping Mel will mellow a bit and I can keep everyone out soon.

Just for info-----probably not going to happen. Some broody hens are meaner than others and a mean broody can and will kill some of the other hens chicks too. Good Luck!

 

[PD-Riverman]

I have Buff Orpington that has been broody so long I can't remember when she WASN'T. She's just sitting in the nest box - on nothing but straw. I did try to put some fertilized guinea eggs in a box on the ground & move her down there so she could at least be doing SOMEthing

but back to her empty nest box she went.

Breaking a broody is simple----just ask----as long as she has been broody I would be afraid she would not set there for 3 or 4 more weeks. If you put all fresh layed eggs under her at the same time so they hatch at the same time----she will wait till they all hatch and then jump down on the ground and call them out the nest----even if its 6ft high with no problem. You will Then need a ground nest for her to get in with them at night

 

[JayJo]

I got home today and Mama was out scratching around in her pen with five adorable chicks. One of each breed didn't hatch for whatever reason, meaning I got a good mix - 1 Maran, 2 Olive Eggers, and 2 Cream Legbars. 'Course it'll be half that once I cull roosters, but that's a solid addition to my small city flock. Everyone seems happy and healthy! Thank you to all of you who gave support and advice. Mostly what I learned is to give Mama a safe space and stay out of the way. Seemed to work well. In the future I will most definitely broody hatch the next time I want babies, now that I know how to do it and have the space set up.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I got home today and Mama was out scratching around in her pen with five adorable chicks. One of each breed didn't hatch for whatever reason, meaning I got a good mix - 1 Maran, 2 Olive Eggers, and 2 Cream Legbars. 'Course it'll be half that once I cull roosters, but that's a solid addition to my small city flock. Everyone seems happy and healthy! Thank you to all of you who gave support and advice. Mostly what I learned is to give Mama a safe space and stay out of the way. Seemed to work well. In the future I will most definitely broody hatch the next time I want babies, now that I know how to do it and have the space set up.

Congratulations on your hatch!

Yes, once you've set up for broody hatching, you'll not go back to the mess and dust of artificial brooding.

It is ideal for the small holder, city/suburb backyarder, or those who desire to maintain a sustainable flock.

I hatch in small, frequent batches, and that is plenty to keep a consistent refresh rate on my layers (and have fun watching babes grow).

Have fun watching momma teach babes how to be chickens.

LofMc

 

[thebulg]

thanks for the support everyone!!!! it really meant a lot, and i think the good advice on here probably saved my hen!

i ended up separating 2 eggs and hatching them separate from mom because 1 was a malpo and the other had been pipped for over 24 hours and it's membrane was actually hard. the 11 chicks that were out had been crawling on them and pecking and had drawn blood, and mom was on day 4 of not getting up and having to be treated for mites and fed to up her iron. i put the eggs aside and everyone else went out to big wooden, elevated dog house with an attached crate for grazing. mom immediately went into the grass and had a bowel movement and got up and stretched and began recovering. the chicks hatched a few hours later within 30 minutes of each other, i brought them to mama and put them under her and she accepted them without hesitation. by this evening all 13 were up and moving, including my early hatcher (who is a runt for sure), going up and down the ramp into the grass, sunbathing, eating, and generally jovial. mom looks good.

my question now is this: i have 3 chicks that hatched out in the bator about 10 days ago. i want to put them in with her, and i think she will be ok with them. i was wondering if anyone thought it would be a good idea to do it tonight, since today was so chaotic anyway, or tomorrow after she has settled in?

 

[Junglefowlboss]

It would be a good idea but you still need to observe them just to be safe. Good luck

 

[microchick]

Moving day tomorrow for Aggie and her 8, 4 and 3 day old chicks. Aggie is still stomping around doing her Sumo imitation. She is so funny. I take a small piece of WW bread and toss it to the back of the coop so nobody is near the door. Today, when I opened the coop door, she was waiting for me, grabbed the bread from my hand, slung it behind her and saved me the trouble of doing that.

Quick question. My little weak chick that I have been calling Pokey for want of a better name, is doing better. It is slowing gaining strength. Poor little thing is small for it's age but keeps up with it's brothers and sisters pretty much and runs after mom when she calls them. What I have noticed is that it seems to stand slightly apart from the other chicks and looks like it dozes on its little feet. I have also had to clean up it's little bottom a few times. No pasty butt, just a little on the crusty side. They have pro biotics in their water and vitamins (rooster booster) that I like to give them for a week or so after they are hatched and mom is on the road to recovery. It's eating well and drinking. Just not sure if there is anything else I should be doing besides offering support and hoping that a few more days to mature will help it along. It's definitely a little runt but a fighter.

 

[birds4kids]

Our broodies were successful yesterday, had 6 Bantam Speckled Sussex eggs from Craigslist under 4 broodie silkies. I didn't need any more chickens this was just a little education for the kids and I. I let them group brood which I know is not ideal and 3-4 days before hatch I actually made the decision to move them to my out of use "meat bird" tractor for all ground level rather than the raised coop they were brooding in. Given my inexperience, the silkies being first time broodies(august hatch themselves) and the complications of group brooding and me moving them to a new coop late in the game I am pretty happy with 4/6 hatching and they are rambunctious little things, climbing over they "moms" exploring, running around in the jungle of grass, being bantam they are tiny.

I had expected them to hatch today but saw half a shell yesterday when I got home. The absolute BEST part of the whole thing was when my 6yo daughter got home I suggested we check on the chickens and she saw the half egg shell and instantly understood what that meant. She was wide eyed screaming to her sister, running to get her Mom, I have never seen her so excited before, she just absolutely went nuts.

All the expense and effort over the last year building three coops raising a handful of chickens and now seeing the kids reaction when the eggs hatched is totally worth it just for that first 5 minutes when the kids got to see the hatched eggs and chicks. Wish I had recorded but I didn't.

I have a polish rooster that is fertile debating letting the silkies hatch some silkie/polish cross, or possibly borrowing an incubator so the kids can see more of the process. The polish hens are only 13/14 weeks, he is fertile but the hens are a ways from laying and I don't think I can keep him that long, I have been experimenting with homemade collars and he isn't loud but is getting louder and I don't want to upset the neighbors.

 

[fisherlady]

Moving day tomorrow for Aggie and her 8, 4 and 3 day old chicks. Aggie is still stomping around doing her Sumo imitation. She is so funny. I take a small piece of WW bread and toss it to the back of the coop so nobody is near the door. Today, when I opened the coop door, she was waiting for me, grabbed the bread from my hand, slung it behind her and saved me the trouble of doing that. 

Quick question. My little weak chick that I have been calling Pokey for want of a better name, is doing better. It is slowing gaining strength. Poor little thing is small for it's age but keeps up with it's brothers and sisters pretty much and runs after mom when she calls them. What I have noticed is that it seems to stand slightly apart from the other chicks and looks like it dozes on its little feet. I have also had to clean up it's little bottom a few times. No pasty butt, just a little on the crusty side. They have pro biotics in their water and vitamins (rooster booster) that I like to give them for a week or so after they are hatched and mom is on the road to recovery. It's eating well and drinking. Just not sure if there is anything else I should be doing besides offering support and hoping that a few more days to mature will help it along. It's definitely a little runt but a fighter.

Glad Pokey is still fighting. ..when I have a single smaller chick I will make a point to sit on the floor with the broody and chicks and hand feed a couple times a day, making sure the little one gets private chances at choice goodies. Often they doze just because keeping up takes a lot out of them, they didn't get the first couple of days of uninterrupted rest after hatch like the others, they had to be out and about almost immediately after hatch.
Keep mama and chicks in a smaller area for a few days also, if mama can't roam very far then the little one doesn't have to go far to keep up.

My favorite treat for them is scrambled eggs and chopped, hulled sunflower seeds.