Broody Hen Thread!

[LadyCluck77]

An update on the broody surrogate- she has been doing well! It's hard to capture the two black chicks, they move lightning fast! You can barely see one in the lower right.

 

[16 paws]

An update on the broody surrogate- she has been doing well! It's hard to capture the two black chicks, they move lightning fast! You can barely see one in the lower right.

Sweet!

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Do count hatch day from the first day the broody began sitting or the second day? Sorry, that just escapes me since i havent had chicks this year.

I always collect any eggs that she is trying to sit and hold them until I am sure she is really going to stick and then mark, and give back to her the ones I want her to have. Otherwise, you can have a range of development with the eggs if new ones are continually introduced.

So, I count day one as the day after I give eggs back to her.

Was that totally confusing?

 

[16 paws]

Do count hatch day from the first day the broody began sitting or the second day? Sorry, that just escapes me since i havent had chicks this year.

If I give them to her first thing in the morning bright and early I count that as day 1 if I give them to her at night I count the next morning as day1.
Good luck and happy hatching!

 

[urbannarnia27]

@lydiagirl99 sooooo cute! When did you move them (from when they were fully hatched/dried)? Did momma manage this ok or was there fuss? Is momma cooped up in there with them too- or does she want to get out? thanks!

 

[lydiagirl99]

Well the shelter that they have in their pen is a tub that's insulated so I just put bedding in it and it provides a comfortable dark place for them to be even during the day.(Theres a hole at the front where momma and babies can get out) After I was sure all of the babies were done hatching and mostly dry I put them in the tub where momma sat on the babies and then I put the tub in the pen. That way momma can choose what time she's wanting to go exploring with babies. Momma chicken fussed a little bit but she handled it well, besides all of the pecking each time I put one of her babies under her.

Momma stayed in the tub with the babies for a few hours while she slept and then took them out for a bit.

 

[irishsilkie]

And who said hybrids Dont go broody?

 

[ATessarzik]

I have a broody hen-14 eggs to start, currently 6 chicks hatched btw 6/17 and 6/21.... 1 egg was not fetlilized, 2 had gotten smushed, one chick hatched but ended up away from nest and died, and one pipped but never made it out and dried up.....we are on our last one, its pipping, but I'm afraid- due to track record that its not going to make it out.....it pipped through but then no progress...I pulled a little biota the shell off, and stuck it back under the mamma.......i feel i should do more, but also i feel like i should just leave it alone......I dont really want to see any more dead babies. I hope it doesn't dry out and die tonight. Hopefully it will make it out OK! Any advice

 

[lydiagirl99]

@irishsilkie Apparently not our girls !

And she's a great broody !

 

[urbannarnia27]

I had a similar situation just now. Long story short my broody rejected 2 eggs yesterday and I put then under another broody. Today they hatched but did at make it out. I'm not sure what happened but they were still quite encased in shell and looked a bit flattened. I thought I heard peeping earlier but when we returned to check on the progress the peeping had stopped . This was this hen's first try and ours too. There are 3 eggs under the other broody and I noticed a black little fuzzy face as I attempted to look under her but don't know if the other 2 are/will hatch. I guess I should let nature take its course. These 5 eggs were "grown" in an incubator until day 18. Not sure if moving them to hatch under hens at that point was the best plan either.