Broody hen

[Kacyrichardson]

I am fairly new to chickens this year, I have my first broody hen! Do I just let her do all the work and let her hatch the babies? Also what do I do when they are here just leave them with her?
I had a broody turkey who hatched babies but she didn’t take care of them so I wasn’t sure if it would be the same or not.

 

[FrostRanger]

First, do you have a rooster? Second, do you want more chicks right now especially since we're heading into fall and winter? If both answers are yes, then just keep an eye on things and she'll take care of everything for you including hatching, feeding, integrating, keeping them warm and just generally how to be a chicken. Not all broodies are good moms to be sure, but most are. You just plain got unlucky with the turkey hen as turkeys are generally better moms than that

 

[Kacyrichardson]

First, do you have a rooster? Second, do you want more chicks right now especially since we're heading into fall and winter? If both answers are yes, then just keep an eye on things and she'll take care of everything for you including hatching, feeding, integrating, keeping them warm and just generally how to be a chicken. Not all broodies are good moms to be sure, but most are. You just plain got unlucky with the turkey hen as turkeys are generally better moms than that

Yes I have three roosters! And I wasn’t sure since it’s about to get colder. I’m from East Tennessee so sometimes it’s real cold other times not. I did not know that about turkeys she was not a good mama! Lol thank you for replying. Very helpful!

 

[FrostRanger]

Also forgot to add, mark all eggs you want her to hatch with a sharpie and remove all new eggs added after that to avoid a staggered hatch. You don't want a staggered hatch as a hen will sit on a nest for a few days after the first chicks will hatch but will eventually get up and will not take more chicks afterwards and if an egg was added much later into incubation, she might get up before it's ready to hatch and it won't make it without intervention. To be perfectly safe it's best to set aside however many you want her to hatch, mark them and give them to her all at once so they'll hatch at more or less around the same time

 

[Kacyrichardson]

Also forgot to add, mark all eggs you want her to hatch with a sharpie and remove all new eggs added after that to avoid a staggered hatch. You don't want a staggered hatch as a hen will sit on a nest for a few days after the first chicks will hatch but will eventually get up and will not take more chicks afterwards and if an egg was added much later into incubation, she might get up before it's ready to hatch and it won't make it without intervention. To be perfectly safe it's best to set aside however many you want her to hatch, mark them and give them to her all at once so they'll hatch at more or less around the same time

Thank you!! Will be doing this!