Broody won't get off the nest with new chicks...what to do?

[NovaAman]

Actually I have lots of experience with hens. Basically you want to break a broody. Snap her out of her 'trance". Stupid bird does not have the natural sense to get up and take care of her babies. Kick her off the nest. If she does not stay off make the nest uncomfortable. Growing up on a farm if you were not a good mom. You got ate.

She wasn't trying to break a broody though. The mama hen hadn't even done anything wrong yet to make it seem like she was going to be a bad mom. She was waiting to make sure all the eggs had hatched before leaving the nest. It was just the first day.

 

[qldchook]

She wasn't trying to break a broody though. The mama hen hadn't even done anything wrong yet to make it seem like she was going to be a bad mom. She was waiting to make sure all the eggs had hatched before leaving the nest. It was just the first day.

Hey? The previous thread where we were speaking has been locked as a duplicate?? I do not understand but I was really enjoying talking to thread starter and also wanted to answer your query re my chicks. I thought I would send this first & see if you recieved.

 

[qldchook]

Hey, not sure what is going on? Previous thread we were chatting on seems to be locked as duplicate?? No idea what that means but did not want to lose contact.

 

[qldchook]

Hey Daisy 8s, Found youagain, we were apparently chatting on a duplicate thread before and someone PUT ICE IN OUR NEST! Never heard anything so crazy re a broody hen WITH chicks? You have done everything perfectly & you will have great fun watching how well a mother hen mothers! Happy we found you again. Keep us updated & look forward to pics.

 

[NovaAman]

Well, I hope she'll pick back up here...

 

[NYREDS]

You've gotten some good advice & some bad advice. The good advice: leave her alone she knows what she's doing. The bad advice: teach the chicks to eat yourself including "cooing noises" & especially bad-put ice in the nest. The nest is where she'll return with the babies for sleep & shelter. For the first few days chicks spend more time under the hen than they do out eating. Unless you're watching them 24/7 they may have eaten already.
I've been at this for over 50 years & have never heard of a hen staying on the nest 'till the chicks died but I have heard of hens abandoning chicks because the owner wouldn't leave them alone. I've certainly never heard of putting ice in a nest for any reason. I've also not found any reference to this method in my 100+ book chicken library.

 

[qldchook]

Hi Daisy 8, how are those chicks going. Would be great to see some pics. I hope everything is going ok?

 

[dlivtx]

I wanted to reply to this post because I had the same question. We had a broody hen hatch 12 chicks a few weeks ago and she started showing them how to eat that same day and turned out to be a very attentive mom. Now we have another first time mom but she only hatched 2 chicks and she won't get up and teach them how to eat even though there are no more eggs under her to be hatched. Reading the replies to this post I am guessing that the first hen got up faster because she had way more than just 2 chicks so didn't feel the need to wait for the rest to hatch. I will check on her in two days to see if the chicks have been eating.

 

[Williamsfamfarm]

I have a similar problem, I hope someone will see this and be able to help. I have a 1st time brooder with a new hatchling who looks very weak, the chick was up and chirping earlier this morning but tonight it is weak and limp with an occasional chirp or silently opening its mouth. Is this normal, maybe just a tired chick...it hatched at least 8 hours ago.

 

[azygous]

Your chick sounds like it's "failing to thrive." These chicks have genetic deformities that prevent them from breathing right, processing food right, and they don't grow. My advice is to cull right now and don't get attached to it.

If you've already bonded with it, then try tepid sugar water and later, boiled, minced egg white. These measures don't work if the chick has genetic problems, though.

It's very heart breaking to get a chick like this, and I sympathize.