First timer Hatch-A-Long

[Harley Chick]

I have a broody with 13 day eggs. This is her 3rd time and I have always left her in the coop with her flock to sit and hatch her babies. I know some people immediately move their hen, but honestly it has worked out great for chick integration after hatch. The rest of my flock pretty much leaves her alone, although occasionally another hen will lay her egg in the broody nest, so make sure you mark all of the ones you give her. Some broodies don’t like to be moved, and the confusion about the nest site can break their broodiness. It all depends on your hen, sometimes the move works great, other times they freak out looking for their nest. Hope things go smoothly for you!!

thank you! This will be her first time hatching so I'm a nervous wreck. I'd much prefer to leave her where she is especially it being her first time.

 

[NorthernMIFlock]

thank you! This will be her first time hatching so I'm a nervous wreck. I'd much prefer to leave her where she is especially it being her first time.

I forgot to mention that I do move mine down to the floor of the coop in a small makeshift “nursery” once the first one hatches. I put chick size water and starter feed near the nest box, and mom sleeps in there with them till they are almost WAY to big to all fit!

 

[Emelyn]

question, is there a day by day how to somewhere on this website? Should I move my broody hen away from the other girls? When is the best time to move her during all this? UGH so many questions!

No problem! if you want you can start a conversation with me (Or I will start it with you) and I can answer any of your questions. I also recently had a broody chicken and she stopped being broody 2 days ago (which is when all 3 of her ducklings hatched). Yes you should move her because my hens were shoving her off the nesting box whenever she sat on the eggs to lay THEIR own eggs. You should move her right when you retrieve the eggs however though you may check the eggs day by the but don't pet the broody hen since it can cause the hen stress and make her either abandon the eggs or not a good mother. Finally yes there is if you look on the thread "hatch-a-longs" there should be a lot there.

 

[yakitori]

I'm in the "candle them before you incubate" camp, to check for cracks etc.
My broody is on day 19 of her first hatch, it's been a fun ride so far, and I know the best and the worst is yet to come!