Fluffenbutter has had her first baby hatch!!! What now????

[SugarDuck]

Oh my goodness y'all we are SOOOO excited!!!

Fluffenbutter, my 9-month-old bantam cochin, went broody a few weeks ago. We put 5 fertile eggs under her and she hatched her first one this afternoon!!!!! I am about to cry I'm so proud of her.

She is the best little mommy so far. Now, I have a couple of questions for all of you out there that have been through this before. I don't want to mess anything up...

1) How long before we can expect another baby?

2) What do I need to do for Fluffenbutter. I have given her some feed (hand fed it to her so she didn't have to get off her nest). And my hubby gave her some water. Then, we let her get back to the business at hand when she was ready.


Also, JUST as exciting, we have 12 cayuga duck eggs in the incubator. One of them is rocking!!!!! They are on lockdown as of today!!! The ducks and chicks BOTH weren't supposed to hatch until closer to Friday so we are just in shock, but SOOOOO happy.

Here's a question about them...

How long after rocking are they born?

Thanks in advance for any help y'all can offer!!!!!

 

[rancher hicks]

What now???? A little late for that. You should have researched broody hens and what to expect.

as for the duck eggs no research there either?

Well first of all as for the broody leave her ALONE. That's the whole point of having a broody hen is so SHE can do the work and you don't have to. Make sure she has food and water and she'll be fine. Though it wouldn't hurt to do some quick research on broody hens and how they can act and behave.

As for the Duck eggs do a quick research on "how to hatch duck eggs". Just google it. Not sure how long they take to bake.

For me the last hatch of chicken eggs started early and went on for four days. You just don't know.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Sounds like Fluffenbutter is doing just fine!... and will be a great mom... some of them are just born to it!

If the fertile eggs were placed under at the same time then you should expect the others within a day or so.

Place food (chick starter)and water where she can reach, for her & for the babies to learn from. Babies don't NEED it for a few days but will learn from watching mom.

Congratulations!

edited to add... sorry, I know nothing about duck eggs.

 

[SugarDuck]

mmaddie'smom: Thank you so much for your response. We moved her into our bonus room so the cool temps and storms don't bother her or her babies so, I'm going to let her just have the room to herself until she finishes "birthin her babies". LOL!!! We've got her waterer and Chick feeder full of chick starter now. Thanks for that info. I didn't know they'd learn by watching her. Silly me

I worry about myself sometimes. lol!!! Thanks again!!! I just feel like shoutin' it from the rooftops. I'm a grandma!!!!

 

[SugarDuck]

Quote:
My goodness me! Were you always this much of a downer? We did the research on both, for your information, but I'm just so nervous and excited I was just wanting a little hand holding from the pros to get me through my nerves. Didn't your Mama ever teach you that if you couldn't say anything nice, not to say anything at all?

I'll take your advice to heart and you might want to take that one to heart.

 

[hmlongino]

Just had to respond to the "should have researched" comment....

Umm... No one has to research anything for a broody hen to set on eggs. I think they were doing it long before Google. And, there are a lot of opinions on broody care... to separate, not to, etc. Forums are to zone in on a target group to get some good advice!

I also have a broody hen right now. She's my first, and due tomorrow or Friday. Although I am very knowledgeable on incubating and baby chick care, etc, I share Sugarduck's nervousness, excitement, and desire to "do it right" in order to give my Ms. Broody everything she needs to do her momma-job!

I'm right with ya and need this post, myself! I have my broody separated for now, and I am wondering at what point she should be "let out" with the little ones. I guess she'll be able to protect them in the flock... I mean, whenever I come near her now she puffs up and makes a Pterodactyl sound that tells me she means business!

 

[SugarDuck]

Congratulations on your Ms. Broody!!!!

I'm SO happy for you! This is a most exciting time. I hope everything goes well for y'all! Please let me know how it turns out for you. So far, it's been several hours and we just have the one chick. I'm wishing they would hurry up and be born.

However, I don't want to rush anything. So I may be

when it's all said and done, but it will be SOOOOOO worth it in the end.

Hugs to you and your baby Mama!!!! By for now!

-Sugarduck

 

[azhenhouse]

O.K. so you have to go to the Old Fashioned Broody Hen thread, and see my new babies I found tonight while putting the chickens in their coop. I am so nervous just like you, and still have plenty of questions. Even after reading Chickens for Dummies.

Two of the four eggs have hatched so far. I left the chicks her so I hope she is being a good momma and taking care of them. I'm sure she is, and if any of my hens deserve babies it is her. Go check it out.

Sorry, I forgot to congratulate you. CONGRATULATIONS!

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Quote:
I usually give them 3-4 days after everyone is hatched to rest and bond privately... just have plenty of fresh water and food. After that time, I let them all out supervised, for maybe an hour or less... just to see how good mom is at being able to keep track of and protect the babies... and to see how the rest of the flocks reacts to them... I do that 1-2 times a day for maybe another week... if everything is going well at that point and mom is doing her job well, then they can be unsupervised for part of the day... when they are out w/mom for most of the day, mom will still continue to take them to their private pen in the evening for another couple of weeks... eventually she will decide to take them into the big coop to join the flock... by this time they should be fully integrated!
Broody moms are wonderful and are so good at what they do! Sit back, watch, learn & enjoy!

 

[ladybug99]

Quote:
Wow aren't you being a little harsh with the OP.. I hate to tell you when you google "What to do with a broody hen".....google takes you right here to this web site. Then you are faced with literally hundreds of posts dealing with broody hens..... have you even considered that the OP needed an answer then and did not have the time to spend hours and hours sifting thru old posts.... many, like myself come to this site because we are first timers at raising chickens.. we all have busy lives, I know I do , but that doesn't mean I don't want the best care for my chickens....I visit the site regularly but certinally don't have the hours of time to do the research... isn't that why this site is here...I have gotton so much useful information so quickly from the other members.. and if they did not have the answers for me they kindly pointed me in the correct direction.... why could you have not been like so many of the other posters here and maybe offered her a helpful link. If you are having a bad day stay away from the computer.... your grouchiness is contagious....