HALLOWEEN Hatch-a-Long 2016 w/ Hosts, Mike, Sally & BantyChooks

[Sally Sunshine]

Oh, how fun! I have 2 broody hens right now, one Australorp, and one Buff Orpington. The Australorp has 12 eggs, and we will be giving the Orpington 14 tonight (would have been last night, but 2 of the eggs we got from my sister broke :-( ). I also have a Buff Orpington with three 8 week old chicks she still takes care of. She is a great mother! She was our first broody! These other 2 just started laying a month ago. I can't wait to see the variety of chicks we get!

Awesome Welcome to the thread!!! pretty flock you have!

The last picture I took is of the eggs chosen to go under our broody Buff Orpington. There should be 3 dark brown ones, but after picking them up from my sister, we broke 2 of them! So, hoping her hen lays one tomorrow for a replacement.

very pretty eggs too!

Quote: he will not, just tell him he looks sexy when his eye twitches

 

[Mylied]

oh no! what happened?

One died from an illness. The other four were preditors as we slowly went from free ranging to fort knox.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote:

 

[KJ6485]

Ok guys I need "baby advice"
My broody is and has been brooding in a nest box in the coop, not at all seperated from the other girls. Chicks are due to hatch next weekend, Do i have to be concerned that the other hens will hurt the new babies?? Will momma protect them? Im hesitant to move them at this point because I would hate to break her from being broody this far into incubation.

 

[junebuggena]

Depends. Do the other hens leave her nest alone or do they still try to lay where she is brooding? If other hens are forcing the broody off the nest so that they can lay there, it could be a very big problem come hatching time. Piped eggs could get broken, hatching chicks could get injured from so much activity from the hens.
This is the biggest reason why I prefer to put my broodies in a dog crate while brooding. They are still with the flock, but the eggs hatch without other hens getting overly curious and causing problems. At the first signs of hatching, the kennel door is shut. Once everyone is hatched and ready to be up and about, I open the door and let momma hen do her thing.

 

[kajira]

Awesome Welcome to the thread!!! pretty flock you have!

very pretty eggs too!

he will not, just tell him he looks sexy when his eye twitches

haha, YOU can tell him.

 

[kajira]

Depends. Do the other hens leave her nest alone or do they still try to lay where she is brooding? If other hens are forcing the broody off the nest so that they can lay there, it could be a very big problem come hatching time. Piped eggs could get broken, hatching chicks could get injured from so much activity from the hens.
This is the biggest reason why I prefer to put my broodies in a dog crate while brooding. They are still with the flock, but the eggs hatch without other hens getting overly curious and causing problems. At the first signs of hatching, the kennel door is shut. Once everyone is hatched and ready to be up and about, I open the door and let momma hen do her thing.

I would assume she'd protect them, but this is chickens we are talking about. Do you have a way to put a box with a small hole near them so they can hide in it from the bigger chickens? If mom doesn't protect them, I would probably remove them and rear them in a brooder until they are bigger :/

 

[KJ6485]

Depends. Do the other hens leave her nest alone or do they still try to lay where she is brooding? If other hens are forcing the broody off the nest so that they can lay there, it could be a very big problem come hatching time. Piped eggs could get broken, hatching chicks could get injured from so much activity from the hens.
This is the biggest reason why I prefer to put my broodies in a dog crate while brooding. They are still with the flock, but the eggs hatch without other hens getting overly curious and causing problems. At the first signs of hatching, the kennel door is shut. Once everyone is hatched and ready to be up and about, I open the door and let momma hen do her thing.

There are other eggs with her every day, i have seen hens climb into the box with her, but i have never seen her remove herself from her eggs for them to lay. She sits tight all day . Maybe I will try to barricade the nest box off this weekend

 

[mrchicks]

We have 2 pips this morning! Of course I'm at work now and it's killing me. I think I need to go home early.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

We have 2 pips this morning! Of course I'm at work now and it's killing me. I think I need to go home early.

obviously you are not feeling well, lunch just didnt settle well