Hatching under hen

[Happychickens33]

Hello everybody! I am a new member and have had chickens for a year now.

Recently my Buff Orpington, sweet, gentle Niki went broody on me. I tried cooling her off in a cool tub several times. I thought about the cage option but I really thought it wouldn’t work plus I didn’t want to “punish” her for something natural. She continued for 2 weeks, not coming out of coop, laying on infertile eggs-no rooster around. So I bought 7 fertile eggs barnyard mix from eBay and put them under her.

She did not move! I fed her by hand though there was food and water available. We built a secure area in the coop where she wanted to sit but other hens could not bother her.

Like a nervous hen myself, I waited for day 21. Day 20, a chick hatched! I thought I saw some piping in another. This is day 23, and I wonder if the eggs are still viable and for how long?? I don’t want to disturb the eggs. She is still very determined!
June

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Leave her alone. She innately knows more about this than any of us ever will.
You don't have to hand feed a broody hen. They've been doing this for millions of years and the quadrillion hens over that time never starved themselves to death without human intervention..

 

[IamRainey]

Congrats!

I had my first broody-hatched chicks about 5 weeks ago. It's amazing how anxiety-free this is! You will love seeing those little heads pop out from between feathers and you'll love seeing them begin to venture out.

In my case, I worried how they'd eat. I worried how they'd get back to the coop when they wandered down into the run. I worried about how they'd get enough grit. Truth is, the only thing I really needed to do is make sure there were waterers at their level that they could get to.

The water is important because the hens will get rowdy and knock them over on a regular basis so plan to provide a few chick size watering stations and to upside-right them again, clean and refill them frequently.

As for the first few days when the chicks don't go far from Mama, I put a chick-size waterer right in the nesting box with them. I put handfuls of all-flock pellets (that's what I had, perhaps you'll have chick feed) in the corner of the box. I dribbled water on the pellets to soften them up for the chicks and I sprinkled chick grit on top of it.

I only needed to do that for 4 or 5 days. After that, they followed Mama down into the run. I set up a feeding station for them down there but it was hopeless because the big girls were all over it and crowding Mama and the chicks in their feeding frenzy. While I tried to figure out what I was going to do to keep them fed, Mama taught them to scratch and peck in the dirt floor of the run. I have NO idea what they found to eat but they grew just fine. After that I trusted her and they grew and thrived.

Mama did a good job of announcing to all and sundry that they were hers and everyone else had better back off and leave them alone if they knew what was good for them. I've had NO mean girl issues for the first time introducing new birds.

Mine are now able to get to a roost in the run that's about 30" off the floor. They can hop up to the big trough waterer just fine. When I put down treats they stay out of the feeding scrum until things quiet down a bit and then they get theirs. Everything about this has been stress-free thanks to Mama. I guess Mama knows best after all!

 

[Happychickens33]

Leave her alone. She innately knows more about this than any of us ever will.
You don't have to hand feed a broody hen. They've been doing this for millions of years and the quadrillion hens over that time never starved themselves to death without human intervention..

Thank you so much- I often referred to your advice during the process!

 

[Happychickens33]

Congrats!

I had my first broody-hatched chicks about 5 weeks ago. It's amazing how anxiety-free this is! You will love seeing those little heads pop out from between feathers and you'll love seeing them begin to venture out.

In my case, I worried how they'd eat. I worried how they'd get back to the coop when they wandered down into the run. I worried about how they'd get enough grit. Truth is, the only thing I really needed to do is make sure there were waterers at their level that they could get to.

The water is important because the hens will get rowdy and knock them over on a regular basis so plan to provide a few chick size watering stations and to upside-right them again, clean and refill them frequently.

As for the first few days when the chicks don't go far from Mama, I put a chick-size waterer right in the nesting box with them. I put handfuls of all-flock pellets (that's what I had, perhaps you'll have chick feed) in the corner of the box. I dribbled water on the pellets to soften them up for the chicks and I sprinkled chick grit on top of it.

I only needed to do that for 4 or 5 days. After that, they followed Mama down into the run. I set up a feeding station for them down there but it was hopeless because the big girls were all over it and crowding Mama and the chicks in their feeding frenzy. While I tried to figure out what I was going to do to keep them fed, Mama taught them to scratch and peck in the dirt floor of the run. I have NO idea what they found to eat but they grew just fine. After that I trusted her and they grew and thrived.

Mama did a good job of announcing to all and sundry that they were hers and everyone else had better back off and leave them alone if they knew what was good for them. I've had NO mean girl issues for the first time introducing new birds.

Mine are now able to get to a roost in the run that's about 30" off the floor. They can hop up to the big trough waterer just fine. When I put down treats they stay out of the feeding scrum until things quiet down a bit and then they get theirs. Everything about this has been stress-free thanks to Mama. I guess Mama knows best after all!

Thanks for the encouragement! Niki is finally happy and me too- with her one chick- an Easter Egger!

 

[IamRainey]

YAY! You'll get lovely eggs to go with the lovely experience of seeing a hen hatch her chick.