Help!! Broodie hen!

Date sort Score sort
sorcha12

sorcha12

Hatching
5 Years
Jul 12, 2014
1
0
7
Hi, I own a hen and a rooster and the hen is broodie and I'm pretty sure she has like, chicks in her eggs! So earlier today she left her eggs so I read that she can only leave them for 2 minutes or so to eat?? Is that true :eek: she left them for half an hour (she is scared of the rooster and we have an add to sell him) but are the chicks dead or what?:0 because I don't know so please help! Like should I take her off the eggs? (Sorry if I posted in the wrong place because I'm new and I don't know) thanks for reading!
 
Broodie hens can leave their eggs for at least a half hour, to get food, dust bath, water, etc.
No the chicks should be alive. Figure 21 days of setting, and you should be pleasantly surprised with baby chicks!
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
frow.gif


Yes, momma's can leave the nest for long periods of time for exercise, eating, drinking, dust bathing....Eggs don't lose heat that fast so yours are fine. I would confine the rooster if she is scared of him. And you don't want him mating with her right now.

Keep track of your days when she started setting full time. Keep the food and water near her area so she doesn't have to go far for food and water. And make sure this nest box is low to the floor so if chicks do hatch, they don't fall far to the floor. It is good if your nest box has a nice lip on it to keep the babies from falling out.

Good luck and I hope you get some chicks soon!
 
Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

X3 broody hens have to leave once in a while to eat, drink, stretch and maybe even dirt bathe. Like wild birds, they know exactly when to return. Instead of confining the rooster, I would confine the hen to something such as a large dog crate with food and water. A crate is also good so that the chicks and hen aren't blocking a nest or are dangerous for young chicks to get out of.

Here's some links you should look at too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/guide-to-letting-broody-hens-hatch-and-raise-chicks
http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2013/05/annie-and-her-chicks-hatching-eggs.html
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/08/caring-for-broody-hens-facilitating-egg.html

Good luck with them and we are so glad you joined!!
smile.png
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! You've gotten some good answers/advice above and Mountain Peeps gave you some good links above to check out, good luck with the hatch.
 
Alright
welcome-byc.gif
great to have you joining the BYC flock
frow.gif






BYC has a very useful learning center
caf.gif






This hen left her nest the day before hatch so I took a picture thinking
she had abandon them at the last minute I haven't any idea how long
she was off but it more then a half an hour after I discovered she was
off before she got back on the egg's ....







Later that evening this is what I found in the nesting box ...






The next morning I found this and after she had thirteen chicks
hatched out I removed the rest of the egg's and put them in the
incubator as she just looked busy ....






By day three I put some feed and water into the nesting ares
and she showed them how to eat ...






Day 5 the chicks got bigger and would not stay in the box ..







So out into the grow out box for another week or so here the chicks
are two weeks old and giving her fits so she fly's out and the chicks
follow her around the yard in search of bugs and such ....








Enjoy all your poultry ventures and don't forget to take pictures as it can be very rewording
D.gif




















gander007
old.gif
 
Sorry I am coming in late. Hope you had a good hatch, and were able to rehome your rooster. We always enjoy updates if you would care to do so. We like to know if we have been of any help to you.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom