Help with Hatching under Broody Hens, Mean Mama?

[RealEstateChick]

This is all very exciting and I hope you will continue to update! I hope to do this when one of mine goes broody, so I love reading about other people's experiences. In this case, it seems that it was a blessing you had two broodies together.

 

[RealEstateChick]

This is all very exciting and I hope you will continue to update! I hope to do this when one of mine goes broody, so I love reading about other people's experiences. In this case, it seems that it was a blessing you had two broodies together.

Update: We ended up with 11 healthy, happy chicks. We just found a home for the two black ones tonight since they were not accepted by the Buff Orphington. We tried several times to bring out the uninjured black one but she was pecked at. The remaining 9 are out with the two mamas. They are co-parenting. They can be found in the same corner in the evening with chicks under them. We were lucky to have two hens because I think that they took turn sitting on the remaining eggs for a bit longer than they would have. Once they stopped, we brought the rest in the house in our make-shift incubator. We successfully hatched two in the house and were able to add them with the rest. We did lose a few that tried to hatch and the last few eggs were tossed after candling showed no movement. We wish we had found an incubator to use but we really thought that they all would hatch at any time. From start to finish, the first one hatched about a week and a half before the last. It was a LONG week for us, for sure! Today we tried taking the chicks out for a while to do a photo shoot but the mamas were not happy so we had to leave some with one and let the other mama out with the others. We have someone that will take any that we don't want. I don't know what to do at this point- we don't want more roosters, for sure. We wouldn't mind keeping a few girls. I also don't want to stress out the mamas by removing all of the chicks. We also witnessed a fight between the Buff and one of the other chickens from the flock (through a fence). I am afraid there will be issues putting these big girls back with the rest. Any advice?

 

[Cntry1958]

Good luck with the chicks. They are just beautiful. I am sorry you had to get rid of the black ones since the hens wouldn't except them. I hope they went to a good home and will be taken good care of.

 

[chickenmeadow]

Congrats! You had more than your work cut out for you, with getting to work & managing the determined, multiple broodies with hatches. It's hard to figure out what was bothering the Buff broody to make her aggressive & not motherly; I wouldn't put her at the top of my "go to" broody list.

Thanks to all of the BYC'ers that give such good support & helpful info.

My broody "Blue" who just successfully hatched (1st time broody), is raising her 4 chicks that were from eggs up to 4 days apart, is doing a great job. I don't believe hatching would have gone so well if I hadn't put a cage up to her nest (when I heard egg peeping) to let her hatch undisturbed by the other jealous hens that were trying to push her out of the nest.

When the first chick was dry & standing, I then (at night) moved the broody, chick & the eggs (without turning them) to a dog crate with a box nest of straw, tiny chick waterer & chick food in a flat lid for the hen & possible hungry chick/s. This was sectioned off in the coop to keep others out & then the door was shut to keep her on eggs (my biggest worry); the door was opened a short while in the morning (before I left for work 5 days), then opened longer in evening (after home from work); this was to give her a chance to get out to do her business (but, she was very brief & seldom came out). She stayed on the eggs thru hatching & they are all enjoying the dog crate nest & sectioned off area in the coop.

She did all the work, but it was exhausting for me just trying to keep her safe & undisturbed, so she could brood successfully. Next time I will hold back eggs & put them back under the broody all at the same time removing any old eggs under her, so I don't have to interfere, except to candle eggs at 14 days & move hen with eggs to a sectioned off area with a dog crate nest (without shut door). Best wishes.

 

[RcoM]

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Yes, the Buff Orphington was not being nice. We tried multiple times to bring the other black one back out but she/he was rejected every time. We found a home for those two today!

I think you’ve done Ana amazing job and the advice has been awesome! Last time my hen left the nest after 2 hatched and many died in shell. Hats off to you and this community!

 

[RcoM]

I /we may need some help. These are day 19. We have had hot weather throughout. Hatching early I think. Live chick peeping- membrane looks tough. Been about 1/2 day so far. What do you think? What should I look out for?

 

[BDutch]

I /we may need some help. These are day 19. We have had hot weather throughout. Hatching early I think. Live chick peeping- membrane looks tough. Been about 1/2 day so far. What do you think? What should I look out for?

Please start a new thread. You reply to an old one.
And tell a bit more about the numbers and the way you are hatching.

Up to 24 hours to hatch seems to be normal.

If the eggs are under a broody, you should leave her do her job.