I don't understand this lockdown and broody babysitting?

[chikadeedoodah]

First off, I have two broodies that are doing this naturally.... One has been sitting for about 10 days, the other about 3....
I've been reading all of the stuff in here about hatching eggs naturally and I've heard of the term "lock down" for the hen, and I didn't plan on putting anyone in "lock down" or separating anyone, just building a ramp. (We got rid of the roo about 3 days ago, but they have plenty of room and 20 other hens in the coop and run).

Also, I've seen people getting their hens "off" their nest to force them to eat or drink. I was kinda thinking Mother Nature would take care of that, and when duty called she'd do it. Am I wrong to assume that the hen is going to know better than me? I mean has anyone had a broody die on her nest because she wasn't monitored.... Just wondering if I have to manage these little broodies. I def don't have a problem doing it, but want to make sure I have the right approach.

I did candle at week one to make sure our roo was "successful" at least some of the time (he was a clumsy fellow). I saw some signs of life, and I'm not super knowledgable about what I was looking at, so put most of the eggs back under her. :0)

Thanks for your help!

 

[Texasboy4ever]

Your right mothe nature knows better than we do. I leave my broody hen alone and let her do what come naturally for her. I did seperate her from the others so they wouldn't disturb her. But I think she knows what to do

 

[Chickenmaven]

I read "lockdown" alot in regard to artificial incubation. That's when our "hatch-a-holic" friends needs to sit on their hands & keep their incubators shut tight. That's all I know about that, as I am a failed incubator operator.

I bought a cheap incubator & just could not hatch a thing, so I sold it. I decided to let my hens do what hens do... to much success!

I do isolate my hens - either in a wired off room in my coop or in a dog crate. It keeps my other hens from pestering the broody or adding eggs at odd times. It also protects the new chicks from the flock. I do not consider this a "lockdown," per se. Also: I think that for the most part, hens do a great job of balancing their own needs against the job of setting. The only time I will make a hen take breaks from the nest is if she has fouled the nest. Those babies don't need to hatch in a pile o' poo! My Marilyn - an Americauna - hatched out 1 silkie & 2 showgirls, last week. I did pull her off the nest once a day, which was literally to pull her off & aim her heinie away from me.

I did this because I prefered handling her to cleaning up after her. I have had many setting hens & did not have to do a thing. Setting is very taxing, so I like to treat my setters with boiled egg or oats with yogurt. As for hens dying? I have only heard of instances where the hen had lice or mites or when she was allowed to set for many weeks. Typically, if a hen goes broody & you get eggs under her right away, she hatches out her babies in exactly 3 weeks and all is well.


Good luck to you!

 

[chikadeedoodah]

Thanks for your responses. I have put food next to them and they get all puffed and irritated with me, so I'm letting them be. We do pull her off at night to get any other eggs that may be under her. Sometimes there are, so I assume she's getting off at some time because sometimes I see a "babysitter" in the nest laying her own egg.

I'll watch for lethargy and make sure they still have bright eyes and have the energy to get irritated with me, and let them be. I'm not going to separate them I don't think unless I find that the other hens are irritating them. These girls are pretty high on the pecking order, so I don't think Ill need to worry about much.

 

[faykokoWV]

I think in "nature" the hen wouldn't be any where near the other hens. She would be off on her own some where that she didn't have to compete for food and water and it was quite. Maybe that's why people move them?

 

[chikadeedoodah]

faykokoWV- that's a good point.... If I say any issues, I'll relocate them.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

What some call "lockdown" is just leaving the incubator alone for the last 3 days of a hatch. It's become a "term" on here for some. It's just not opening the bator and fooling with it, letting them hatch out. Staying away and finding something to keep your mind off chicks hatching out.

I don't do anything with my Broody other than move her nest into a wire dog crate so she can be left alone and not have to fend off the other hens trying to get into her nest to lay. Sometimes that will break a broody and she will get off if not left alone. I keep food and water inside her cage for when she needs to eat or drink. This also helps her with chicks when they hatch that the other hens don't attack them. I don't just like having to worry about the other hens being mean and killing off the chicks til momma is ready to show them to the world.

 

[chikadeedoodah]

Will mama help them integrate with the other hens?

 

[elmo]

I think you're right about the pecking order issue. A lower ranking hen might easily be bullied off her nest by a higher ranking hen, leaving the eggs to chill. This is what happened to the hen that hatched out our favorite hen, Billina. Billina was the sole survivor in a clutch of six eggs that got chilled when the setting hen was scared off her nest. For her next clutch, this poor hen picked a pail to brood in, a place none of the other hens wanted.

 

[Keri78]

I think that is a great point! My girlfriend has a free range flock on her farm and she said one year one of her Araucana hen disappeared...they thought she must have bee eaten by something b/c she was gone for so long. Well, one day...here comes Mama hen with a little flock of babies following close behind!

It was a great surprise! But it does go to show that "naturally" some hens will prefer to be alone to hatch their babies. One of my broody Mama's gets off of her nest to go potty and keeps her nest area clean...until the babies hatch and then I have to pick her up and take her out for a potty break at least twice a day b/c she WON'T leave the babies! My other Broody Mama REFUSES to get off the nest to go potty at all..eve during the 21 days of nesting! so her nest can get messy and I didn't want the babies in poo! So I just cleaned the poo out of the nest for her until the babies hatched and ow I just take her off the nest a couple of times a day for potty breaks too. I did keep a little cup of water & food by them while they were hatching out the chicks b/c I KNEW they were NOT going to get up to eat. They may have been fine without me helping..but when I'm in labor I like people waiting on me so I just do the same for them!

Anyway, I would just keep a close eye on the other chickens around the babies...Mama will probably protect them but you never know...I put my broodies & babies all together in one breeding pen with their own nestbox...they do fine. The rest of my flock has been VERY curious about the new chicks but can't get to them. I think it's alot less stress on the Mama if she has her own space with the babies...not that there's a "right" and "wrong" way to do things at all!

Anyway, HAVE FUN...& ENJOY!!!