I need advice with hatching from a broody hen!

[igorsMistress]

Thanks very much for the update! Please do let us know how it works out.

 

[starri33]

Hoping your hatch turns out well, I've recently had 3 broodies, one broke about 6 days into the hatch, my other two played musical nest boxes, out of the ten eggs, I only got one and that one was lucky I didn't toss it over the fence. All the others didn't make it, one of those broodies broke on her own, the other I had to put in Broody Prison, a dog crate with hardware cloth on the bottom so that air could get to her. She went crazy, but I left her in there over night, let her out the next morning and she was fine. It was nice that only 24 hours she broke.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Hoping your hatch turns out well, I've recently had 3 broodies, one broke about 6 days into the hatch, my other two played musical nest boxes, out of the ten eggs, I only got one and that one was lucky I didn't toss it over the fence. All the others didn't make it, one of those broodies broke on her own, the other I had to put in Broody Prison, a dog crate with hardware cloth on the bottom so that air could get to her. She went crazy, but I left her in there over night, let her out the next morning and she was fine. It was nice that only 24 hours she broke.

In the future I'm taking non nonsense. It's broody prison for any bird that gets in the mood! The anticipation over hatch day,anxiety over potential roosters, and anxiety for the health of mama hen are all too much! But I've been kicking her out of the box twice a day and she is actually picking up a little weight. Hatch day is Saturday so tonight will be her last venture off the next.

 

[igorsMistress]

In the future I'm taking non nonsense. It's broody prison for any bird that gets in the mood! The anticipation over hatch day,anxiety over potential roosters, and anxiety for the health of mama hen are all too much! But I've been kicking her out of the box twice a day and she is actually picking up a little weight. Hatch day is Saturday so tonight will be her last venture off the next.

Not likely her last day off the nest. She will still need to eat, drink, bathe and poop every day so she needs access to those things.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

She truly doesn't leave unless you make her leave. I've been dealing with her for three months now. I'm new to letting a broody hatch eggs, but don't they normally not leave the nest on the last days leading to hatch? I can take her out again tomorrow, and in fact I'd feel better doing that. I was just worried about disturbing the eggs in the 24-36 hours leading up to hatch.

 

[starri33]

In the future I'm taking non nonsense. It's broody prison for any bird that gets in the mood! The anticipation over hatch day,anxiety over potential roosters, and anxiety for the health of mama hen are all too much! But I've been kicking her out of the box twice a day and she is actually picking up a little weight. Hatch day is Saturday so tonight will be her last venture off the next.

Over time you will calm down about it, I remember my first broody, I almost slept in the coop, if you get Roo's just post them for re-homing, there is a "thread" on here for every state. If you don't already belong to it, I'll see if I can find the link, you could post there, you could post in Craig's List, or if you belong to a local Chicken group on Facebook, I'm in one called Mohave County Cluckers. I live in Mohave County Arizona. What I did with her is set up a large dog crate, inside the coop (think German Shepard large) about the 3rd week in, I put her in it with food and water. if you make her a area, you can always put a box with dirt in it for her dirt baths, food and water (I used chick feeders, waterers) and then use pine shavings or puppy pads like I did to make cleaning easier. My chicks from my incubator are currently in tote's with puppy pads, Even if you incubate you are still going to have the anxiety and anticipation over the hatch day and Roo's. There is nothing more enjoyable than hatching your own. I love having a broody since I don't have to worry about temps, humidity and teaching them to eat and drink.. then I have the challenge of keeping them safe from everyone else, Mama Hen does that for you. When you have a broody, mark the eggs with a marker (I use a sharpie with no problem) that way when you go to collect eggs you know which ones are which. I've checked under a broody that I gave 4 eggs to and dug out 10..lol, she'll get down to do her thing and everyone else gets in there to lay, this time I messed up and didn't lock them up to do their hatch, so they played musical nest boxes, when I went out and they were in a different box, I just collected the eggs and then picked her up and moved her back to the right box.. I still got one out of 10. Her name is Lucky, she's lucky I didn't toss her over the fence thinking she was a dud like the others. When you do want to break them, put them in a broody prison (dog crate with hardware cloth on the bottom up on a couple of 2 x 4's or 4 x 4's.. and keep her in it, you can let her out one or two times a day, if she heads back to the nest box, put her back in there, she will break, mine did in 24 hours, some can take up to 2 weeks. You can do it, I have faith.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Over time you will calm down about it, I remember my first broody, I almost slept in the coop, if you get Roo's just post them for re-homing, there is a "thread" on here for every state. If you don't already belong to it, I'll see if I can find the link, you could post there, you could post in Craig's List, or if you belong to a local Chicken group on Facebook, I'm in one called Mohave County Cluckers. I live in Mohave County Arizona. What I did with her is set up a large dog crate, inside the coop (think German Shepard large) about the 3rd week in, I put her in it with food and water. if you make her a area, you can always put a box with dirt in it for her dirt baths, food and water (I used chick feeders, waterers) and then use pine shavings or puppy pads like I did to make cleaning easier. My chicks from my incubator are currently in tote's with puppy pads, Even if you incubate you are still going to have the anxiety and anticipation over the hatch day and Roo's. There is nothing more enjoyable than hatching your own. I love having a broody since I don't have to worry about temps, humidity and teaching them to eat and drink.. then I have the challenge of keeping them safe from everyone else, Mama Hen does that for you. When you have a broody, mark the eggs with a marker (I use a sharpie with no problem) that way when you go to collect eggs you know which ones are which. I've checked under a broody that I gave 4 eggs to and dug out 10..lol, she'll get down to do her thing and everyone else gets in there to lay, this time I messed up and didn't lock them up to do their hatch, so they played musical nest boxes, when I went out and they were in a different box, I just collected the eggs and then picked her up and moved her back to the right box.. I still got one out of 10. Her name is Lucky, she's lucky I didn't toss her over the fence thinking she was a dud like the others. When you do want to break them, put them in a broody prison (dog crate with hardware cloth on the bottom up on a couple of 2 x 4's or 4 x 4's.. and keep her in it, you can let her out one or two times a day, if she heads back to the nest box, put her back in there, she will break, mine did in 24 hours, some can take up to 2 weeks. You can do it, I have faith.

I posted a picture in earlier posts of her enclosure and marked the eggs but there is no danger of them getting confused with other eggs. She has her own food and water but it's been untouched. No droppings in the enclosure either so I've continued to take her out and let her run around and then I help her go back to her eggs. So far she's been a good mama.

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

I'm exhausted just reading what struggle you and the broody hen have been in!
Defiantly let us know how it turns out.

 

[starri33]

I posted a picture in earlier posts of her enclosure and marked the eggs but there is no danger of them getting confused with other eggs. She has her own food and water but it's been untouched. No droppings in the enclosure either so I've continued to take her out and let her run around and then I help her go back to her eggs. So far she's been a good mama.

Wonderful..

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I'm exhausted just reading what struggle you and the broody hen have been in!
Defiantly let us know how it turns out.

It has been an emotional roller coaster! I am a chronic worrier and overthinker. I have a PhD in worrying. I constantly have dreams about something happening to my chickens!