June Hatch A Long

[Allie Grace Sanders]

Broody Hatching Questions!

So to those of you who have hatched with a broody, do you usually leave her with the flock or separate her?

If it makes a difference, currently my ducks and chickens are separate. The broody chicken is sitting on duck eggs in the chicken coop. There are 3 other chicken hens in there, all a few years old, no roosters, no adult ducks in this coop/run.

I don't really want to remove her, but was thinking about installing some sort of temporary partition when it gets closer to hatch. I will need to dig in my recycling and make a new secondary feeder/waterer that ducklings can use since they won't be tall enough to use the rubber livestock bowls in the run.

Would you remove her and set her up in a dog kennel? Would you build a partition? Would you just let her do her thing and protect them and not worry about? Would you wait and see how the other chicken hens act or is this too risky?

Well, on my previous broody hatch, I went completely on the coop. Sometimes the other chickens would give her extra eggs that that I would steal back, but all went well. I only set 4 eggs and one hatched. The chick got picked on slightly, but mama gladky attacked anyone who bullied her chick. It ends up as a matter of opinion and is completely up to you. GL on your hatch!

 

[PirateGirl]

Well, on my previous broody hatch, I went completely on the coop. Sometimes the other chickens would give her extra eggs that that I would steal back, but all went well. I only set 4 eggs and one hatched. The chick got picked on slightly, but mama gladky attacked anyone who bullied her chick. It ends up as a matter of opinion and is completely up to you. GL on your hatch!

Thanks! So far she is just in the coop, and yeah, there's one girl in particular that seems to add an egg almost daily, but they are are distinct colors so it's easy to pick out and steal the new eggs. I like to think mama will just protect and take care of the littles and that I am worried over nothing.

Anyone else?

 

[SueT]

Thanks! So far she is just in the coop, and yeah, there's one girl in particular that seems to add an egg almost daily, but they are are distinct colors so it's easy to pick out and steal the new eggs. I like to think mama will just protect and take care of the littles and that I am worried over nothing.

Anyone else?

I'm letting my Sebright incubate her eggs in the coop. She picked a less popular nest box, and when I've gotten a peek, no extra eggs have been added. Hers are clearly marked with a marker. I am going to have to move them after hatching, as it's a raised nest, about 18" off the floor. I haven't decided whether to then isolate them or not. She isn't very high in the pecking order. But the other 6 hens are all mellow, no one bullies anyone. I've got 2 weeks to decide.

 

[Allie Grace Sanders]

My girl broke one of her eggs. Now the others are goopy. Do I baby wipe them or what!?

 

[Allie Grace Sanders]

My girl broke one of her eggs. Now the others are goopy. Do I baby wipe them or what!?

Help!

 

[SueT]

My girl broke one of her eggs. Now the others are goopy. Do I baby wipe them or what!?

Yikes, I would clean them right away, and change the hay in the nest too. I don't know about baby wipes, I might just do it with a dry cloth. What's mama hen doing?

 

[Allie Grace Sanders]

Yikes, I would clean them right away, and change the hay in the nest too. I don't know about baby wipes, I might just do it with a dry cloth. What's mama hen doing?

She changed nesting boxes. I moved the eggs to her. The goop is kinda dry now.

 

[jolenesdad]

How far along are they?

 

[jolenesdad]

She changed nesting boxes. I moved the eggs to her. The goop is kinda dry now.

If the egg wasn't smelly and rotten, I would leave them without cleaning them, and wouldn't use anything that rubs. I would probably take my fingernail and break off any crusty bits.

 

[Allie Grace Sanders]

How far along are they?

4 days.