(Let Broody Hen Do It All) Experiances Please

[cute chicks here]

Thank you for the suggestion closing off nesting box. If I go this route (seems alot less stressful) I will definately block off the nest.

I did close off my nesting box being my other hen tried to crowd in and lay eggs and actually broke a fertile one. My broody successfully hatched 2 on day 21 and now 2 more 3 days later. The first 2 are doing fine, the 3rd died and another just hatched and doesn't look to well. This is my 8 year old Cochins first time hatching eggs and shes doing well. I just don't know why the one died that hatched on day 23.

 

[schrephouse]

I did close off my nesting box being my other hen tried to crowd in and lay eggs and actually broke a fertile one. My broody successfully hatched 2 on day 21 and now 2 more 3 days later. The first 2 are doing fine, the 3rd died and another just hatched and doesn't look to well. This is my 8 year old Cochins first time hatching eggs and shes doing well. I just don't know why the one died that hatched on day 23.

I didn't end up closing my nest box as I ended up the with the Covid and got lazy. My x Box broody did hatch all 9 eggs in the same day, but we have noticed 1 doesn't seem as strong. Maybe the 1 yours had died because something was wrong with her. Thank you for sharing, I learn alot of tips to try reading all the stories.

 

[schrephouse]

UPDATE: Late yesterday our O Broody that still has 4 days to hatch got interested in the chicks on the hen house floor. Both hens were struggling to care for chicks literally on top of eachother. They were not fight or anything but It didn't appear safe for the chicks. Out of concern the chicks would get smashed I moved broody X aka Kisess to the broody pen with her chicks. Put broody O Hugs back on her eggs. My new plan is to keep Kisses with her chicks in Broody pen until Hugs has her own babies (she did stay on eggs when put back). Then let Kisses out and let her take babies were she chooses. I hope this works well. BTW one chick doesnt seem very strong. We are letting her stay with momma. Any other tips on this?

 

[FunClucks]

I decided to just let my broody do her thing. I marked her eggs so I'd know which were the ones being incubated. About wo days later, two of her eggs were smashed/eaten/missing, and there was a big wet mess in her nest and dried egg yolk all over the remaining 3 eggs. We don't have egg eaters, so I think it was an accident? So I fenced off her area with chicken wire so she could have her own area, with water and food in it, and some space to walk around. Put a few more eggs under her, and am prepared to incubate for the last day or so if she doesn't wait for them. All is going well, and her 6 eggs look fine so far.

This is my first time using a broody also. All the hens live in a covered run, and of course the broody had to pick the favorite nest box to brood in.

Success!!! My broody (Sassy) is now raising 3 chicks. They are about 2 weeks old.

Hatch date was on a Friday, first chick hatched on a Wednesday (2 days early!). Second chick hatched Friday. One egg with a partially developed chick got smashed on Friday or Saturday (I think it got halfway then stopped developing). On Saturday afternoon it seemed like Sassy wasn't sitting on the nest like she should be anymore, so I "rescued" the last three eggs. I could hear them cheeping, so I put them in the incubator. Once they got warm, the distressed cheeping stopped. Sunday morning baby 3 was born when we woke up. Sunday afternoon I got curious and made a safety hole where the air sac is to check on chick development - when I candled they didn't look right. Both remaining eggs had totally failed to develop, so I'm gonna say they were infertile. We had put fake eggs in Sassy's nest on Saturday after we removed the real ones, in case she decided to sit some more. It was a good thing I added more eggs after half of the first batch were smashed, two of the live chicks came from the second batch of eggs I added.

Sunday afternoon, I took the 3rd baby out to Sassy. The chick got cold and started cheeping in distress. Sassy started clucking to it. I crawled into the broody enclosure with the chick in my hand, and shoved it under Sassy while she was sitting on the nest with her other chicks. I then reached under her and removed the fake eggs. As soon as the baby got warm, total silence from both mom and baby. I watched for a while, and nobody moved much. Sasssy's other chicks appeared a bit and ate and drank and went back under mom. Chick 3 stayed under her the whole time. I scattered some scratch in the enclosure, and even that didn't get Sassy off the nest with her 3rd chick. Everyone went to bed.

So far everyone has been well. I was pretty shocked that integrating the 3rd chick was that easy. Sassy didn't peck me, and hasn't this whole time. Absolutely no problems getting her to accept the chick. It didn't bother her at all that I was shoving a chick under her, or pulling out eggs.

I opened the broody enclosure to the rest of the run this weekend, to see how Sassy would do with integration, and every other chicken we had had to come over and eat in the broody enclosure, and poke their nose about. When they got too close to the chicks, Sassy would attack them, pulling on their neck feathers, and jumping on their backs, and pecking them. I was super proud of her, and happy she was willing/able to defend her chicks. She's in the lower half of the pecking order, so I wondered how good she'd be able to defend her chicks, but she even went after the head hen and won.

Next weekend, I'll probably dismantle the broody enclosure and let them all be integrated. But so far, so good on brooding and hatching and integrating chicks using a broody hen.

 

[Brittbee]

My recent experience: this last hatch I put 3 out of 7 eggs under my broody bantam cochin, two in one of the cheap square incubators, and two in the nurture right 360. Out of all the eggs, the three under my cochin hatched without issue and quickly. The two in the box incubator made it to lockdown but one died around day 19/20 and the other on day 21. I beleive it was due to high humidity as they air cell didn't shrink beyond day 18 and this chick was alive. My humidity kept reading over 80%. The two nuture right 360 shrink wrapped. On was unsavable (dead), the other one I assisted and is going good aside from a small issue on the backside. This highly recommended incubator failed me twice so I will be giving it away. Humidity never rose above 62% with bothe chambers filled. I'm not sure if it was the unit itself, but after two batches of eggs failing, with calibrated thermometers and hydrometer, I can't help but to be frustrated and disappointed with the Nurture Right 360.

My take: nature is always the way to go. Hens are hard wired for this and can do so much better (imo). Incubators can be unpredictable and malfunction, run low, run high, not enough humidity or too much. If an egg doesn't hatch under a broody hen, then that egg (imo) was never meant to hatch. I will, from here on out, use a broody to hatch and rear future chicks.

 

[schrephouse]

My recent experience: this last hatch I put 3 out of 7 eggs under my broody bantam cochin, two in one of the cheap square incubators, and two in the nurture right 360. Out of all the eggs, the three under my cochin hatched without issue and quickly. The two in the box incubator made it to lockdown but one died around day 19/20 and the other on day 21. I beleive it was due to high humidity as they air cell didn't shrink beyond day 18 and this chick was alive. My humidity kept reading over 80%. The two nuture right 360 shrink wrapped. On was unsavable (dead), the other one I assisted and is going good aside from a small issue on the backside. This highly recommended incubator failed me twice so I will be giving it away. Humidity never rose above 62% with bothe chambers filled. I'm not sure if it was the unit itself, but after two batches of eggs failing, with calibrated thermometers and hydrometer, I can't help but to be frustrated and disappointed with the Nurture Right 360.

My take: nature is always the way to go. Hens are hard wired for this and can do so much better (imo). Incubators can be unpredictable and malfunction, run low, run high, not enough humidity or too much. If an egg doesn't hatch under a broody hen, then that egg (imo) was never meant to hatch. I will, from here on out, use a broody to hatch and rear future chicks.

Agreed, what a disappointment with your bators. I can say, under my Kisses broody I was shocked every single one of the clutch I gave her hatched exactly as they should have. All alive, all within 24hrs most or all on day 20. Momma took them out today in Broody run area. Only 1 chick seems behind or weak not sure which. But point is that is nature at its best.

 

[schrephouse]

UPDATE: Today has been a bit of a struggle with broody 2. She has got off eggs 3 times and went to broody 1 trying to help thru the fence. I picked her up and put her back on her nest. She settles in and stays for a good while. Her eggs have not got cold when this happened. The last time she was off I went to check her eggs. The first one I picked up was pipped. This is day 18 for her. Got hot 3 days ago. I put the egg back without listening for peeps exactly the way it was laying. Sat broody back and she nestled in. I closed the chicken door so she isn't distracted by peeps in the other run. The flock doesn't use the hen house except for laying so for tonight I'll leave it closed and open it for lady's in the morning. Then close it for the day after the ladies are done. Boy have I learned at least 1 lesson. If 2 hens go broody near the same time sacrifice what's under 1st broody and place new eggs so they hatch at the same time. Then let nature take its course good bad and ugly. But hey Success with broody 1! Any advice on current situation is welcome.

 

[BubbaBubbles]

Id love it if people will share their experiances letting a broody hen be. No interference other than removing eggs that get layed after sitting. Almost all you see is warnings. I have worked hard to take all precautions in the past. Delt with anxiety that the way I choose (among a ton of suggestions) isnt the best for our broodys, worried for months after hatch, worried intergrating them. When I was a young we were told "don't take the eggs from 'this' hen, she is going to hatch babies". The hen was always in the coop with all the other chickens. Sometimes multiple hens sitting on clutches. I never heard talk or saw a broody moved, broody area, nursery, grow out pins, intergration. I love my flock but am desperate for a moment of relaxation. Can my hens handle this on their own? My hens have it better than me.I have never tried just letting momma do it all. I have a broody today and debating what to do this time. Maybe I should give that a go and relax a bit. What was your experiance and result? I know plenty of people will share the horror stories which are helpful. I'd love to hear successes too please. Our hen house isn't that big (4x8 with 17ft enclosed run). Spring is here and the whole flock prefers perching in their enclosed run in good weather. I have a Broody house (3x4 currently housing a rooster ) attached to the run with its own 6x5 run on the other side as well. Also a (4×5 grow out hutch housing another rooster) with its own large run.

My broody, Truffles, recently hatched her very first set of chicks. 6 little fuzzballs. She and Trifle (the dad) have been working really hard to keep them safe, fed, and warm. They just reached 5 days old so I'm still going through the experience! But so far it's been amazing. Water under the bridge. I still get frightened thinking about if any predators try to get past our guard dog but knowing we can send her on a wild animal at any time, and knowing Trifle and Truffles are both ready to protect the little ones is what comforts me the most. It's been amazing to study the familial behavior of these birds. Trifle bringing in food for Mama and the babies, Truffles eating the shells the babies came out of, watching them both break up big chunks of food so the little ones can have dinner, etc. It's so fascinating. Of course, we did have the heartbreak of the 7th egg not ever forming an embryo but that made it a bit easier to throw it out without feeling bad lol. I'm just so excited to see these babies grow up. They all look exactly like their dad already.

 

[schrephouse]

My broody, Truffles, recently hatched her very first set of chicks. 6 little fuzzballs. She and Trifle (the dad) have been working really hard to keep them safe, fed, and warm. They just reached 5 days old so I'm still going through the experience! But so far it's been amazing. Water under the bridge. I still get frightened thinking about if any predators try to get past our guard dog but knowing we can send her on a wild animal at any time, and knowing Trifle and Truffles are both ready to protect the little ones is what comforts me the most. It's been amazing to study the familial behavior of these birds. Trifle bringing in food for Mama and the babies, Truffles eating the shells the babies came out of, watching them both break up big chunks of food so the little ones can have dinner, etc. It's so fascinating. Of course, we did have the heartbreak of the 7th egg not ever forming an embryo but that made it a bit easier to throw it out without feeling bad lol. I'm just so excited to see these babies grow up. They all look exactly like their dad already.

Congratulations Great job everyone. This sounds like a amazing experience and thank you for sharing. Keep your fingers crossed for my broody 2.

 

[Perris]