May 2020 Hatch-A-Long

[FortCluck]

I love my Leghorns. I have SC White and RC Dark Brown Leghorns.

I've never owned a leghorn until now

 

[Perris]

Can I join this party? My Eve has gone broody, and is now sitting on 10 eggs... due 23rd May if all goes to plan

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Can I join this party? My Eve has gone broody, and is now sitting on 10 eggs... due 23rd May if all goes to plan

Absolutely! The more the merrier!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I have a question and would love to hear what @CluckNDoodle thinks... So, one of our hens has been acting like she is working on going broody the last few days. Eggs (14 now) are on day 13 in the incubator. This hen has hatched chicks in the past but I haven’t tried to give her chicks. What’s the shortest time spent broody where it is reasonably safe to introduce chicks, or maybe eggs at Day 18?

 

[CindyinSD]

I have 1 brooder plate and it is in my brooder pen inside my chicken coop as a heat lamp will not fit where the brooder pen is. I have a heat lamp in our shop bathroom where my tank brooder pen is. My chicks always seem very content with the heat lamps. I would like to get some more broody plates for use in the shop....it's just convincing the hubby that I need them that is the problem. His thought process is "if we have something that works then why do we need to invest in something else." I am interested in hearing more about the reptile bulbs though! I would love to do away with the light if I could so that the chicks can get into a natural light cycle. Do you just use them with the metal heat lamp shields?

Yes, I just screw them into plain old brooder lights that you use with the regular bulbs. I got mine on Amazon, but I'm sure they're available from pet stores that carry reptile/amphibian supplies, too. As I recall, they were around $9-$12 depending on seller. Not cheap, but less than brooder plates by a lot, and I haven't had any burn out.

I have a brooder plate I'm happy with, but If you have any old heating pads you don't use, you can make one. I use a couple layers of hardware cloth with duck tape on the edges, + the heating pad, inside a plasticized feed bag, wrapped up neatly and taped with the cord hanging out one corner. You need one that lets you bypass the auto shut-off feature. If yours doesn't offer that, I think you could just cut out the controller and wire it back together without. I only ever use mine on full heat anyway. You bend down two sides to make a kind of tunnel in the brooder box. Mine love it.

 

[kelseyk]

Yes, I just screw them into plain old brooder lights that you use with the regular bulbs. I got mine on Amazon, but I'm sure they're available from pet stores that carry reptile/amphibian supplies, too. As I recall, they were around $9-$12 depending on seller. Not cheap, but less than brooder plates by a lot, and I haven't had any burn out.

I have a brooder plate I'm happy with, but If you have any old heating pads you don't use, you can make one. I use a couple layers of hardware cloth with duck tape on the edges, + the heating pad, inside a plasticized feed bag, wrapped up neatly and taped with the cord hanging out one corner. You need one that lets you bypass the auto shut-off feature. If yours doesn't offer that, I think you could just cut out the controller and wire it back together without. I only ever use mine on full heat anyway. You bend down two sides to make a kind of tunnel in the brooder box. Mine love it.

Awesome! Thanks! I will look into the reptile lights on Amazon (no pet store anywhere near here - closest one is 3 hours away.)

 

[LONDON HENS]

Those pics are amazing! She looks like a great mom. What breed is she?

I have no idea.. she was a chick in my first broody hatch back in 2011. She has reared chicks every year since..even in my profile picture from like 5 years ago.. We got some eggs from a friend down the road and he had all sorts. I did see someone with a very similar looking hen a few years ago but didn't get a chance to ask what breed. or what mix of breeds.

Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[SueT]

Awesome! Thanks! I will look into the reptile lights on Amazon (no pet store anywhere near here - closest one is 3 hours away.)

I use reptile bulb (aka ceramic heat emitter) as well. I use a 75 watt and put it in a clamp light fixture. I start w it pretty low, and raise it in height as chicks grow. It only heats the area under it, not the whole brooder. But I think chicks benefit from having an ambient temperature area, just like w mama hen. I get the bulbs on Ebay, they are under $10, including shipping. So much cheaper than a heat plate, and easier to see the chicks under, as well.
I like it that it puts out no light and chicks sleep all night. Also, it's so nice for photography not having that awful red glow....

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I have a question and would love to hear what @CluckNDoodle thinks... So, one of our hens has been acting like she is working on going broody the last few days. Eggs (14 now) are on day 13 in the incubator. This hen has hatched chicks in the past but I haven’t tried to give her chicks. What’s the shortest time spent broody where it is reasonably safe to introduce chicks, or maybe eggs at Day 18?

That should be just enough time I think. You can kind of tell their demeanor changes from "thinking about being broody" to "serious business broody" after about a week of sitting. They take shorter breaks and don't even look at you as much, lol.
I've never tried less than a week of sitting though.

All of my broody hens accept eggs and most of them accept chicks after dark placed under their wings. If you're unsure of her or feel like she won't accept them after hatch then you can wait to give them to her until lockdown and she should still treat them just like she did all the work. Lol

 

[FortCluck]

View attachment 2119332View attachment 2119334

I have no idea.. she was a chick in my first broody hatch back in 2011. She has reared chicks every year since..even in my profile picture from like 5 years ago.. We got some eggs from a friend down the road and he had all sorts. I did see someone with a very similar looking hen a few years ago but didn't get a chance to ask what breed. or what mix of breeds.

Does anyone have any ideas?

I had a chick that looked like this but it was a barnyard mix