Need expert advice on hatching with a broody

[chickeypeep101]

She is so pretty. Post pics of the chicks. Good luck.

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

Forgot to ask....How many more days?

 

[panner123]

You have the expert on the nest. Make sure there is feed and water abailable and she will take care of the rest.

 

[KKatknap]

I am so glad I checked out this thread! I have a broody chicken and was wondering about giving her a few eggs. Thanks for asking great questions and posting pictures of your nest box set-up. I'm starting to dream and plan.....

 

[goldeneggtees]

It's only been a few days she has been on them, so they aren't due until around Dec 13th, going by an incubation period of 21 days.

Unfortunately, we of course picked that date a few months ago to go away for the weekend! What poor planning. But the good news is I have neighbors who will be keeping an eye out and my chicken sitter who gets paid $15.00 a day to come clean under their roosts and feed treats, fresh water & feed, will be coming by as well. Then there is my friend who is a vet who will be sharing the chicks with us, she'll be coming by too. She is awesome and saved Baby Bad Wings, the runt of our flocks life when she had a terrible wound that was covered in maggots this past summer on her underside (we were away on our summer vacation when this happened). Luckily, now our chicken sitter knows to look out for trouble or warning signs for a chicken who may be injured, so it wouldn't get to that point again.

Whew, I was really looking forward to getting away but I know that I will be a very worried mother hen thinking of Mrs. Cuddlesworth here hatching her chickies. BTW, that is her as a chick in my avatar. The really funny thing is, I knew she would be the one to turn broody and be the best mother even when she was little. She was the cuddliest and always had very hot feet. Hope they aren't too hot!

 

[tdgill]

I wish I was hatching chicks right now.... DBF says too much work/electricity costs to set up outside brooder to keep them warm this winter. Even if I raise them inside myself (which defeats the whole purpose of enjoying mamma with her babies) I'd be putting them out in the coop by the middle of January. Brrrrr. Keep thinking I want to hatch some chickies too!!! Just can't figure out how to make it make sense. What do you have planned for a brooder - or is it mamma hen that does the keeping warm part?

Sorry, I have to ask this. Please take no offense. Maybe next time don't let her go broody so long before deciding to give her eggs. Cause she went 3 weeks or more and then another 3 weeks on top of that. I dont think they do eat as good while they're broody. I had to break a broody hen twice already (it was this summer and too hot to be in the coop all day!!!) but it was easy. I put her in a separate pen with a wire floor and a perch - with her second in command hen sister. Let her range with the flock - locked out of the coop and at nite put her and her buddy in the crate again. Took three days.

 

[goldeneggtees]

Hi, thanks for thinking of her like that. You are right to be concerned, I was and still am. I am inexperienced with chickens and this is my first broody. I tried to break up her broodiness a few times. I took her off the nest multiple times, that sure didn't work, we had a race straight back to the coop. Then, we put her alone in the section where she currently is now for a night or two, that didn't work. I had her perched up on top of a pallet thinking the cool air under her might do it but it didn't. I am a softy and didn't want to put her in a crate. Now I see that may be the only way. Next time it happens, I won't give in for obvious reasons and get more fertile eggs. But I will try the cool ice pack wrapped in a towel under her, combined or in addition to the wire cage. Maybe that'll do the trick.

To tell the honest truth, I'm not even sure how we'll handle the chickies, but I will work on this beforehand. My husband doesn't want the extra cost of additional electric either. We do have an extra room in the basement we can keep them in if need be. It's still cold but not crazy cold like it will be outside. I have been hand feeding her but I know it's not enough, considering they eat all day. Having said all that, I got 8 chicks April 1st and they are all still with me. It is my hope, that this trend will continue. I love my "ladies" and sure hope Mrs. Cuddlesworth will be ok. I totally understand your worries! I will post back with updates and hopefully they will be good ones!

 

[tdgill]

thanks for being so understanding with me. I am new to all of this too, and have a lot to learn myself.

Curious to know from experienced hatchers - is it a concern that she has been broody for at least three weeks already, and now will be sitting for another three? I mean, don't they lose weight etc. while they are doing the broody thing?

 

[2468Chickensrgr8]

My mama broody is a little bantam and she's a sitter ....I make extra trips to hand feed her and I always have feed /water in front of her ..usually I put her in a broody cage /crate now so I can monetor how much she eats and drinks ...give her good treats ....Once the chicks are hatched she will be teaching them how to forage for food ..including feed...and baby chicks will eat and eat ...so she'll be eating alot also ...
Right now I have a hen with 5 chicks that are eight weeks old and we have colder nights now and when I pick them up there toasty warm from sitting under her wings ....
She'll be find ....
Sometimes mother nature is a crazy woman !