Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[aaggjg]

Hope for the 2 Moran eggs is fading. I'll candle them tonight before bedtime, but I think Topsy is about done sitting.

. At leat she has her two babies.

I'm sorry ....

I'm still holding out hope that they will hatch!!!

 

[aaggjg]

Boy this thread moves fast! I didn't check for 1 day and was pages behind!!!!

So I took my blockade off the door to the coop and the first night I came down to chirping and 2 babies in the run not knowing how to get back up .... Well ever since that Popcorn has not brought them out of the coop! She scratches around in the sawdust like a crazy chicken looking for food..... Ummmm ok..... I had to dig to find the eggs that were laid today and I still haven't found my Ameruacanas and I saw her in the box for a long time!!!

I put a couple of bricks under the bottom of the ramp to make it a little less steep .... but still Popcorn keeps her kids in the coop! She was pecking my other poor little bantam Nugget who was in there trying to lay an egg. Still they remain in the coop... Popcorn will come out and take a dust bath but then run right back in ... and when 2 of the chicks got too close to the door today she clucked them right over to her!! She is so funny to watch! I love it!!!!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Are you certain of the length of time - maybe they are developed but not ready to hatch? Can you see any veins? If it's mostly dark I would leave them a couple more days and see what happens.

I was wanting to know how long to go before giving up on the chicks. She's on day 25 now and I just candled them, the eggs were completely dark, no movement (that I could see) and no sound. I'm guessing they are dead??? What really puzzles me is that we have another hen on day 23 and it seems that hers are also dead. Could it just be a bad coincidence that they both failed or could there be something else going on? Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Smokey has been broody twice this year so far and is still going strong - she's been sitting just 14 days this time. I do feed her scrambled eggs and mealyworms to help keep her protein levels up. She is 41 weeks old. Topsy is 31 weeks old and is broody for her 1st time - she's been sitting for 35 days. Both just hatched out the shipped eggs I put under them.

Make the area where you're moving her to ready - put some of the bedding from her current nest there. Then move her at night, cover her head loosely with a towel or washcloth and make sure to do it when it's dark. Don't let her see around until morning. Move the eggs over or just put fake ones there until you feel confident she'll stay sitting. I got Smokey to accept her 1st broody nest during the day without problems, however she wouldn't change places the 2nd time she went broody. And I had several failed daytime attempts with Topsy. I finally decided to move them at night and viola it worked.

Hope everything works out for you!

Alright, I started reading this thread and haven't finished so I'm really sorry if this is somewhere in here, but I need the info now since it's happening now!

I have a chicken who is about 7 months that is going broody (Golden Laced Wyandotte), and I want her to! She was sitting in the next box for longer and longer periods until last night I found her in the next box instead of roosting. I wanted to move her because it would be a disaster if she stayed in there. Since it was the middle of the night and I wanted to get her moved that day (all of my chickens like to use that next box), I put her in a cat carrier with bedding and left it in the coop (I realize now I should have put it outside of the coop and kept it dark. ****). Anyway, she was standing up this morning and when I open the cat carrier door she hopped right out. The other chickens saw the 3 falsies in there and now looks like they are going to lay in there today. Wierdos. But anyway, this seems great because it's mobile and if my broody girl starts sitting in there again I can just pull it out of the coop, put a blanket mostly covering it, and set up a little outside area with some food and water.

She is now on and off sitting places, but I'd love to try to encourage the broody in her. Is it too risky since she is young? Is there any way to encourage her to sit in the mobile nest? 2 of the girls layed in there today and one layed in the old one. The broody (almost) didn't lay today.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I'm sorry ....

I'm still holding out hope that they will hatch!!!

Well maybe there is still hope - she was still sitting on them when I checked on her about half an hour ago. I'll candle the eggs tonight when I close up for the night. It should be dark enough by then to see whether they will hatch or not.

My elusive dark eggs - first the Welsummers were all boys and now - no Marans. WAAAAHHHH!

 

[hokankai]

I'm seriously considering giving my other broody a trio of chicks. She's only been sitting for a couple of days, but the feed store's shipment comes in tomorrow and the chicks will be youngest then. Does she need to be sitting longer than that in order to take the chicks?

Oh, and the little polish was gone this morning. I'm sure something was wrong with it since it didn't look like it had grown at all since I brought it home. :\

 

[bobbieschicks]

Tripp I agree with you about the broody being fun - it is even fun after they leave the chicks because soon they will start to lay eggs again!

I dont think shes to young. My little BB Red Bantam isnt even a year old yet actually when she went broody she was only 8 months old. My Barred Rock that has chicks now just turned a year old in April. Gracie (Bantam) was practically a baby herself she laid for a month then went broody.

your question on moving them, I have never had success but Bobbieschicks has and she knows all the information on that. Your right though, move her when it is dark and cover her head and you might get her to sit and stay in the new spot. I wouldnt put hatching eggs under her until you know she is serious on sitting in the new area. That way she doesnt abandon growing eggs.

Having a broody is so fun all the way up to when she leaves the chicks (Around 5 weeks old). It is so much fun to watch her mother the eggs then the chicks. Good luck!!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Oh I forgot one more thing - as far as the nest goes - I've set up special secluded areas with straw nests for Smokey twice and once for Topsy - both of them decided it was better to be on the floor of the coop in the pine shaving away from the secluded box I put in there. Just make sure you have either a wired area or a separated area for the broody to hang out in and she'll feel safe to sit there. I put food and water in with them right before hatch, but prior to that date I make them come out to eat/drink and poop. Otherwise they may just stay inside and poop and you don't want to deal with that mess.

Alright, I started reading this thread and haven't finished so I'm really sorry if this is somewhere in here, but I need the info now since it's happening now!

I have a chicken who is about 7 months that is going broody (Golden Laced Wyandotte), and I want her to! She was sitting in the next box for longer and longer periods until last night I found her in the next box instead of roosting. I wanted to move her because it would be a disaster if she stayed in there. Since it was the middle of the night and I wanted to get her moved that day (all of my chickens like to use that next box), I put her in a cat carrier with bedding and left it in the coop (I realize now I should have put it outside of the coop and kept it dark. ****). Anyway, she was standing up this morning and when I open the cat carrier door she hopped right out. The other chickens saw the 3 falsies in there and now looks like they are going to lay in there today. Wierdos. But anyway, this seems great because it's mobile and if my broody girl starts sitting in there again I can just pull it out of the coop, put a blanket mostly covering it, and set up a little outside area with some food and water.

She is now on and off sitting places, but I'd love to try to encourage the broody in her. Is it too risky since she is young? Is there any way to encourage her to sit in the mobile nest? 2 of the girls layed in there today and one layed in the old one. The broody (almost) didn't lay today.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I'm so sorry about the polish - I think they and silkies can be so fragile.

You can certainly try to give the broody the chicks - each broody is different so you need to watch her reaction to them - Smokey only sat for 14 days and accepted the eggs I moved under her easily. She's hatched out 4 silkies and seems to be fine raising them. As long as she is truly broody and not just playing around - she's stopped laying and is staying in a nest - they I say give it a go. You have a brooder to put them in if she rejects them - right?

I'm seriously considering giving my other broody a trio of chicks. She's only been sitting for a couple of days, but the feed store's shipment comes in tomorrow and the chicks will be youngest then. Does she need to be sitting longer than that in order to take the chicks?

Oh, and the little polish was gone this morning. I'm sure something was wrong with it since it didn't look like it had grown at all since I brought it home. :\

 

[Wolftalk]

Ive got a quick question, i set my first time broody on 5 eggs yesterday, and would like to add 2 more. she is a small sebright bantam cross and will that be too many eggs for her? and i know they will hatch a day later but is that okay?