Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[prairie]

Oh no! I just saw the black Cornish running from the chicken house!! I ran out there and one of the dominant hens, an EE, apparently booted Cornie from her nest and was sitting on the nest. I watched for about 1/2 hour and the hen left and Cornie went back in to her nest.

I was going to put her in a cardboard box for a broody box but what do you all think of me using a large dog carrier and just keeping it closed up? Or should I just let them handle everything them selves?? Don't really know what to do to keep the other hens off the nest. I could cordon off a part of the chicken house with chicken wire ?

What do you all say??

 

[bwalker]

My Mama hen Candy & her four baby chicks!! LIFE IS GOOD!

 

[peepmommy]

I love the name, our hen is Candy too! The chicks look great! Congratulations!!!

 

[prairie]

What breed is your hen, Candy. I love that pic!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Oh no!  I just saw the black Cornish running from the chicken house!!  I ran out there and one of the dominant hens, an EE, apparently booted Cornie from her nest and was sitting on the nest.  I watched for about 1/2 hour and the hen left and Cornie went back in to her nest. 

I was going to put her in a cardboard box for a broody box but what do you all think of me using a large dog carrier and just keeping it closed up?  Or should I just let them handle everything them selves??  Don't really know what to do to keep the other hens off the nest.  I could cordon off a part of the chicken house with chicken wire ? 

What do you all say??

I wired off a section of the coop and then ran landscape fabric up the middle to have room for both broodies. They hatched the same time and by day 5 I removed the wire & fabric and they moved around to find a new nest area from heir broods.

I tried to use boxes and a cat carrier, but both broodies moved their eggs out of those areas and onto the pine shavings on the floor.

 

[bobbieschicks]

My Mama hen Candy & her four baby chicks!!   LIFE IS GOOD!

Awhh so cute. And what a beautiful momma

 

[countrygirl5]

I was wondering if stress causes hens to slow down their egg production? Twice this week I've had to get in the coop and grab chickens. Which of course causes quite a roccaous. But since then, instead of 5 eggs a day, i'm down to three. Also, how can you tell if a chicken isn't laying? I have six hens and get only five eggs a day. I should get 3 blue and 3 brown, but only get 3 blue and two brown. I've narrowed it down to one of the buff orp's., but don't know how to determine which one.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I was wondering if stress causes hens to slow down their egg production?  Twice this week I've had to get in the coop and grab chickens.  Which of course causes quite a roccaous.  But since then, instead of 5 eggs a day, i'm down to three.  Also, how can you tell if a chicken isn't laying?  I have six hens and get only five eggs a day.  I should get 3 blue and 3 brown, but only get 3 blue and two brown.  I've narrowed it down to one of the buff orp's., but don't know how to determine which one. 

Well as far as the # of eggs matching the # of layers every day, sorry but that is a pipe dream. Even production birds don't lay daily. The best you can hope for is every other day. Some days I get four, some two. And I have two that are broody. So I was getting 4-6 eggs.

How to tell. You can watch and take the eggs once they lay. My LOs each lay a different shade of brown with subtle pattern differences. Or you can build a trap nest to track the layers and eggs.

And yes stress can change layers. Weather and age as well.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Saw Smokey peck Topsy's littlest baby during treat time. Guess she didn't like it being so close to her babies when food is involved. Can't believe they are already two weeks old.

 

[bwalker]

My hen Candy is a Plymouth White Rock.. we named her Cotton Candy, because she was remarkably fluffy as a youngster (and still is) compared to the rest of the girls... She has turned out to be a terrific Mama hen...