Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

great story and congrats

xs2

 

[yoie]

I thought I would join in and share that I have my very first broody! My Salmon Faverolles, Zimby (my oldest daughter's chicken) decided that she wanted to be a mama. I really wasn't ready for it, but let her do her thing. She is in a pen with a Blue Cochin Rooster, Barred Rock Hen, Mottled Houdan Hen, and a Tetra Tint Hen. She is sitting on 8 eggs, all looking fertile

. Three are from my Barred Rock, two from the Mottled Houdan, two from the Salmon Faverolles, and one big egg form the Tetra Tint. I am really curious what will come out of the crosses. Hopefully by this weekend, if I counted right, I should have some little chicks! My only worry is that the broody is pretty low on the pecking order, but my rooster has also been very protective of her when I check on her and her eggs. Never thought any out of that pen would be broody!

 

[echip]

Thank you Stonykill and Miss Lydia. I am thrilled with how everything turned out. It was worth all the worry, and even worth the embarrassment to my poor long-suffering hubby when the egg that was to be Lucky peeped contantly from inside my bra in that restaurant. I don't think anyone else noticed.

However, I think the long staggered hatch was my fault. What happened is this. Two experienced bantams, Robin and Henrietta went broody at the same time. Some of you on this forum have had good luck with hens sharing the raising of chicks. So I decided to try. A friend gave me 14 barnyard mix eggs - 8 LF and 6 bantam - and we were off.

Well, Robin is a very fiesty strong-minded little person, and it seems that every time Henrietta would get up to take a drink of water or a nibble Robin would steal one or two of Henrietta's eggs. Two weeks into the brooding, Robin had 13 and Henrietta had one lone egg. Here they are:



Then suddenly Robin came to a decision in her tiny but determined little brain - "Enough of this!" She was done with this brooding business. She began running around the hutch begging to be let out.

When I took Robin out, Henrietta calmly moved onto the nest of 14 eggs (yes, Robin had stolen that last egg!) and pancaked down on them. I watched Robin for a couple of hours, but she was done brooding, period, end of story.

So now little bantam Henrietta had 14 eggs under her - too many. Yet she was determined and happy. My candling skills are poor so I was afraid to take away an egg that had been developing for 2 weeks. Closer to hatch time I took a few aside and did the float test and got rid of those that flunked. All 6 bantam eggs were infertile. That left Henrietta with those 8 LF eggs, and sometimes one would be sticking out. Maybe being cooler or drier part of the time was what caused some of the eggs to hatch so slowly? Guessing.

Anyhow, Miss Lydia, you were one of the people who talked me down from my panic when there were two cheeping eggs so now little Number Seven is named Miss Lydia. Here she is today:

 

[animallover505]

Still trying to think of a special name Number 7, who hatched in my hand.

is there a theme?
male-Bill
female- Jill

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you Stonykill and Miss Lydia. I am thrilled with how everything turned out. It was worth all the worry, and even worth the embarrassment to my poor long-suffering hubby when the egg that was to be Lucky peeped contantly from inside my bra in that restaurant. I don't think anyone else noticed.

However, I think the long staggered hatch was my fault. What happened is this. Two experienced bantams, Robin and Henrietta went broody at the same time. Some of you on this forum have had good luck with hens sharing the raising of chicks. So I decided to try. A friend gave me 14 barnyard mix eggs - 8 LF and 6 bantam - and we were off.

Well, Robin is a very fiesty strong-minded little person, and it seems that every time Henrietta would get up to take a drink of water or a nibble Robin would steal one or two of Henrietta's eggs. Two weeks into the brooding, Robin had 13 and Henrietta had one lone egg. Here they are:



Then suddenly Robin came to a decision in her tiny but determined little brain - "Enough of this!" She was done with this brooding business. She began running around the hutch begging to be let out.

When I took Robin out, Henrietta calmly moved onto the nest of 14 eggs (yes, Robin had stolen that last egg!) and pancaked down on them. I watched Robin for a couple of hours, but she was done brooding, period, end of story.

So now little bantam Henrietta had 14 eggs under her - too many. Yet she was determined and happy. My candling skills are poor so I was afraid to take away an egg that had been developing for 2 weeks. Closer to hatch time I took a few aside and did the float test and got rid of those that flunked. All 6 bantam eggs were infertile. That left Henrietta with those 8 LF eggs, and sometimes one would be sticking out. Maybe being cooler or drier part of the time was what caused some of the eggs to hatch so slowly? Guessing.

Anyhow, Miss Lydia, you were one of the people who talked me down from my panic when there were two cheeping eggs so now little Number Seven is named Miss Lydia. Here she is today:

Well thank you and i am honored. She is adorable. and i can imagine the look on your dh face everytime the chick would peep inside your top. That made me laugh outloud.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Well thank you and i am honored.  She is adorable.  and i can imagine the look on your dh face everytime the chick would peep inside your top. That made me laugh outloud.  

Reminds me of the song from Carousel, June is Busting Out All Over! Lol

 

[prairie]

Echip-- wonderful story and pics!! Thanks for sharing!! I have 2 broody hens and thought I had them settled and the Australorp already has her guinea eggs under her but his morning one of my EE's had taken over the special broody box from her apparently when she stepped out for a drink and eat. So Aussie went to another nest! I booted the EE out of the nest (she is not broody) and tossed a towel over Aussie's head and put her back in the nest. She settled right down and has been there the whole day. I put a chicken wire enclosure around her to keep the others out of her nest and then put some food and water inside the enclosure.

My other broody is my little Cornie (Cornish banty) I haven't given her the fertile guinea eggs yet but another of my hens had joined her on the nest. Cornie did not leave the nest -- they were both on it. So I booted the other hen off and tightened up the enclosure around Cornie so no one could get into her.

Well you would have thought I started WW3!! The 2 hens I booted off the nest were having a fit at me and trying to get back in-- neither are broody but wanted those nests to lay their eggs apparently. After about 20 minutes they gave up and went to the regular egg nests and laid their eggs. What a morning. Tonight I want to give little Cornie her eggs but I might wait one more day.

 

[Hscsusiq]

My black broody, Princess, taught me all about this brooding with a hen... Her first hatch I took from her, thinking that was the right thing. Nonono! She went wild. Second hatch, I isolated her. She was very unhappy. Third time she disappeared during a snow storm in Febuary and, after I mourned her, she reappeared with a string of babies. I gave up. She raised so many babies I can't count. Often twice a year. Now when one goes broody I put some medium to large hard shelled marked eggs under her & wait. Up high? No problem, chicks bounce on the deep straw bedding. Ramps? Mama will teach them, like Princess taught me.... Mama knows best. No separating, they'll blend into the flock under Mama's eye. Don't worry if she lets them chill a time or two. This current broody panicked me becausee she must have chilled those eggs 3 times at least. Grrrrr. They still hatched, but a few days later than I thought they should. I should know by now. Trust Mother Nature and your broody.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My black broody, Princess, taught me all about this brooding with a hen... Her first hatch I took from her, thinking that was the right thing. Nonono! She went wild. Second hatch, I isolated her. She was very unhappy. Third time she disappeared during a snow storm in Febuary and, after I mourned her, she reappeared with a string of babies. I gave up. She raised so many babies I can't count. Often twice a year. Now when one goes broody I put some medium to large hard shelled marked eggs under her & wait. Up high? No problem, chicks bounce on the deep straw bedding. Ramps? Mama will teach them, like Princess taught me.... Mama knows best. No separating, they'll blend into the flock under Mama's eye. Don't worry if she lets them chill a time or two. This current broody panicked me becausee she must have chilled those eggs 3 times at least. Grrrrr. They still hatched, but a few days later than I thought they should. I should know by now. Trust Mother Nature and your broody.

So true. and

 

[Miss Lydia]

This is Macey [my granddaughter named her after her] LOL and her little one, theres another in there under all that fluff.