Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[aaggjg]

If she can't stand i wouldn't put it back with mama and the other chicks it would probably get trampled. I can see how they can just wander, I've seen mine do it too. As long as she isn't able to stand I keep her away from the group but when she gets her legs back under her I think i would bring another chick in to keep her company, will make it easier to intergrate them into the flock than if it's only one. I lost a mama hen last year when her chicks were 3 weeks old and they managed fine, so you may have to keep them separate until they are old enough to be with out heat. You have vitamins in the water you gave her right? maybe when you get home you can look the baby over better and see if their is an injury is the reason it's not standing.

So I raced home on my dinner break to check that no more chicks went wandering... and check on chick in incubator. Good news she was in a "squat" position with her legs under her!!!! They have been straight out all day so this is MAJOR progress. I gave her a few more gulps of vitamin water and raced her down to the coop and tucked her under mama hen for the night. Hoping she continues to improve .

On another note Popcorn was sleeping in the box next to Caesar .... Hmmmm She really wants to go broody again. I mean her chicks are 8 weeks old why not right???

 

[Miss Lydia]

So I raced home on my dinner break to check that no more chicks went wandering... and check on chick in incubator. Good news she was in a "squat" position with her legs under her!!!! They have been straight out all day so this is MAJOR progress. I gave her a few more gulps of vitamin water and raced her down to the coop and tucked her under mama hen for the night. Hoping she continues to improve .

On another note Popcorn was sleeping in the box next to Caesar .... Hmmmm She really wants to go broody again. I mean her chicks are 8 weeks old why not right???

Great news!!!

 

[Johnn]

Ive left the hens and chicks out from 10 till 4, its only 1.30 now, im so scared i hope they will be ok!

 

[stonykill]

I have another broody RIR. The same girl that is pictured in this thread sitting on my lap. She has been sitting 2 days on ceramic eggs. If she stays serious I'll give her some real ones tomorrow

 

[featherz]

YAY! My little princess accepted the chicks. Had to move her into a cat carrier tho as I have an evil RIR pullet in the same coop that kept trying to peck them. Evil RIR might have to go anyways, she keeps trying to mount the others like a rooster (and yes, she's a she - even lays eggs..). The rooster has stepped up and is trying to keep her in line, but if he can't, she goes.

Here's a bad phone pic of princess and one chick before she was moved. The other one is still hidden - had better 'mothering' pics but they all came out very poor. =(

 

[Kassaundra]

Awesome, so glad for you. I gave my first ever broody chicks to raise for the first time this week too, and it sure is nerve wrecking that first overnight not knowing what's going on w/ the broody and babies!!!!!!

 

[aaggjg]

So I raced down to the coop this morning to check on chick and Caesar was nesting with babies on the floor.... She got up and I only saw 3. I thought oh no I made a huge mistake putting recovering baby back last night. I raced to look in the nest box fully expecting to see a sad dead chick and it was empty! I went back to front of cool and still 3 babies. Wellcaesar LOVES to jump up on me. So as I was leaning in up she flew on my back revealing baby #4 under her!!!!!!!
It got up and started walking around with the others. From the steps of deaths doors it's alive and well!!! I've put a piece of wood across the door of the coop so not other babies can go wandering.....
I feel so lucky to have saved this one.....

 

[jvgrist]

Im veryy new to chickens, I just got my first babies in Febuary. Well my neighbors were evicted last year and left behind a flock of 13 chickens. 2 were left last week when I found them both sitting on 17 eggs (mind you these are both tiny bantams) in my tractor shed. Now they are in my coop in seperate dog cages (they were fighting). I got them some fertile eggs to replace their duds. Two eggs were eaten.. Im not sure if the broody ate them or if the other one did. Anyway, Id like to join you guys and get some advice.

edit: just noticed you said you had a coop! might just want to cover the cage the broody one is in. it's good you separated them. Just give it time! good luck (=

 

[efanie]

i set my first broody just over a week ago so far so good she only has 7 eggs under but i think that is a good place to start!

 

[Kassaundra]

So I raced down to the coop this morning to check on chick and Caesar was nesting with babies on the floor.... She got up and I only saw 3. I thought oh no I made a huge mistake putting recovering baby back last night. I raced to look in the nest box fully expecting to see a sad dead chick and it was empty! I went back to front of cool and still 3 babies. Wellcaesar LOVES to jump up on me. So as I was leaning in up she flew on my back revealing baby #4 under her!!!!!!!
It got up and started walking around with the others. From the steps of deaths doors it's alive and well!!! I've put a piece of wood across the door of the coop so not other babies can go wandering.....
I feel so lucky to have saved this one.....