Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

Copper has a final count of thirteen chicks. Will try for pictures today. I got lucky with the last chick who was apparently the biggest butterball and hatched last, left behind. After a night on the warming pad and coaxing some tweezer held food he perked up and looked and acted normal, not wanting to wait I took him to the coop. All the chicks were out and about - so warm out! So I put him in a corner and played a little shuffle game and mama never noticed a new chick was there! (Well with twelve others I thought she wouldn't be able to count that high) hopefully. Butterball was too cute, he ran over to the others like a kid in kindergarten, so happy to be there but not knowing what to do or say. Mama copper took him and starting showing him how to eat, he stayed right at her head catching up on the lessons he'd missed out on. I'm happy that worked out well, was holding my breath, ready to snatch him out of there should things go sideways. Much later, at night, i switched brooders from a 2' x 4' area to 2' x 8' and gave the two remaining orphans the smaller area. I think they really needed the room as mama is a vigorous scratcher. She was mad but settled down as soon as the chicks found there way over to her..she is turning out to be a really good mama, it's her second brood this year.

Glad it worked out - yes they will need that extra room with 13 of them in there. By the time they're 4 weeks it will be standing room only.

 

[Johnn]

Oh no I'm so sorry - what is a "stoat"? Why only in November?

It's like a weasel, its such a waste to catching the biggest hens and only eating the head. Im not sure why only November it's always puzzeled me, i think it's because they move lower down for the winter because they run out of food and they just pass my hens on the way down to its like a drive threw at a fast food restraunt, and a week after my first was killed 20 of my friends show chickens were killed. One got killed in November (at the start) and then i was ill for a couple of weeks so my parents had to feed them and then i got took into hospital for a few days, then when i got out the next day i went to see them with a friend i was so excited, then i just found a trail of feathers so i followed them and there was the other one lieng deadc , so it wasn't a very nice welcome home presant.

 

[bobbieschicks]

It's like a weasel, its such a waste to catching the biggest hens and only eating the head. Im not sure why only November it's always puzzeled me, i think it's because they move lower down for the winter because they run out of food and they just pass my hens on the way down to its like a drive threw at a fast food restraunt, and a week after my first was killed 20 of my friends show chickens were killed. One got killed in November (at the start) and then i was ill for a couple of weeks so my parents had to feed them and then i got took into hospital for a few days, then when i got out the next day i went to see them with a friend i was so excited, then i just found a trail of feathers so i followed them and there was the other one lieng deadc , so it wasn't a very nice welcome home presant.

Oh no - that's not a good welcome home. I'm so sorry - hopefully it won't come around this year. Maybe someone caught it and it's been dispatched. I'll hope for that for you.

 

[stonykill]

Ok my broody is due Thursday but after they hatch what do I do?

this is what Ihave done the last 2 dozen times a broody hatched chicks. Sat back and enjoyed the show. NOTHING else. No moves, no taking of chicks, just watch. I have yet to see the need to remove a broody and chicks from the area. Never seen a situation that mama couldn't control. Letmama raise the lil ones and just sit back and monitor.

 

[Johnn]

Oh no - that's not a good welcome home. I'm so sorry - hopefully it won't come around this year. Maybe someone caught it and it's been dispatched. I'll hope for that for you.

Thanks, I hope aswell!

 

[farmer boy]

Oh okay - that makes more sense - thank you.

The young roo will keep trying to mate anyone he can mate - if he's very young he may not be actually trying to mate them - but instead he's trying to dominate them. I'm about to process at least two if not three of my cockerels so that my poor girls can get a break from all the crowing, mounting, feather loss, etc.

As soon as all those Silkies get old enough I'll process those cockerels too - right now they all look like cockerels to me - hoping not.

Of course I say "process" but this will be my first time of doing it - so I pray for the strength to complete the job and let our family enjoy the fruit of having raised these cockerels from birth.

no he is mating with them he is 6-7 months old he jumps on them and does what the adult roos do and my little ones around 10-13 weeks just lay there looking dead so i hold them until the other ones come over to be with her .. my oldest roo is scared of my younger roo he is 7-8 months old and the other one is like 2 years old and he is bigger ... the young one is a partridge cantecler and the older one is a leghorn

 

[aoxa]

Has anyone ever experienced a hen stepping all over the chicks? My barred rock stepped on (and killed) one of her chicks.. Is this common? I would say it was because she has so many, but even when just a few are following her, she steps or kicks them. They are starting to learn to move out of the way, but I'm still nervous. It broke my heart to hold that dying chick. She broke it's neck and it was not a pleasant experience. Can't quite get the image of that chick out of my head. It took a good 30 seconds for it to die.

Other than that one little thing, Marge is a devoted and loving mother.

 

[stonykill]

Has anyone ever experienced a hen stepping all over the chicks? My barred rock stepped on (and killed) one of her chicks.. Is this common?
I would say it was because she has so many, but even when just a few are following her, she steps or kicks them. They are starting to learn to move out of the way, but I'm still nervous. It broke my heart to hold that dying chick. She broke it's neck and it was not a pleasant experience. Can't quite get the image of that chick out of my head. It took a good 30 seconds for it to die.

Other than that one little thing, Marge is a devoted and loving mother.

I have had them step on, kick etc but never had one killed from being stepped on. My Blue Sumatra "Mama" with 15 lil ones kicked hers all the time the 1st couple of days until they figured out where to stand.

 

[stonykill]

my newest Black Sumatra mama has 8 lil ones. The dark Blue Sumatra hasn't come off the nest yet. I know she has at least 4

 

[aoxa]

  I have had them step on, kick etc but never had one killed from being stepped on. My Blue Sumatra "Mama" with 15 lil ones kicked hers all the time the 1st couple of days until they figured out where to stand. 

Maybe it was just bad luck? :/ I sure hope so.

It's been 4 days since then. Didn't lose another.

Wanted to add that I gave her RSL chicks and they are broody stupid lol. It seems they aren't quite as smart as other breeds I've raised by broodies on how to get under her in the right places to keep warm.