Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

Absolutely adorable

 

[bobbieschicks]

[COLOR=4B0082]Good news and bad news...[/COLOR]
[COLOR=4B0082]Good news is, Tilda is absolutely sitting tight on her clutch. She is aggressively protective of them.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=4B0082]Bad news is, she is allowing someone to lay in her nest because apparently she feels no amount of eggs is too many.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=4B0082]I fancied I would be able to remove new eggs when she gets up to stretch and eat, but I am not always there to nab them when she gets up (I think it is super early in the morning). She started with 11 eggs I gave her on Thursday afternoon, and as of yesterday afternoon she had 13 of them.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=4B0082]I have to profoundly disturb her to get at the new eggs (the ones I gave her are marked) and she is brutal about keeping me away from them (I have the peck-marks to prove it!).[/COLOR]
[COLOR=4B0082]Does anybody have any ideas about how to handle the situation?[/COLOR]
[COLOR=4B0082]I can't move her and the clutch, because she loses her mind when I even peek into the nest. She has started to screech when I walk into the coop, now.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=4B0082]I just don't want her to get so many eggs under her she can't keep them all warm.[/COLOR]

Sounds like your best option is to move her and eggs to an enclosure somewhere so she can safely sit and you can stay peck free. Do it in the dark. Put a towel over her head. Put some of the old nesting stuff in the new area with the eggs then put her on them. I've done it that way several times and it's worked fine.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I just asked this question of someone else on the board/group, because I have a RIR hen that has gone super broodie (broody) and will not move, however the other RIR I have pushes into the nest with her (you'd think there was only i nest box - not 5!) Anyway The lady told me to wait until a few days before hatching and then move the eggs and mum to the bottom - Give her the same sort of conditions etc and she should still sit on the eggs - the other thing was the higher sides. I liked the moving down as I feel the hen should feel pretty committed to the eggs and would move with them and then I have not worries about transitions later. This comes from someone that has never hatched an egg, broodie or incubator - I know how to poach one though

You are better off moving earlier in the hatch rather then waiting until late. If you move her later you have a greater risk she will abandon the eggs. Move early. Do it in the dark. Or wait until all the eggs have hatched and move mom & chicks. I have two broodies who have hatched 5 clutches now and they've been moved every time.

 

[guinea fowl galore]

Hi all!

I set 30 eggs yesterday. My Light Sussex girl has 14 blue and black Australorp eggs and two bantams (a silkie and a silkie cross) are sitting on the other 16, which are experimental eggs. I have a three (two hens, one roo) white silkies that have a few black feathers on them so im hatching their eggs to see what pops out maybe a paint like chick.
so I will be updating you all regularly

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi all!
I set 30 eggs yesterday. My Light Sussex girl has 14 blue and black Australorp eggs and two bantams (a silkie and a silkie cross) are sitting on the other 16, which are experimental eggs. I have a three (two hens, one roo) white silkies that have a few black feathers on them so im hatching their eggs to see what pops out

maybe a paint like chick.
so I will be updating you all regularly

 

[aoxa]

Anyone want to help me with an issue..

I have 12 call ducklings (6 weeks old) and they are with the main flock.. I let my broody out of the barn on Friday with her 7 chicks, and the ducklings all went after them. The mother attacked as many as she could, but they continued. I had to gather them back up and put them back in the barn, because she obviously couldn't fight those evil ducks off. Anyone have any advice for this? Should I just wait until the chicks are bigger and less of a target, or should I build them their own pen?

Darn ducks.. I should just move their pool so they don't hang out at the barn door entrance. Maybe that will work?

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

You are better off moving earlier in the hatch rather then waiting until late. If you move her later you have a greater risk she will abandon the eggs. Move early. Do it in the dark. Or wait until all the eggs have hatched and move mom & chicks.
I have two broodies who have hatched 5 clutches now and they've been moved every time.

I agree. Especially if she's that committed. Once they are in their own enclosure you don't have to worry about others disturbing them during the hatch either. Or the hen leaving viable eggs behind because her chicks aren't safe from others. It goes much smoother.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Anyone want to help me with an issue..
I have 12 call ducklings (6 weeks old) and they are with the main flock.. I let my broody out of the barn on Friday with her 7 chicks, and the ducklings all went after them. The mother attacked as many as she could, but they continued. I had to gather them back up and put them back in the barn, because she obviously couldn't fight those evil ducks off. Anyone have any advice for this? Should I just wait until the chicks are bigger and less of a target, or should I build them their own pen?
Darn ducks.. I should just move their pool so they don't hang out at the barn door entrance. Maybe that will work?

Wow maybe they thought they were chicken tenders. Sounds like your going to have to keep them separate for a while longer, maybe try moving the pool to a different location and see if that helps. A mob of Call ducks wow.

 

[aoxa]

Wow maybe they thought they were chicken tenders. Sounds like your going to have to keep them separate for a while longer, maybe try moving the pool to a different location and see if that helps. A mob of Call ducks wow. 

EVIL call ducks.

It looks like they are flogging them. They are running full force and nipping them in the rear ends. It's very mean lol. If I put them with the other broodies, everyone is attacking eachothers' babies. It's a lot to handle. Especially when this broody I am trying to protect has my most important babies (silkies) I don't want to lose any. :S

I'll keep them safe until they are a bit bigger. Only supervised visits with the evil call ducks lol.

 

[chicklady2012]

um one of my hens are sitting I think on 4 eggs, should I take her off or leave her? I just had 11 babies 2 months ago :/