Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[BarefootMom]

okay that didn't work as planned...

bought some new chicks to put with Iris and she rejected them...she pecked them and made horrible noises at them...(Not to mention that one of her babies died last night...) So we took her out and put a silkie with the chicks and they are all well settled...

so now we have a black silkie with:

2 silver laced Wyandotes
1 Black Australorp
2 Polish
1 Rouen duckling
1 Black silkie
1barn yard mix

Need to come up with a name for my new mama.

 

[shellyga]

I have decided that broodiness is contagious. let me start by saying that I have nine Buff Orpington laying hens.. Well "Specks" decides to go broody - which we rejoiced in as they are the best incubator for sure. Well Specks kept changing nests for the first couple of days.. so on the third day, we moved the eggs to the nest that she was now favoring....on Thursday, I told my husband to check on her and make sure she was still on nest #2. I have a towel close by to aid in broody moving if necessary. He calls me at work and says yep.. she is in the right nest and girls are laying eggs in every nest box...so she couldn't move if she wanted to. I get home at about 7:00pm and go to check on her.. what do I find but the nest on either side of her occupied WITH ANOTHER BROODY.. so hummm we now have three.. one was fantastic..two was pretty good.. but three.. egg production is going to go way down..lol I did find enough eggs to put under all of them with some recent auction/egg swaps.. will candle on day 18 and swap out so they are sitting on any clears

Gotta love a broody trio

Shelly

 

[stonykill]

Shelly, I have a broody trio (so far) myself. I expect more to go broody as the year continues....

 

[stonykill]

Broody update! I finally got to see my Blue Sumatra's little ones! I think it is 5. I thought she was on 10 eggs, but maybe thats the other Broody Sumatra. Anyway, her nest was 12 inches off the ground. I wake up this morning to cheeping, and Mama S trying to coax her little ones out. They are all on the floor. Mama, and the little ones. I got a pic but it is horrible. Next thing I know, Mama S is back 12 inches high in her nest....little ones calling for her, her calling them. So I put on gloves, thick gloves, and moved her nest to floor level. Everyone seems happy now....

 

[stonykill]

the eggs she abandoned are in the incubator.... just in case. Some were late lays from a nest stealing hen....

 

[Miss Lydia]

What a brave person you are stony,

and congrats on the little ones.. looking forward to pics..

 

[stonykill]

Quote:
you wouldn't think a 3 to 4 lb hen could hurt you so much

. In the end Mama S was happy, and so were her babies

THICK gloves are the key. And safety glasses....just in case.

 

[pdsavage]

Finally got my first broody of the year

I gave her a few days to make sure she was gonna stay with it.Im not sure how many eggs she has but looks like alot

She is now moved to another pen and seams to be ok with the move.

 

[stonykill]

ok, mama S has 5 babies. We watched her teach them to eat, now she is outside with them teaching them to dust bathe. One of them looks like a chipmunk.

Pics later. That brings the new Sumatra chick total to 30 new little ones. 9 from Broody's. With another broody hatch due next week! Mothers Day breakfast, then paint the duck coop.

 

[BarefootMom]

Okay here is the new foster mama since CPS (Chick Protection Services) had to step in and remove the other mama...

Miss Iris is still a bit upset, but she was really REALLy mean to the new chicks and was pecking at them, especially the little yellow polish chick...She scared it to death and everytime it would come out of hiding she would peck it! We couldn't allow that to happen. So she will just have to get over it.

She still isn't sure this morning...