Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Brethren49619]

Here's an update.

I just got my shipped chicks in today. This evening I took the eggs and golfballs from my broody silkie and placed the chicks under her. At first, she was fine with them. Then they started running all over. She did not leave the nest and she did not kick any of them out from under her. Any that were not under her though started getting pecked. So many were running around, I wondered if there were any under her. I picked her up a little, and there were only 2 left under her.

I think the problems were this:
1 - there are 22 chicks. Quite a few more than I was counting on.
2 - Knowing that she probably couldn't keep them all warm, I left the red heat lamp on. That way if there were too many, they could still gravitate to the heat and be okay. The light probably just woke them all up though.

Right now the chicks are all in a box under the lamp. Broody mama is sitting in her nest with nothing in it. She has access to the box of chicks if she wants to go be a mama. Will check on them again in a little bit.

What would you all have done??

 

[ll]

I would have done it in darkness with no light. But that is alot of chicks, Maybe give her the max amount of chicks for her size and set up a brooder area with light elsewhere.

Here's an update.

I just got my shipped chicks in today. This evening I took the eggs and golfballs from my broody silkie and placed the chicks under her. At first, she was fine with them. Then they started running all over. She did not leave the nest and she did not kick any of them out from under her. Any that were not under her though started getting pecked. So many were running around, I wondered if there were any under her. I picked her up a little, and there were only 2 left under her.

I think the problems were this:
1 - there are 22 chicks. Quite a few more than I was counting on.
2 - Knowing that she probably couldn't keep them all warm, I left the red heat lamp on. That way if there were too many, they could still gravitate to the heat and be okay. The light probably just woke them all up though.

Right now the chicks are all in a box under the lamp. Broody mama is sitting in her nest with nothing in it. She has access to the box of chicks if she wants to go be a mama. Will check on them again in a little bit.

What would you all have done??

 

[bobbieschicks]

Here's an update.

I just got my shipped chicks in today.  This evening I took the eggs and golfballs from my broody silkie and placed the chicks under her.  At first, she was fine with them.  Then they started running all over.  She did not leave the nest and she did not kick any of them out from under her.  Any that were not under her though started getting pecked.  So many were running around, I wondered if there were any under her.  I picked her up a little, and there were only 2 left under her.  

I think the problems were this:
1 - there are 22 chicks.  Quite a few more than I was counting on.
2 - Knowing that she probably couldn't keep them all warm, I left the red heat lamp on.  That way if there were too many, they could still gravitate to the heat and be okay.  The light probably just woke them all up though.

Right now the chicks are all in a box under the lamp.  Broody mama is sitting in her nest with nothing in it.  She has access to the box of chicks if she wants to go be a mama.  Will check on them again in a little bit.

What would you all have done??

Yes you need to try again tonight in the dark with maybe 4 or 6 chicks depending on how big they are and will get. And whether she can cover them under her.

My silky is small but she has only covered two chicks each time. My EE is slightly larger and covered four chicks. It's not just their current size that matters but also whether they are LF or bantam because she will keep them until around the 4th or 5th week.

No heat is needed with the broody. And I would not supplement light for a couple of days and only supplement if they are in with the layers and you feel it's necessary for egg production.

She's pecking them to try and get them to listen to her. They may still seek her warmth even if they don't listen well. But you will have to brood the others separately.

22 for a LF is even too many chicks to cover. Hope it works out. Let us know how it goes.

After the first few graft you could try to add a few more the next day while she's out with them. But that might be risky.

 

[Johnn]

hey guys!, i rescued some more ex batts last night, please look at the thread so we can get the massage across, cheap food is not worth this https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ens-pics-warning-hens-are-in-bad-condition/10

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Well, it's official.
I have bugged my hen and chooks so many times that they now come running out from under the hen every time they hear my voice!
Might have something to do with the fact I convinced her to eat, thus taught them how to eat, and they now associate me with yum yums...at 2 1/2 days old they already have the concept...just like everybody else in this flock!

 

[Haloclimb]

After having a bit of a fight with our resident broody hen, we finally managed to set some of our brand new brought eggs under her! She refused to settle down when we tried to move her to a hutch away from the main coop so she could have some privacy, and bolted back for the coop at the first chance :/ So she's just going to have to sit on her eggs in the coop!
We also gave some of our eggs to a friend of mine with a flock of silkies, so if things go wrong here hopefully we'll have them as a backup!

We set 6 lavender aracuana eggs and 6 salmon faverolles, can't wait until they hatch in 21 days

 

[Chicken Frenzie]

After having a bit of a fight with our resident broody hen, we finally managed to set some of our brand new brought eggs under her! She refused to settle down when we tried to move her to a hutch away from the main coop so she could have some privacy, and bolted back for the coop at the first chance :/ So she's just going to have to sit on her eggs in the coop!
We also gave some of our eggs to a friend of mine with a flock of silkies, so if things go wrong here hopefully we'll have them as a backup!

We set 6 lavender aracuana eggs and 6 salmon faverolles, can't wait until they hatch in 21 days

Goodluck!!!


Alright... little Miss Light Brown egg is going to hatch next week... yay!!! Jewels really looks bored... I really hope it hatches! For some reason, no idea why, I just have a feeling it wont . The place where we got the egg is plenty fertile, 6/10 eggs hatched, 8/10 developed last hatch. I just... I don't know, I hope I'm wrong!

 

[Johnn]

 

[Chicken Frenzie]

 

[Johnn]

well the Orp is still with the chicks, they are starting to leave her, they don't mind going away from her and she dosen't mind but then she gives in and runs after them, im inlove with the maran chick he is so nice, im deffo keeping him , the other chicks is a mama's girl/boy! the maran chick is also the boss out of the two!!