Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

Hello! This is my first post here, although I've been stalking the forum forever it seems!

This is my first real go at chickens (as an adult, had polish as pets as children)! I have 2 bantams, not entirely sure what breeds, they look pretty gamey and are not much bigger than a soft ball. The black rooster (Ruffio) with gorgeous blue-oil-spill type feathers and my hen (Crepe) is a creamy palomino color. These were TSC rescues on their last peep and saved them out of pitty. Why not, we have a farm! Poor little peepers.

My hen has gone very broody under the deck and today was her 21st day sitting on eggs. None of hatched yet, but she has 13! We moved them out from under the deck (a difficult task!) and put them in an oversized dog crate with a cozy nest box on the porch. We dropped an egg and it had a nearly grown chick in it. How long should we wait before removing the eggs? I candled them, but being a novice, I couldnt tell much. There seemed like way too many for her, but she's taking it like a champ and covering all the eggs.

We are going to keep her closed in her new pen for a few days before letting her out again to free range, so she knows where to return to. She's never gone for long, we just dont want her going back under the deck.

Any advice would be great!

 

[karlamaria]

I have 2 broody girls, always seem to go broody after a few weeks of being broke,there both deep in a trance right now so I decided to put eggs under both girls and hatch out as many as I can get, keep a few ,, and giving the rest to a gal who has a wonderful heated brooder and heated coop who lost all her birds to a coyote one night.. How many eggs can go under a buff orphington at one time?
also will it be ok to take the chicks away or should I let both mama girls have them for several weeks? also could I let them each keep one and then give the rest away right away ?

 

[Johnn]

I have 2 broody girls, always seem to go broody after a few weeks of being broke,there both deep in a trance right now so I decided to put eggs under both girls and hatch out as many as I can get, keep a few ,, and giving the rest to a gal who has a wonderful heated brooder and heated coop who lost all her birds to a coyote one night.. How many eggs can go under a buff orphington at one time?
also will it be ok to take the chicks away or should I let both mama girls have them for several weeks? also could I let them each keep one and then give the rest away right away ?

my BO managed 10 large fowl eggs, but if i had give her a bigger nesting box mebys 12. I would personally not take the chicks away from their mother, but if you do i would leave her with one or two to keep her happy as she obviously wants them if she keeps going broody, From what you have said i think the best option would be to leave the chicks with her till 7 weeks, but you never know she might leave them by then. My BO had 2 chicks at 8 weeks old and is still with them but is starting to leave them

 

[karlamaria]

my BO managed 10 large fowl eggs, but if i had give her a bigger nesting box mebys 12. I would personally not take the chicks away from their mother, but if you do i would leave her with one or two to keep her happy as she obviously wants them if she keeps going broody, From what you have said i think the best option would be to leave the chicks with her till 7 weeks, but you never know she might leave them by then. My BO had 2 chicks at 8 weeks old and is still with them but is starting to leave them

one of the Buffs had a set of chicks in March, she was an awesome mama and taught them everything. then she went broody at 5 weeks again. she let the babies sleep with her, but she just wanted a new set again. she is a farmers dream as she will sit and hatch forever lol. the other broody has not had any, she has been broody 3 times, I figure she can be a mama now also. I will let them keep them as long as the other birds leave them alone, do you think they will be safe with the other 8 chickens in the coop and pen?

 

[Johnn]

one of the Buffs had a set of chicks in March, she was an awesome mama and taught them everything. then she went broody at 5 weeks again. she let the babies sleep with her, but she just wanted a new set again. she is a farmers dream as she will sit and hatch forever lol. the other broody has not had any, she has been broody 3 times, I figure she can be a mama now also. I will let them keep them as long as the other birds leave them alone, do you think they will be safe with the other 8 chickens in the coop and pen?

yes they should be, my hens braught theirs up in my flock, both being low in the pecking order, the BO got higher in the pecking order with chicks. The hens were fine with the chicks, they sometimes get pecked, they just learn to keep out the way of the big girls

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Question, will a hen that is molting go broody? Summer's hatch is four weeks old and it looks like a pillow exploded in the coop. I am amazed Summer doesn't have any bald spots. I just want to get a general idea on how likely she is to try and go broody again after this group is 'grown'.

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Chicken Math at work...
My broody hatched a clutch of 5 BAs on Wednesday. Last night I got wind that Fall chicks had come to Wilco in a nearby town.
This morning I got 5 more one day older than mine, and slid them under her as well.
Those little hatchery chicks took to a Mum like ducks to water!
I got 3 more BA pullets (to help up the odds of some replacement hens, my big girls are 2.5) and 2 California Whites, as I am looking forward to some nice white eggs as well.
Mathilda accepted the new BAs like she didn't know the difference, but had a heck of a puzzlement on her hands with these fuzzy yellow people!
At first I thought she was going to reject them, but after spending the afternoon stalking the lot of them, they all seem to be settling in nicely. She is definitely of the opinion, The more the merrier where them nestling beneath her is concerned. She just stares at them, like What are you??? But then they scratch and peck and peep, and she seems to figure, well, they must be chicks.
I am so excited for the increased clutch and that she will brood them. Also, the ones I got today are sexed

The 5 I hatched come with no such "promise".

Pretty blissed out while doing chicken math,today, on the Oregon Coast!

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

• Rachel'sFlock
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• Location: Otis, Oregon
• Joined: 5/2010
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Mamma Tilda and one of the Homegrown 5



2 more of the Homegrown 5 at 4 days old


Baby Pictures, compliments of my chicken addict friend's camera!!!!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Question, will a hen that is molting go broody? Summer's hatch is four weeks old and it looks like a pillow exploded in the coop. I am amazed Summer doesn't have any bald spots. I just want to get a general idea on how likely she is to try and go broody again after this group is 'grown'.

My guess is no, because of the requirements of molting on her body, she will probably wait to go broody. But of course broodies do what broodies do.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I have 2 broody girls, always seem to go broody after a few weeks of being broke,there both deep in a trance right now  so I decided to put eggs under both girls and hatch out as many as I can get, keep a few ,, and giving the rest to a gal who has a wonderful heated brooder and heated coop who lost all her birds to a coyote one night.. How many eggs can go under a buff  orphington at one time?
also will it be ok to take the chicks away or should I let both mama girls have them for several weeks? also could I let them each keep one and then give the rest away right away ?

The chicks can be taken away from the momma as soon as they are hatched, they don't have to even be dried off. There is no weaning period. As long as they go immediately to a heated brooder they won't need the broody momma. The momma will go back to laying faster too.

My broodies have usually left the chicks by the 4th week after hatch, by then they are fully ready to be on their own in the flock.

As far as how many under a BO, you can easily put a dozen LF under her.