Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

Our broody decided to take her babies out yesterday! I had my back turned & she showed them the way out the door of the coop.
She was eager to take a dustbath, and really showed them how it's done!

Awh! So cute!

 

[jtbrown]

I love the pics of the mamas taking their babes out. I wish I could take this thread with me to the feed store in the spring. Needs an auto process though to open the thread as I stare down into the troughs of chicks just begging to come to our farm! No no no, must hatch my own, better for the birds and me. LOL.

We hatched eggs under broodies for first time this summer, and it was so much of an easier process than brooding chicks and then introducing them as we have the last two years. Cannot wait to hatch more this spring. My Pekins are laying, thinking of WH eggs and Pekin eggs under a broody, not to mention the chicken eggs! A friend of mine is fascinated with selective breed hatching when you want it, but says it's so much fun to watch a hatch from random mating within a diverse flock, just for personal 'who made that egg' fun.

I know, it's only September, and I have (and want none) broodies right now. I am merely planning (dreaming of) for the spring, anyone else?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I love the pics of the mamas taking their babes out. I wish I could take this thread with me to the feed store in the spring. Needs an auto process though to open the thread as I stare down into the troughs of chicks just begging to come to our farm! No no no, must hatch my own, better for the birds and me. LOL.
We hatched eggs under broodies for first time this summer, and it was so much of an easier process than brooding chicks and then introducing them as we have the last two years. Cannot wait to hatch more this spring. My Pekins are laying, thinking of WH eggs and Pekin eggs under a broody, not to mention the chicken eggs! A friend of mine is fascinated with selective breed hatching when you want it, but says it's so much fun to watch a hatch from random mating within a diverse flock, just for personal 'who made that egg' fun.
I know, it's only September, and I have (and want none) broodies right now. I am merely planning (dreaming of) for the spring, anyone else?

Yep.

 

[Johnn]

when i was at the hens today im sure a crow was trying to get my orpington chick, it flew right over the mothers head then skimmed over the chick, they both pooped them selfs! (they were ot in the field when it happened but they had their breakfast first!!)

 

[Miss Lydia]

when i was at the hens today im sure a crow was trying to get my orpington chick, it flew right over the mothers head then skimmed over the chick, they both pooped them selfs! (they were ot in the field when it happened but they had their breakfast first!!)

I have heard of crows taking very young chicks gosh now you'll have to be on the look out for the crows along with everything else.

 

[Chicken Frenzie]

when i was at the hens today im sure a crow was trying to get my orpington chick, it flew right over the mothers head then skimmed over the chick, they both pooped them selfs! (they were ot in the field when it happened but they had their breakfast first!!)

Hope they're okay! Poor little things!

The hawk that tried getting my Turken/EE/Silkie is gone.. not sure where it went. The broody who got attacked has really tiny scabs now! Yay


MY egg wont hatch. Just.. not piping. It thinks it can brake the shell by trying to move. UGH..! It's day 22nd, or early day 23rd. Anything I can do to help? It's just not using it's egg tooth to brake the shell! It's just staying in the egg. Should I wait until day 25, if nothing, should I try to make a crack by the air cell? I know that's horrible, and I don't want to... but.. ugh. What should I do? Let mother nature do whatever?Poor little thing.. I heard it make a bubbly sound... that's super weird.I also heard a little *pop*. Did it brake the air cell??

 

[Johnn]

one of my ex batts had a fight with a crow and broke the crows wing!, then when the crow ran away she chased after it so i had to drag her away!!

 

[Johnn]

When i was at the hens my other orpington (not the mother one) was laying an egg and when i put my hand under her to see if she had layed one before i left she let out a broody scream at me!, i hope shes not broody, hopefuly she was just laying an egg aggressivley!

 

[Chicken Frenzie]

When i was at the hens my other orpington (not the mother one) was laying an egg and when i put my hand under her to see if she had layed one before i left she let out a broody scream at me!, i hope shes not broody, hopefuly she was just laying an egg aggressivley!

Uh oh!! Hopefully not a broody for you

 

[Johnn]

Uh oh!! Hopefully not a broody for you

id love it if she was broody if it was earlier in the year!, it's going to be cold soon so it is bad timing!!