Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Leahs Mom]

No extra heat needed. but when first hatched until at least 4-5 days old even 4-5 " maybe a bit much to maneuver when trying to get back to mama, I usually remove the nest box completely And just let them have the nice pine bedding on the floor because almost lost a chick once when it fell out of the nest box which was sitting on the floor and couldn't get back into get warm. and mom didn't leave the rest of her brood to help it,. this was just a simple box with a 2" lip to hold the bedding inside.

I have no problem just letting them settle on the floor if that works! I had thought I"d let them stay in the box thinking that it was a smaller place for mom to warm up. I think I could kind of block off an area with a couple straw bales - or even a box with an opening to get in and out but NO LIP just flat on the floor open. (Probably just turn it upside down with the open top on the floor so they're on the litter and an entrance cut all the way to flat.) That could give her a smaller place to have to keep warm. But if that's not necessary I guess I don't have to do it.

So another question - if they're on the floor like that, how long before mom is going to want to get up higher and roost? Will she stay on the floor with them for awhile and how long?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have no problem just letting them settle on the floor if that works! I had thought I"d let them stay in the box thinking that it was a smaller place for mom to warm up. I think I could kind of block off an area with a couple straw bales - or even a box with an opening to get in and out but NO LIP just flat on the floor open. (Probably just turn it upside down with the open top on the floor so they're on the litter and an entrance cut all the way to flat.) That could give her a smaller place to have to keep warm. But if that's not necessary I guess I don't have to do it.

So another question - if they're on the floor like that, how long before mom is going to want to get up higher and roost? Will she stay on the floor with them for awhile and how long?

She'll stay on the floor with them, some moms leave their chicks at 3 weeks but most stay anywhere from 4-8 weeks some longer, my frizzle bantam stayed with her chicks for 12 weeks. But Johnn who comes on here I think her mom stayed 20 weeks or more [ I think that was a world record] lol having something on the floor without a lip would be good., I don't let my girls brood at this time of year but unless you have too many eggs under her where when the chicks hatch she can't cover them all I think your good to go. you go with your gut, I know my hens like to be cozy and my lil coop is cozy so when chicks hatch and i take the nest box away they don't even act like they are fazed by it. The main thing is making sure chicks and mom have access to each other at all times.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

When i have hens that aren't good moms they don't sit again. Hopefully they are old enough now to pretty much take care of themselves, I had a couple chicks loose their mom at 3 weeks and they did fine and also stony had a hen killed bt a fox i believe and she left 3 week old chicks [if I'm remembering correctly] and they did fine. So maybe it's time to let go and see what happens. They will have to find their place in the flock and yep they will get picked on it part of being a flock member, The part I like the least.is hearing the picking on in the evening when all go to roost.

Yeah I'll just keep an eye on them, i reckon in a week or so mum will have completely ditched them. But hopefully they'll be fine.

 

[cracked egg]

My best brood hen is a EE,then all my Phoenix hens, and then two RIR. I let them nest where they decide,chicks born in elevated places all seem to find the floor with their mom. they are all free range so the chicks are out with the main flock as soon as the hen takes them out. All the birds come and investigate the new chicks,peafowl,turkeys,guineas, haven't seen any of them hurt a chick yet. the hen brings them in at night where they roost on the floor until they can roost on their own. The chicks integrate with no fighting.The only time I provide heat is in the winter, seems like I lose more due to the cold and the chicks gettin lost. I supply heat for the first two weeks,by then they don't get separated.
usually will set 6 eggs to a hen,if there are two broodies,I will place more. my hens seem to share broods, two moms with 16-18 chicks.
Let her do the work,they know more than we do on raising chicks.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I supply heat for the first two weeks,by then they don't get separated.

I definitely prefer that the broody can do the whole heating job! I'm hoping that will work in my case.

When you supply heat, do you use a regular heat lamp? I'm trying to avoid light-based heat even though I do have a heat lamp ready and available.

I was looking into the ceramic heat emitters that screw into the light sockets or possibly a heated pet mat on the floor as "no-light" heat sources.

I purchased one of the ceramic heaters to experiment with and found it gets VERY HOT TO THE TOUCH - enough to burn you - and it seems that they don't keep the air warm enough when I tested them in the house. I may have to do another test or 2 on that thing and see if I can coral the heat where I need it. Unless I can figure out another way to make it work, i'd have to get it WAY TOO CLOSE TO THE FLOOR for me to be comfortable using it. Here's the one I have: http://www.amazon.com/250-Watt-Cera...sr=8-2&keywords=ceramic+heat+emitter+250+watt

Wondered about these or something similar: http://www.amazon.com/Lectro-Soft-H...qid=1355083112&sr=1-3&keywords=heated+pet+bed

I also looked into one of the Brinsea brooders: http://www.brinsea.com/prod-EcoGlow_20_Chick_Brooder-239.aspx

Brinsea states that the room has to be at least 55 degrees for it to maintain a high enough temp for the first weeks. That leads me to believe that it will probably raise the temp. about 40 degrees above whatever room temperature is directly under the brooder. I actually think this may be useful as a back up for them to go under in a situation in which there is a broody too. However, if the temp. is 30 degrees, for example, it may get to about 70 degrees under it (and that is only a guess as I don't own one to test!).

So any comments on the "back-up" heat source? Anyone found anything that works that doesn't emit light?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I definitely prefer that the broody can do the whole heating job! I'm hoping that will work in my case.

When you supply heat, do you use a regular heat lamp? I'm trying to avoid light-based heat even though I do have a heat lamp ready and available.

I was looking into the ceramic heat emitters that screw into the light sockets or possibly a heated pet mat on the floor as "no-light" heat sources.

I purchased one of the ceramic heaters to experiment with and found it gets VERY HOT TO THE TOUCH - enough to burn you - and it seems that they don't keep the air warm enough when I tested them in the house. I may have to do another test or 2 on that thing and see if I can coral the heat where I need it. Unless I can figure out another way to make it work, i'd have to get it WAY TOO CLOSE TO THE FLOOR for me to be comfortable using it. Here's the one I have: http://www.amazon.com/250-Watt-Cera...sr=8-2&keywords=ceramic+heat+emitter+250+watt

Wondered about these or something similar: http://www.amazon.com/Lectro-Soft-H...qid=1355083112&sr=1-3&keywords=heated+pet+bed

I also looked into one of the Brinsea brooders: http://www.brinsea.com/prod-EcoGlow_20_Chick_Brooder-239.aspx

Brinsea states that the room has to be at least 55 degrees for it to maintain a high enough temp for the first weeks. That leads me to believe that it will probably raise the temp. about 40 degrees above whatever room temperature is directly under the brooder. I actually think this may be useful as a back up for them to go under in a situation in which there is a broody too. However, if the temp. is 30 degrees, for example, it may get to about 70 degrees under it (and that is only a guess as I don't own one to test!).

So any comments on the "back-up" heat source? Anyone found anything that works that doesn't emit light?

What are your temps going to be inside where your mama and chicks will be, and even here I am going to ask you, what would Bee do? would she give heat to mama and chicks? Unless absolutely necessary I wouldn't give heat your hen was made to heat her chicks, and if she gets over heated it may cause health issues for her. Last year in April we had mama duck and ducklings and the temps were to go down into the 20's so since she was brooding and hatched in a X large dog crate we just picked it up and brought her and ducklings inside for the night put them in the coldest room in the house and they did fine, and probably would have been okay outside, don't know if i would do it again either.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Yes...my intent is to let the broody do the work. However, I want to be prepared just in case she doesn't do her "motherly duty" with a backup plan!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes...my intent is to let the broody do the work. However, I want to be prepared just in case she doesn't do her "motherly duty" with a backup plan!

Of course must have back up, hopefully she'll take mothering seriously. what breed are we talking about? sorry my memory just left me.

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Yep!! isn't it wonderful.

YES!

 

[BantyChickenLuv]

Not sure how many of you remember when I asked about my Bantam Wyandotte, but I put a golf ball in the nesting box to encourage her to go broody.