Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

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Johnn said:
Bobbiechicks, was Vanilla Ice a girl in the end? :)
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The jury is still out on that one. Lol. All indications say pullet. She/he was mated a few times by the roosters. But she/he has not started to lay yet. The other reason I think pullet is because she/he hasn't crowed yet. Then again I have two crowing roosters at present and I doubt she/he would want to take them on. Hoping she starts laying soon and clarifies it for me.
 
delisha said:
I do not mess with the eggs at all..I have never candled eggs under a hen or a duck. I know some do. We have had some wicked cold nights. -20 was the coldest. She is setting tight. We should have some chicks next weekend..I think the eggs are due to hatch on the first or second...
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Hey delisha, Looks like we might be hatching buddies!

fisherlady said:
Hoping you do! I know we worried a lot, even though our common sense told us otherwise... it's frustrating not knowing what is going on! I guess deep down we all have some control issues that working with a broody hen just drives nuts! LOL

Good luck to you, and your broody! Will look forward to some pics!
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Thank you fisherlady! DH is home on Fridays so I told him to keep his phone handy if he hears peeps!
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bobbieschicks said:
I put up a piece of hardware cloth between the broody area and the main coop the first couple of times I had broodies. Then I stopped doing it when I found how clever the chickens were - they would go over the wire and squeeze through a tiny gap to get in/out. I had found older chickens in the broody area and chicks in the main coop. The 1st one didn't bother me because the broody will take care of her babies - but the second one was troublesome because only the broody would take care of the chicks - so one running around loose was a danger. Still not sure how the baby got around that hardware cloth - but they are resourceful. If you decide to wire them off be sure to make it the larger chicken wire so the baby can run back and forth - but the bigger ones will hopefully not get in.

I wouldn't bother to candle the eggs at this point - they're due this weekend. You will know if they are going to hatch - she will manipulate them herself and show you. She will abandon the eggs that won't hatch - but don't be too quick to pull them if it's warm where you are. I give the eggs longer to hatch in cold weather. Maybe day 25 I would candle to see if still viable. Remove any stinkers or cracked eggs. If you must candle this week don't do it past Weds. as she is manipulating the temps and humidity for the eggs. And at this point you will probably see a big dark patch and that's about it.

Oh and the sweetest little pullet will become the most ferocious momma should anyone dare touch her babies. Smokey, my Aruacana EE, was so nice her 1st brood I petted her and rubbed her and she let me pick up her babies and everything was lovey dovey. Then on the 2nd day the rooster got up in the coop with her and for some weird reason picked up the Welsummer baby and flung it. It wasn't hurt - but Smokey went crazy! She flew at the rooster and attacked him. No one could come near her babies after that - not even me. So I wouldn't worry too much about momma taking care of babies.

Topsy, my silky, teaches her offspring to avoid trouble. She does a fantastic job of teaching them who is in charge and how to duck and run if the need arises. She will however not back down if someone is trying to hurt her babies. She becomes just as fierce as Smokey and will attack if necessary.
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Thank you bobbieschicks!! I appreciate all your advice. I just have the one hen (Laverne) that worries me. She tried to move my roo out of her favorite spot on the roost when he & his favorite girl took it over. He gave her whatfor and now she just crowds him but hasn't tried to peck him again.
 
CoopChick719 said:
Hey delisha, Looks like we might be hatching buddies!


Thank you fisherlady! DH is home on Fridays so I told him to keep his phone handy if he hears peeps!
big_smile.png


Thank you bobbieschicks!! I appreciate all your advice. I just have the one hen (Laverne) that worries me. She tried to move my roo out of her favorite spot on the roost when he & his favorite girl took it over. He gave her whatfor and now she just crowds him but hasn't tried to peck him again.
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A peck or two isn't anything to worry about - they all do that from time to time. That's how they establish and keep the pecking order. Sometimes a chicken will be more aggressive towards another like my Smokey (when not broody) who will get on Topsy's back and pull her topknot like a rooster mating her, just to remind Topsy who is higher on the pecking order. I call them mortal enemies - but really it's because Topsy is lower than Smokey and keeps trying to usurp her place. It's hard to watch the lower order girls get pecked by the higher order girls - but that's the way of the chicken. Even if you don't see it going on - it goes on. Usually it has to do with one of the chickens getting out of order and everyone reminding them of their place.

As far as babies around them go - I've not see Smokey be aggressive towards Topsy's chicks. She will however try to steal them if possible when she's broody too, otherwise she leaves them alone.
 

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