Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Jeevesrules]

My welsummer hen is on her 2nd day!!!

hatching date 7th to 8th of june!! This is my first ever hatch so any tips or advice will be welcomed happily!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

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I think all of us have learned one lesson since doing this, is to let mama do it. she knows what she is doing and as stony says alot longer than we have

so just relax and June 7th or 8th will be here before you know it..

 

[Miss Lydia]

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that sounds like alot of chicks, you mean she has 12 chicks under her now or 12 eggs? thank goodness you found the chick when you did it would have been a gonner probably.

she has 12 chicks, I have the the 13th in the brooder now and one is going to hatch later today or tomorrow....guess I should keep these guys inside? would the 2 more be too much?

If she can cover them all then she should be okay. if she feels overwhelmed she may kick a few out so might want to keep a close eye on her for a while when you first put the other 2 back under her. But congrats on such a great hatch !!!

 

[lindsmurphy]

I've just had my first successful broody experience, I just recently bought chickens (adults), one roo and 4 hens, and the day they came home one of the hens went broody and now has little chicks running around her (3), I researched on here and found that it was possible to just let the hen do her thing (and why not? they've been doing it for centuries), and she did perfectly well.. She hatched, and has been raising the chicks in with the whole flock, and let me tell you, a broody hen or new mother will make SURE noone hurts her chicks. I watched her ceremoniously bring her new chicks out to the run for the first time the other day, rooster saw a chick and went for it, and that hen put a pounding on him! Now, he is protecting the little one's so I'm not sure if he just needed some sense knocked into his head (they are his own chicks, he's the only rooster out there).

I now have another hen who is setting, I didn't realize what she was up to until I felt it was too late to take her eggs, so she will likely be a new mother in a couple weeks time.

 

[Fuffy]

Err yeah...did I mention that I'm trying my little silkie cross with a whole dozen eggs this time?

Will candle as soon as I think I'll be able to tell and get rid of any duds to make her more comfortable. She's fairly experienced at the sitting thing,,,Just hope it woks this time!

And Jeeves...Is that Leeds on this side of the pond? Or are you from some Leeds in the US? Just curious

 

[Amyable]

My first-ever hatch is successful! Started with 8 eggs, hen broke one the first week, the last is probably a quitter, but have 6 new chicks today

The black hatched first, and the hen pushed it away and pecked it, so I put it in the brooder with some other older chicks I got over the weekend. Two more hatched last night, I took them away too. But this morning she had 2 more and had accepted them, so I brought the 3 back and now momma is clucking happily with all her chicks.

5 Blue Ameraucana from eggs I bought, one black EE/Ancona from my mixed flock.

 

[stonykill]

congrats Amy!

 

[Miss Lydia]

X2 Amy!! real cuties

 

[Jeevesrules]

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In England

 

[Mr Marans]

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Hi Jeeves
I live in Apperly Bridge and just about to start out with some chickens. I would love to get to know someone local for help / advice?
Gary