Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[trameghan]

a second chick hatched just a few minutes ago, I went out to check and there it was out of the shell and still wet it was peeing alot at first, but now its laying flat and the only real movement is some wiggling of it's bottom, and no peeping. Mamma is not anywhere near it and pecked at the first when it was near. What to do?

 

[Adriennesmom]

Hello Everyone! I am so excited to find a thread about broody hens.

I have my very first "committed" broody hen sitting on a batch of eggs. I believe at least one or two are fertile. My hen "Olivia" is sitting on a few of my pet chicken's eggs. I candled a couple and could see development. I believe her own eggs were not fertile. There are a few eggs that are very dark and I can not see what is happening inside. She is 14 days along and very devoted to her nest. My husband and I moved her, and her nest box, into the garage last week when her coop mates began to peck at her eggs and ended up breaking a couple of them. I am crossing my fingers that we will have one or two babies hatch by next week

 

[lawatt]

first two (of six) chicks have hatched! got home early from work and found TWO little chicks wobbling around, I'm pretty sure one is one of the four SFH, the other seems to be the SFH/CL cross -- so excited to see them!


eleanor and her new baby chick!



the only picture i could get of the two babies without upsetting eleanor too much -- the chipmunk stripes of the one on the left means it's the CL/SFH cross, and if the auto-sexing traits hold with a mutt, she should be a little girl!



the SFH chick, while mama in the background tries to show it how to eat -- it prefers to pose!

four more eggs to go!

 

[Johnn]

first two (of six) chicks have hatched! got home early from work and found TWO little chicks wobbling around, I'm pretty sure one is one of the four SFH, the other seems to be the SFH/CL cross -- so excited to see them!


eleanor and her new baby chick!



the only picture i could get of the two babies without upsetting eleanor too much -- the chipmunk stripes of the one on the left means it's the CL/SFH cross, and if the auto-sexing traits hold with a mutt, she should be a little girl!



the SFH chick, while mama in the background tries to show it how to eat -- it prefers to pose!

four more eggs to go!

So cute!, makes me really excited for Saturday but I think I am going to be disappointed :/

 

[lawatt]

So cute!, makes me really excited for Saturday but I think I am going to be disappointed :/

i'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

and actually, as i look at the size of the chicks vs. the lip on their nesting box, i'm going to have to move them -- i assume i should wait until ALL the eggs have hatched? (rather than moving now with two hatched and four to go?)

 

[Phoenix Farms]

Thanks! I don't think I have seen a "Phoenix" hen before, I will have to look them up. I bet they will be pretty though!

They are interesting enough I guess. I just like the roos and the hens broodyness. The dad of the chicks is the rooster in my avatar. I hatched a rooster from him a while back and he was really pretty!

I candled today and 11/12 look good. One is a thin shell and not forming.

 

[Johnn]

They are interesting enough I guess. I just like the roos and the hens broodyness. The dad of the chicks is the rooster in my avatar. I hatched a rooster from him a while back and he was really pretty!

I candled today and 11/12 look good. One is a thin shell and not forming.

That's good then!, looks like you will get a good hatch rate. If you look at my previous post, it isn't going so well for me :/. I will actually be very shocked if any hatch.

 

[dretd]

a second chick hatched just a few minutes ago, I went out to check and there it was out of the shell and still wet it was peeing alot at first, but now its laying flat and the only real movement is some wiggling of it's bottom, and no peeping. Mamma is not anywhere near it and pecked at the first when it was near. What to do?

I got behind on reading the thread. I was wondering what happened with this little one? Did mama come back or did you rescue it and take it in to a brooder?

 

[Moni]

Newest babies... Only 5 for this hen but I like the color variations. I have 2 more broodies to go and i think i am going to hang up my hatching boots for this season. These little guys are about to wear me out

 

[Johnn]

Newest babies... Only 5 for this hen but I like the color variations. I have 2 more broodies to go and i think i am going to hang up my hatching boots for this season. These little guys are about to wear me out