Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Johnn]

Here she is by the way. I tried to move her but she caused a fuss so I let her stay in the main coop on the poop board.

She looks pretty!, Good luck with your hatch!

Yeah - momma Bunny brought the babies down this morning some time. They were sitting in the nest box at 7am when I cleaned up. But at 12:30pm when I checked on them they were under momma on the floor. I'm keeping the large doors closed for a couple of days while she teaches them how to get around in the coop - then I'll leave the large exterior doors open and let her teach them about the ramps. So far the adoption thing has gone smoothly - although Bunny found a ping pong ball on the floor and attempted to shove it under herself while she was warming the chicks. UGH!

So cute!, I have never seen any of my hens hold their wings like that when they have chicks. You are really making me excited for Saturday!, let's just hope my orpington will be as good as Bunny!

 

[bobbieschicks]

She looks pretty!, Good luck with your hatch!
So cute!, I have never seen any of my hens hold their wings like that when they have chicks. You are really making me excited for Saturday!, let's just hope my orpington will be as good as Bunny!

Yeah she cracks me up. She's already a pretty big girl, but then she puffs up and holds her wings out and she looks really huge.

I'm sure it will go fine. Bunny was really ready to be a momma and I'm very happy she's being so successful this far.

 

[Island Roo]

I have 6 broody hens out of 25. 1 has chicks and 2 have eggs.

The others - I'm a bit concerned about 2 as they've been brooding imaginary eggs for about a month. I wanted to just let nature takes it course but not sure now. Do you all try to break broodies with pretend eggs?

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Yeah she cracks me up. She's already a pretty big girl, but then she puffs up and holds her wings out and she looks really huge.

I'm sure it will gone fine. Bunny was really ready to be a momma and I'm very happy she's being so successful this far.

Broody mommas remind me of prairie chickens!

 

[bumpercarr]

So, Momma hatched out three eggs last week and today brought them out of the house to join the rest of the flock. Everything is going well, Winnie is actually at the bottom of the pecking order, so I was worried, but the chicks seems to know to get out of the way when a fight is brewing. Since she's been sitting for over a month, she's trying to reintegrate into the flock. No one seems to care much about the chicks, they aren't attacking them or anything like that. As long as she stays out of their way (which she is doing) they leave her and the chicks alone. The only problem comes up when I throw in treats. Then the alpha hen and the rooster chase Winnie away, but still leave the chicks alone. It has been so great to watch her teaching them everything. They haven't figured out the ramp to get back to the house, but I put a box on the lower level for them to use to sleep in. The chicks tried to get up the ramp, but they couldn't figure out how to get on it at the bottom, so the box is a good compromise. I showed Winnie where the box was, she investigated it and then at dusk took everyone in there to go to bed. I've put the hen food up on a block so that the chicks can't get any layer's crumbles and they have their own food in another feeder that is low to the ground. The other hens like to try the chick starter, but then go back to their own food. I figure it won't hurt the other hens? I've also raised the larger waterer off of the ground so that the chicks won't get into it and drown. They have their own waterer that is smaller in size. I made a lot of mistakes this time, I'll be better prepared next time she goes broody. She's a silkie mix, and she is being a great mom. Picture of the week old chicks will be posted tomorrow.

Very, very happy!

 

[chickbird]

i just had a hen hatch off 18, i don't candle the eggs as a rule, i have occassionally candled at day 22 just to see if there were chicks. i leave them alone, they will get off on their own to feed and get water, if you are constantly bothering them they don't like this. if they sit more than 3=4 days without getting off then i remove them to a nearby feeder and they will eat and drink and get back on the nest.

 

[countrygirl74]

i just had a hen hatch off 18, i don't candle the eggs as a rule, i have occassionally candled at day 22 just to see if there were chicks. i leave them alone, they will get off on their own to feed and get water, if you are constantly bothering them they don't like this. if they sit more than 3=4 days without getting off then i remove them to a nearby feeder and they will eat and drink and get back on the nest.

I am completely new to the broody thing... I have been taking my silkie girl off every 24 hours. She fluffs up when I reach for her but doesn't protest at all. She immediately gives herself a dust bath, gets a drink and a few bites to eat, then goes back to the nest. Should I not do this or do you think she expects it now? I've been doing this for about a week. I don't see her off the nest at any other times.

 

[karlamaria]

I have 6 broody hens out of 25. 1 has chicks and 2 have eggs.

The others - I'm a bit concerned about 2 as they've been brooding imaginary eggs for about a month. I wanted to just let nature takes it course but not sure now. Do you all try to break broodies with pretend eggs?

no, this just makes them stay broody. Put them into a wire cage with wire bottom so air passes through. It will take a few days then she will be cooled down and stop.

 

[Funky Feathers]

That doesn't always work. I tried it for 2 weeks and mine were still broody. I had to make them sit on ice packs for 24 hours.

 

[karlamaria]

Mama and her two chicks are doing great, one is ? And the other is a bantam ? Lol got these eggs from local farmer, have no clue what the heck they are. All black with yellow on head wings and back . Cute cute! But the bantam is soooo tiny ! She was in a carrier but I finally took it out, she kept trying to teach them to eat in there and dumping the food and water. With below zero temps I got worried they would get wet. There is a heat lamp on to take a chill off so she curled up in the corner of the coop.The other mama took her babies up into a nest box I had made double sized 1 foot off the ground . No one uses t , guess being a new home for her and babies is a nice place lol. She has 6 pure white girls ( so far but there are black spots on a few so not sure what color they will be when grown all feathers. So far wings are feathered out and there white. Only see one rooster so far.