Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Johnn]

Pics coming soon...

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Well I am finished with my hatches. 1st broody was 8 for 8. Incubator hatch was 1 for 7. 2nd broody was 7 out of 9, I'd died during hatch, & last egg was infertile. Now have 22 baby chicks:
8 olive eggers now almost 5 weeks old. Thanks to mom they are part of the flock of 12.
7 are a week old today, no momma, one hatched & purchased the other 6. (1 silver amer, 4 Iowa Blues, 2 white cochin, & 1 splash cochin.
7 are 2 days old ( 3 lemon cuckoo orps, 4 lav amer)
DH says we are DONE!!!

 

[Malissa]

Chick #2 made it! Found pip at 4:05 pm last night and this morning it was hatched! Looks just like it's mama, a Barred Rock. I feel bad taking it away from surrogate mommy, Grun, however, she still has 4 eggs to sit on for 2 more weeks! I checked them at 5 days and they are veining so hope it all works. She is in a dog crate so she has nothing better to do so I'm hoping that will keep her interested. Meanwhile, Phoenix is fluffing out, has a hearty set of lungs and seems to be doing well in the brooder! Hopefully when the others hatch I can get it back in with the other chicks.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Chick #2 made it! Found pip at 4:05 pm last night and this morning it was hatched! Looks just like it's mama, a Barred Rock. I feel bad taking it away from surrogate mommy, Grun, however, she still has 4 eggs to sit on for 2 more weeks! I checked them at 5 days and they are veining so hope it all works. She is in a dog crate so she has nothing better to do so I'm hoping that will keep her interested. Meanwhile, Phoenix is fluffing out, has a hearty set of lungs and seems to be doing well in the brooder! Hopefully when the others hatch I can get it back in with the other chicks.

awwwwww so cute

 

[gladahmae]

I'm sure this was covered somewhere already, but I really don't have time to look through 1700+ pages. My broody (1st timer) finished hatching out her eggs yesterday. I have her in a dog kennel in the coop to keep the chicks in, and the other hens out. At what point can I remove her and the chicks from the crate and get it out of the coop? She let me pick her up to look at chicks and never once pecked at me, so I'm not so sure she's going to fight off other hens if they get snotty.

 

[raygirl4386]

My buff mix hen went broody! I'm a little excited as this is my first time with a broody hen. We are in the middle of a bathroom remodel so I haven't been able to collect eggs on a daily basis, no top of that that is the favorite box so when I would go out and collect eggs there was always someone in that box! So there are an unknown amount of eggs. The nest is about 3 feet in the air so I have to move her, I have a puppy excersise pen I can setup for her under the boxes, or should I move her out completely?

 

[Johnn]

I'm sure this was covered somewhere already, but I really don't have time to look through 1700+ pages. My broody (1st timer) finished hatching out her eggs yesterday. I have her in a dog kennel in the coop to keep the chicks in, and the other hens out. At what point can I remove her and the chicks from the crate and get it out of the coop? She let me pick her up to look at chicks and never once pecked at me, so I'm not so sure she's going to fight off other hens if they get snotty.

Day 3 or 4. She will get up and start moving around at that point, so she can just stay with the other hens if they aren't horrible to the chicks.

My buff mix hen went broody! I'm a little excited as this is my first time with a broody hen. We are in the middle of a bathroom remodel so I haven't been able to collect eggs on a daily basis, no top of that that is the favorite box so when I would go out and collect eggs there was always someone in that box! So there are an unknown amount of eggs. The nest is about 3 feet in the air so I have to move her, I have a puppy excersise pen I can setup for her under the boxes, or should I move her out completely?

You don't have to move her. Once the chicks hatch you can move her to the floor your self but if you are scared they will fall out then you can just put some wire over the front to stop them falling out. If you really need to move her then put he in a cat box or something for her own nest and move her in the dark and if she is serious and not awkward she will most likely stay there.

 

[Island Roo]

I'm sure this was covered somewhere already, but I really don't have time to look through 1700+ pages.   My broody (1st timer) finished hatching out her eggs yesterday.  I have her in a dog kennel in the coop to keep the chicks in, and the other hens out.  At what point can I remove her and the chicks from the crate and get it out of the coop?  She let me pick her up to look at chicks and never once pecked at me, so I'm not so sure she's going to fight off other hens if they get snotty.

Me too

 

[Johnn]

She has got a Welsummer and a Speckled Sussex, I am so glad she accepted them! The Welsummer chick is so awkward, it just sits peeping in her face and pecking her eye!. I cracked her eggs open and 5/7 were fertile. 4 looked like they died on early days and the 5th one had a fully grown chick in and it just happened to be the egg I found uncovered on day 20!, I keep thinking it could have hatched and its making me feel bad, I did give it a week and 2 days past its hatch day to hatch, was that enough?

 

[raygirl4386]

Ok, I'll place wire of the opening when they are due to hatch so she can still get out for water and food. Then move them under the boxes when all have hatched