Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[chickydee64]

Orp is back laying!:

Johnn,
So nice to see you on this thread.................
I so enjoy your Bella stories on the Orp thread.....

.........
I have a special hen...She has not laid an egg in so long.............I don't think she remembers what they look like............

.
She comes to the back step every day at 4:30 for her treat of a couple of grapes...if I try to give her something different, she spits it out...........
And if she has to wait to long, she knocks on the door.........pushy little devil. She is for sure second in command after the rooster..............
Gotta love them...........

 

[bobbieschicks]

I have a problem and I hope someone can help. I currently have a broody silkie hen sitting on 3 eggs, it's both her and my first time hatching this way. She had been trying to sit so I decided to leave her with 3 eggs, still in with the flock, and she has been the perfect broody so far. However when I went to take her off for her morning constitutional I found the first egg had hatched and she had squashed the chick, she also had lots of blood on her break as if she had tried to help and had thrown the egg out of the nest. Is there anything I can do to help stop this happening? I also have silkie eggs pipping in the incubator so should I move the remaining 2 eggs to the incubator? I was planning to move her to a separate run with her chicks when (if) they hatch, is it likely that she would also accept the chicks from the incubator? Any advice would be great because we are both total novices!!

My silky hens have been great moms and will hatch & raise any eggs or chicks.

 

[Johnn]

Johnn,
So nice to see you on this thread.................
I so enjoy your Bella stories on the Orp thread.....

.........
I have a special hen...She has not laid an egg in so long.............I don't think she remembers what they look like............

.
She comes to the back step every day at 4:30 for her treat of a couple of grapes...if I try to give her something different, she spits it out...........
And if she has to wait to long, she knocks on the door.........pushy little devil. She is for sure second in command after the rooster..............
Gotta love them...........

Thanks Don't know how you haven't seen me before! I have been posting the progress of my chicks for the past 7 weeks!

 

[chiqita]

I would give her some fake or non hatching eggs and put the pipped and hatching eggs in the incubator. Then give her hatched chicks and see how it goes.

I have a problem and I hope someone can help. I currently have a broody silkie hen sitting on 3 eggs, it's both her and my first time hatching this way. She had been trying to sit so I decided to leave her with 3 eggs, still in with the flock, and she has been the perfect broody so far. However when I went to take her off for her morning constitutional I found the first egg had hatched and she had squashed the chick, she also had lots of blood on her break as if she had tried to help and had thrown the egg out of the nest. Is there anything I can do to help stop this happening? I also have silkie eggs pipping in the incubator so should I move the remaining 2 eggs to the incubator? I was planning to move her to a separate run with her chicks when (if) they hatch, is it likely that she would also accept the chicks from the incubator? Any advice would be great because we are both total novices!!

 

[Donna Lynn]

My new baby seems to be doing good. Except Mabel (Momma) keeps pecking her at times. I'm not sure if she's scolding her to get under her or what?

She talks to the new baby a lot, too.

I was going to throw away the rest of the eggs this morning and decided to move Mabel & baby down to the nursery I made. I did move them and then brought the eggs inside to sit in my closet and candle them. I heard one peeping! It was in the keep pile so I put them back under poor Mabel in hopes the peeping will pip and hatch. Today is is Day 24 so I'm hoping to one more chick for the peeping egg.

Here's my new little girl. Her wing feather appear as if she's female!

Well I was going to upload a photo but I can't seem to get it work. Anybody else having troubles?

Donna

 

[Crafty chick]

thanks for the wing feather tip. i couldnt remember which was which!

 

[Donna Lynn]

Isn't there a thread about the wing tips on here?

 

[CAjerseychick]

Isn't there a thread about the wing tips on here?

Yes its in Raising baby chicks Forum- I think its titled "sexing 2 or 3 day old chicks"-- it sounded pretty simple, but I didnt want to try it for fear of upsetting my first time broody mama...(she is sooo protective and gets upset when a chick distress peeps)...

 

[Jharper]

Ok so one of my broodies chicks are 3 1/2 months old. She is still trying to cater them. We think she may never let them go. LOL! I have someone that's going to buy them. Is it ok of they do?

 

[CAjerseychick]

Ok so one of my broodies chicks are 3 1/2 months old. She is still trying to cater them. We think she may never let them go. LOL! I have someone that's going to buy them. Is it ok of they do?

They should be fine-- we got our starter birds (breeders line Jersey Giants) at 3 weeks old from a broody mama, (I guess I didnt really think about the poor mama, they were our first chickens)-- we even had to keep them under a heat lamp for a couple more weeks until night time temps caught up...