Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

If you can fix mama and chicks a little place on the floor where they can have some privacy and she feels safe then thats what I would do. Once the chicks are about 3 days old she'll bring them out. But she will feel a whole lot better if she has some privacy from the rest of the flock while she is nesting and during hatch. And you'll need to mark your eggs if you think others may lay in her nest, that way you can take out the newest eggs so your hatch day won't be drawn out.

 

[countrygirl911]

Quote:
so do i need to move her now or after they hatch will it break her if i move her i did it once before and the hen never went back

 

[Miss Lydia]

It would be better to wait till chicks are just hatched that way she will stay in the nest for a few days with them before she brings them out for the first time. The only way you could move her now and keep her on the nest is to lock her up then maybe after a week open the door and let her out by then she would have made the new place hers.

 

[countrygirl911]

Quote:
ok thank you for letting me know i will wait till they hatxh and move it i am afraid they might get hurt after they hatch since the box is 3 feet off the floor

 

[AlbionWood]

We moved both of our broodies before the hatch, without any difficulty. Depends on the hen I suppose - these two were so determined I don't think any power on Earth could have made them leave those eggs. Make a nice nest and fence it off so the other hens can't get in, and momma cant' get out - otherwise she may try to go back where the old nest was. Move the eggs and then put her on them. Worked for us!

 

[countrygirl911]

my hen is a BR this is her second attempt the first time when we moved her after being there for 2 days she left the nest and never went back will try again later on so i know that she trully will stay on

 

[Sudsy Chick]

I adore this thread - the pictures are so sweet! I can't wait until we can share our own chick pics!

Should be Tuesday!

Miss Lydia - I'm so sorry to hear about your mama hen. Glad the chicks are all doing well.

Was working on the new/bigger coop today, managed to break the beautiful window door with my head! Sitting here with an ice pack...ouch and darn it!

Now that we're three days away - will the girls stay on the nest all the time - this lockdown I've heard about? Should I be concerned about broody hen #2 who didn't start sitting on eggs until a few days after broody #1? (We shared the eggs that were under #1.) Will her "clock" be off or do they just know how the eggs are developing?

So excited and nervous! TIA!

 

[Fuffy]

Quote:
Thank you Miss L.

I put the eggs under Hermione and she sat for the whole time, leaving the nest once a day, sometimes twice, for maybe 3 mins at a time. Day 21 I hear peeping. One pips. Day 22 one zipped and 2 bouncing eggs. Day 23: The zipped one's innards had got stuck to the shell and came out!!!!!! And a resounding SILENCE from the other 2. Took away dead chick. Gave it another day: Both were motionless in the shells. Didn't have the heart to break them open!!!!

This is my old cob, Nova (RIP) with her personal shetland companion

 

[Fuffy]

Quote:
Countrygirl you haven't said whether she has eggs! If not, give her some falsies (golf balls will do). This will encourage her to sit tight. Then I would give her another couple of days and move her with her eggs down to ground level. Give her somewhere private where the other hens can't get to her, but so that she can be closed in with her eggs.

Good luck

 

[Alexander]

Morning of Day 22 here and still nothing.Now I am really beginning to lose hope.
Oh well,There still are some eggs in the incubator..........