Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[swirler]

Sorry to hear one didn't make it but glad you had 4 others that did!! Mama is beautiful... looking forward to more pics of the family.

Four has become five! And Pretty Girl is tending to them nicely now. Three eggs are yet unhatched. I didn't get close enough to assess pipping/zipping.

 

[swirler]

Six now, with five fluffies out and about.

 

[PheasantsFirst]

Chicken math is in effect!, they just keep multiplying.

 

[Happy Flock]

Lovely photo Swirler. What breed is mum and the babies?

 

[swirler]

Quote:
Mum's a Brahma, and the babies are Plymouth Rocks and Barnevelders.

 

[TeaChick]

I did the "lockdown" check on Pretty Girl's eggs last night - all nine still alive and kicking (with one runty-looking but active one), and most of them showing internal pipping. Hoorah!

She's sitting intensely, very Zen. It's going to be 37 degrees today, so I'll have to work hard to keep her reasonably cool.

IDK what "lockdown" means.

I assume you mean 37` C (what is that? like 50-60`F?)

Sorry; I'm new.

 

[TeaChick]

The other day I updated on my broody leaving her babies at 11 wks and letting them fend for themselves. Last night I went out to the coop at dark because I've been trying to get the babies to NOT roost in the nesting boxes....yuck! So I moved them to the roost where only 3 hens (one was mama) were roosting and there was plenty of room for them since the rest of the flock were in a really high roost. Anyway, I witnessed the 3 hens pecking at the babies and not wanting them near. One chick went to the mama and was screeching and trying to get under her wing and under her body for protection and she started pecking it away!! It was so sad to witness. I went out there again later and some babies were roosting as far away as possible and a couple went back to the nesting boxes, so I had to move them again close to their sibs. I may have to do this every night until everyone gets along, but I absolutely don't want them near the nest boxes. I set up another roost near the rest, but they don't want this one. Anyone have similar problems?

I'm new to chicken-ing this year, and I haven't had any experience with brooding at all.
I have, however, had experience with chickens (all the way up to 1.5 years old) NOT roosting, sleeping, whatever, where I want them to. I have built two houses for my little flock. The original coop didn't have ground access or roosting, so they didn't want any part of being in there. The hen house has both, but they roost on top of the coop anyway. I've grounded my chickens (except one hen, she's a special case) to the hen house in hopes that they'll go in there on their own to sleep at night. If they do, then I can free range them and DH won't feel pressed to get the pen built; if they don't, then he WILL feel pressed to get the pen built b/c I'll have to go out there every night after dark and put them in the hen house so I know they're safe. ARG!!!

I don't think this helps, but what I've learned is that chickens are going to do what they are going to do and there seems to be very little we can do about it.

 

[TeaChick]

We have new babies! A day early, compared to incubator batches. Four live so far, and one dead.

Sorry for your lose.

 

[TeaChick]

Swirler:

Your hen is beautiful. Brahma is one of my favorite breeds (and DS as well)!!!
The fuzzies are so cute!!!
So happy they're doing so well!!!

Looking forward to more updates and pics!

 

[pmcatnip]

Quote: She's gorgeous! What's that coloring called?