Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Fuffy]

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Ahhh...I would think it would be the 10 days between laying and brooding....But I'm no expert

 

[Miz Mary]

MORE BABIES !!! Fancy has a clutch of 4 .....she's a first time mama , doing great so far !! I did learn today , that 4 day old banty chicks can fit through chicken wire .... caught the little bugger thank goodness !

 

[Miss Lydia]

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so cute!!! what breed is Fancy? she is beautiful!

 

[Miss Lydia]

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might depend on what your going to give? what are the symptoms with your flock?

 

[hokankai]

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might depend on what your going to give? what are the symptoms with your flock?

Oh whoops, haha forgot to add that. It's something respiratory for sure.

Symptoms of one hen include: nasal congestion, mouth breathing, sneezing
Symptoms of the other: coughing, raspy breathing

Both have decreased appetites as well.

 

[Miss Lydia]

your going to have to make sure you use the right antibiotic for the symptoms you are seeing. Your flock has already been exposed to what ever it is, but you made the right move by getting mama and chicks out of there. I'll help by seeing if i can find something that will help you decide whats best to use for trearment. and VetRX will help with congestion like vicks vapo rub does. I have some in my med. chest for my chickens. You would rub it on their nares and under their wings.
heres a link with some interesting info. sure hope all will be okay.. will be praying.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=420511
1 more I just found.

Sadly, there are many types of sickness that can cause these sort of symptoms. Thankfully, there are readily available types of antibiotics at the feed stores that you can use. However, here are a few tips that I have learned the hard way.

If you don't notice a dramatic improvement in 24-36 hours, you have the WRONG antibiotic. don't continue wasting your medication and time using the wrong stuff.

Once you have a sniffle/upper respiratory, plan on everyone in your flock getting it, whether you quarantine or not. It is generally airborne, and will travel! be cautious, and get enough meds for everyone.

Mix the meds in small batches that you know they will drink dry in 24 hours, if they are a bit thirsty in the morning, they will get a strong dose of the meds when you present the fresh batch. (a bit thirsty does not mean dying of thirst.)

Check with your local store for a product called sulfadimethoxine. it is a durvet product, just like duramycin, but it treats infectious coryzia in chickens. Any time I see sniffles with eye complications I use this single product, and it is gone in days. any of the 'mycin' products do not have ANY effect on coryzia. The product is hard to find, I cant even buy it in my state, even tho it is cheap, 12.30 per packet. I have to order it online, from Neeps.com, so I keep a supply on hand at all times. Do not mix too strong, more is not better, in fact, too strong and it will kill. Mix it according to directions. Spelling is important, make sure you get the right stuff, not the stuff for dogs! lol.

Take comfort in the fact that the new hen may not have been the one to bring the problem too the flock, in fact sometimes the opposite is true. Your flock may have been carriers of the organism in a dormant state, as they had built up an immunity, and the new hen, caught it from your birds, and it changed just enough to make your roo a bit ill. Microorganisms are amazingly adaptive, and a quarantine is a good idea, but it will not solve all the issues, it may just delay them! A bird that gets sick from your flock will have the same timing as if it came to your place carrying an illness! It is sometimes impossible to tell which came first, the bird or the sniffles!

Send for the sulfadimethoxine now, so it is on the way. Try the locally available 'mycin' type antibiotics, and if they work, great, if they don't, the other will. Finding the correct antibiotic is sometimes trial and error.

Good Luck!

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Proud New Customer Service Rep for Purely Poultry!

 

[Lyssa]

I have a broody hen, so today I picked up some fertile eggs from a local person. 5 of the eggs have been sitting on her kitchen counter for a week. Then 3 eggs are from today. I have put them all with the broody just now. My question is this, will they all start together since they are all being put under a hen at the same time? Even though they were laid a week apart?

Thanks, Lyssa

 

[Miz Mary]

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so cute!!! what breed is Fancy? she is beautiful!

Thank you ! She is an Easter Egger with a crooked beak .... she got picked on by the flock , so she is the only hen I have that is free range 24/7.....she will follow you on walks and is very docile !!! ......and she's a VERY good mommy !!!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

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congrats on the broody and yes to your question.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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so cute!!! what breed is Fancy? she is beautiful!

Thank you ! She is an Easter Egger with a crooked beak .... she got picked on by the flock , so she is the only hen I have that is free range 24/7.....she will follow you on walks and is very docile !!! ......and she's a VERY good mommy !!!!!

aww thats too bad she doesn't have a buddy, but I guess her chicks are her buddies now, it's like my bantam frizzle, doesn't really have a buddy, but she is holding on to her chicks who are 7 weeks old now..

she does live with the rest of the flock.