Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Peep-Chicken]

Are Production Reds broody? Bonnie was sitting in between the hay bales today

 

[Viollettt]

Are Production Reds broody? Bonnie was sitting in between the hay bales today

Any hen is subject to going broody at any time. There could also be other things going on with her. I would keep an eye on her. Does she have eggs under her?

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Any hen is subject to going broody at any time.  There could also be other things going on with her.  I would keep an eye on her.  Does she have eggs under her?

I had put several golf balls there a few days ago. I'm not sure on eggs. I just checked on her and she is still there.

 

[Dook]

I was wondering..my girl has 4 more days of sitting before the eggs are due.... but when the chicks get bigger in a few weeks, will i have the make a bigger nest area for them to fit with muma chicken? How long before they'd want to sit on their own? I've only ever incubated and raised chicks myself, so I'm a bit unsure on the muma chickens job and time frames! =)

I guess another thing is to ask...what about food? do I just keep chick feed and shallow water in the pen with muma chicken since I know they cant eat the layer pellets =)

Thanks in advance!!

 

[MEMama3]

I was wondering..my girl has 4 more days of sitting before the eggs are due.... but when the chicks get bigger in a few weeks, will i have the make a bigger nest area for them to fit with muma chicken? How long before they'd want to sit on their own? I've only ever incubated and raised chicks myself,  so I'm a bit unsure on the muma chickens job and time frames! =)

I guess another thing is to ask...what about food? do I just keep chick feed and shallow water in the pen with muma chicken since I know they cant eat the layer pellets =)

Thanks in advance!!

hope you don't mind my piggy backing on this question (as I have similar ones). If you have the broody in a closed off nest box (mine is 2'x2 1/2' if that matters) when do you open the nest box up? I figured she would want to be left alone with the chicks for a bit.

 

[Viollettt]

I was wondering..my girl has 4 more days of sitting before the eggs are due.... but when the chicks get bigger in a few weeks, will i have the make a bigger nest area for them to fit with muma chicken? How long before they'd want to sit on their own? I've only ever incubated and raised chicks myself, so I'm a bit unsure on the muma chickens job and time frames! =)

I guess another thing is to ask...what about food? do I just keep chick feed and shallow water in the pen with muma chicken since I know they cant eat the layer pellets =)

Thanks in advance!!

I hope this helps. I'm not sure how big of a place you have for them but the broody hen usually stays with the chicks for anywhere from four to eight weeks. It's typically six weeks. My broody hens then take a few days to a week to actually leave them. She sort of works up to it. I even had one that sort of cried for a few days before she left them. She would leave and then end up coming back to the broody box/pen I have set up for them. Then for a few weeks she might hang with them in the daytime but go to roost with the flock at night on her own. Before you know it she's left them and it's like she never knew them. That is what usually happens here. I've had six different broody hens over the years and like people they can be somewhat different on how they do it.

As far as food I feed all my chickens a regular non-medicated 18% - 22% protein feed. It's usually called chick grower or finisher. I give oyster shell on the side free choice for the laying hens. The broody hen can eat chick feed with chicks. i prefer non-medicated in this case as well. Yes, the hen will show the chicks to drink the water. My broody hens usually take the chicks outside after a couple of days (in middle GA) no matter the weather. I had one that took them out as soon as they dried.

 

[Viollettt]

hope you don't mind my piggy backing on this question (as I have similar ones). If you have the broody in a closed off nest box (mine is 2'x2 1/2' if that matters) when do you open the nest box up? I figured she would want to be left alone with the chicks for a bit.

I always have mine in their own little broody run. So the broody decides when she wants to take them outside. I'm not sure of your set up and if there are other chickens involved.

 

[MEMama3]

I always have mine in their own little broody run.  So the broody decides when she wants to take them outside.  I'm not sure of your set up and if there are other chickens involved.

my broody is in a communal box that is 2'x2 1/2' in size. The box is in the coop with 7 other hens. I used wire fencing to block the hens out while she sat. I'm just wondering how long after they hatch I should keep the fencing up.

 

[fisherlady]

Mama frequently looks for a different nest for her brooding than the one she hatched in, I think it is instinctive for them because in the past or in the wild there wouldn't be a human cleaning up the area so the hens defense against the germs (and possibly bad eggs) that built up in the hatching nest was to leave it behind. Once again, this isn't true for all broody hens or every hatch... we have one hen who changes nesting area within 3 days and on other that stands and taps her foot waiting for us stupid humans to get her preferred area cleaned up for her to move back into!

Babies hanging out around mama rather than under her is based on average temp in the area. Over 50 degrees F I frequently see the babies around her after they are about 1 wk old during the day, just ducking into her feathers for quick warm ups and social time, though they still seem to sleep under her at night. Below 50*F it takes an extra week or so to see it. The thing is it seems that broody hen raised chicks don't seem to have trouble being happy running around in the cold, as long as mama is nearby to duck under for short warm ups.
Nest size depends on number of chicks and size of broody... once the babies are 2 or 3 days then mama needs room to stand and easily turn and preferably be able to extend her wings for a decent stretch also (at least that is the guideline I use). If she doesn't have run of the coop or outside then she needs about a 2x2 space extra (more is great though) to allow her and the little ones to get out of the nest and stretch for a bit with food and water placed somewhere in that space.

In our coop we have a 2.5'x3' broody box which is framed and has 1/2 wire mesh on two sides, it is room enough for a plastic nest box for the broody to use when she is setting and when the chicks are out and moving a lot (about day 2 or 3) we remove the nest box and just put a pile of straw in the corner for her. It has a pop door into a 3x8 area in the coop which we use for some storage and walking area for people, but is separated from the rest of the birds by framed out wall with chicken wire. We use sand for our floor, and regularly add in ashes... the flooring sand regularly gets mixed with the sand from the adult bird coop area during the weekly cleaning, so the chicks are exposed to everything the adult birds are from the start. Having a sand floor area for the broody and babies means mama hen gets to start teaching how to scratch and dust bath right from the start, even in poor weather. The wire fence between the broody and rest of the flock means the whole flock gets to see and hear the babies from the start and when they start to mingle (after about a week) there is very little drama other than a peck here and there from grumpy hens (or jealous teenagers) or attempted chick napping from our other broodies.

Everyone's set up and flock dynamics are different, so there is no 'perfect answer', just suggestions to try things out till you find what is right for your and your broody and flock. Giving mama and chicks somewhere safe for that first week can be a great help if you don't have a flock with broody and babies experience. Some folks just let nature take it's course and have great success with it, again, success will depend on the broody and the flock dynamics and coop set up.

 

[Viollettt]

my broody is in a communal box that is 2'x2 1/2' in size. The box is in the coop with 7 other hens. I used wire fencing to block the hens out while she sat. I'm just wondering how long after they hatch I should keep the fencing up.

If it was me I would probably wait until the hen starts acting like she wants to take them out of there. You might want to make sure the chicks can get away from the older chickens. I use wire and other things they can run behind, through, and around to get away. The momma will guard them as well and keep others away. Many folks say they can go with the others at 4 weeks. I used to do it that way but I've changed as I have watched the broody hens and chicks over the few years. Now I go by how the hen wants to do it. I've also had my flock established for a few years and I see how they act toward chicks in general. They keep them in their place at times and mostly ignore them when they are little. Or a few of them might get too close and the broody hen will let them know to stay back. I've spent a bunch of time just watching to see what happens. Especially at first. If I don't like the situation or I'm not comfortable for whatever reason I keep them separate. The broody hens all do it differently. One might take them around the others when they are a week old and I had one that didn't want anyone near hers until they were 6 weeks old. Those chickens are still somewhat standoffish. LOL