Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[chicknnugget]

Whoops!

Just read your advise again. You already mentioned to pitch the current eggs. Sorry.

 

[NCChickchick]

Thanks!!! Me too! Anyone have experience with dual moms?
They are both gentle and while they puff up and squawk a little at me, they let me lift them, feed them scratch, and pet them. No biting or the usual broody attitude. I hope it means they will be gentle to each other And the chicks, if we get that far without incident. Fingers crossed!!!
I would love to have any advice you can offer!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Can I jump in to the broody hen hatch-a-long? I have 2 hens sitting on 6 fertile Serama eggs (from my own chickens). They are a huge heritage Buff Orpington (Freckles) and the mother of most of the eggs, my tiny little Serama (Helena). I started the eggs in my Brinsea but put them under Helena after she went broody. Then Freckles decides she wants to be a mom too. At this point they are Both on the nest and that is quite a feat as Freckles is a tremendous puff ball.
Hope the photo download worked. Helena is not on the nest here, she's just trying to figure out how to do it. When she gets in there, you can't see her!!!

Congratulations on your broodies...and Helena is just too cute..when she gets in with Freckles whose brooding who???? Helena looks like she could handle one egg at most!

But don't tell her that...you go Helena...and Freckles!

Lady of McCamley

 

[chicknnugget]

Fisherlady gives excellent advice...I'd only add that if you are only having her sit for 2 weeks on infertile eggs, chances are they are fine in cooler weather. I've not had issues with rotting eggs that quickly except in the summer time. You can tell if the egg is going bad...if there is any weeping or smell definitely remove it...or simply swap them out every few days and scramble them for the dogs or chickens to be on the safe side.

I agree that 4 to 5 weeks isn't too long for mom if you keep her supported with electrolytes in the water and special high protein/energy treats.

I would also load the shipped chicks up with electrolytes (Chick Saver) from an eye dropper and place them with the hen immediately. They will be used to the dark shipping crate which simulates the dark hen...they will also be very exhausted...so the electrolytes will be important...but you will want to avoid double transitions...from shipping to heat lamp to hen/environment.
I've not done shipped chicks, but I have done fostering from feed store chicks that arrived the day before, went to my house, then went to the hen that night and it was too much transition. When I went from feed store to hen I got better results.

Good luck

Thanks CO

I had ordered these 3 chicks a long time ago,(way before I had a broody hen) and they are part of a larger order a friend of mine is placing. The ship date is April 30th. 2 welsumers and an EE. Do you think adding in some feed store chicks with my shipped chicks would be a good idea in case shipped chicks don't make it. I would hate to have her sit on eggs this whole time and have nothing to show for it. Maybe I could add the feed store chicks in the night before the shipped chicks come in. This could make it feel like some eggs hatched before others. Maybe I am over thinking this a bit.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thanks CO

I had ordered these 3 chicks a long time ago,(way before I had a broody hen) and they are part of a larger order a friend of mine is placing. The ship date is April 30th. 2 welsumers and an EE. Do you think adding in some feed store chicks with my shipped chicks would be a good idea in case shipped chicks don't make it. I would hate to have her sit on eggs this whole time and have nothing to show for it. Maybe I could add the feed store chicks in the night before the shipped chicks come in. This could make it feel like some eggs hatched before others. Maybe I am over thinking this a bit.

You can always try it...but I would wait as feed store chicks will be at a different stage than the shipped chicks (by necessity older as the feed store chicks have been unpacked and transitioned by the store) The shipped chicks will be under shipping stress and very young...they don't need other older chicks pouncing over them their first day or two...they've already had more than enough of that rattling in the container across country.

If things don't go well with the shipped chicks you can consider feed store, but I've had transition problems with feed store unless it is warm weather, especially mixing batches (I have tried feed store with hatched chicks with less than stellar results for the feed store as the hatchlings ran rough shod being acclimated to mom and the environment)...but I don't use a heat lamp (burned a coop down that way) just the broody hen for warmth and comfort. And that takes some transition time for the "green house" chicks who've gotten used to a heat lamp for their comfort and warmth. That hen can look big and scary. Some will run to her and others will hang back and get stressed in the cold or strand themselves as they attempt to get away, so if you go feed store, watch and wait to see how they are doing being prepared to intercept run aways and tuck fearful ones under momma. (Scoop and tuck from the tail so mom doesn't peck at the chick in your hand causing further fear for the chick of the hen.) I would recommend that as well for the shipped chicks...cup your hand so the chick is hidden and scoop and tuck at the tail. If you can, leave your other hand so that mom pecks at it and ignores what you are doing at her tail. That way none of the chicks get a peck from the hen who is pecking at you but the chick thinks she is pecking at them, and I've had chicks become very fearful of the hen after that.

I think you have a good shot with shipped chicks who are not used to lights...they should instinctively run to the hen for comfort as she will be inviting them. Feedstore chicks have gone beyond that imprinting period so it can take them awhile to re-adjust to running to a large body.

My thoughts
Lady of McCamley

 

[chicknnugget]

You can always try it...but I would wait as feed store chicks will be at a different stage than the shipped chicks (by necessity older as the feed store chicks have been unpacked and transitioned by the store) The shipped chicks will be under shipping stress and very young...they don't need other older chicks pouncing over them their first day or two...they've already had more than enough of that rattling in the container across country.

If things don't go well with the shipped chicks you can consider feed store, but I've had transition problems with feed store unless it is warm weather, especially mixing batches (I have tried feed store with hatched chicks with less than stellar results for the feed store as the hatchlings ran rough shod being acclimated to mom and the environment)...but I don't use a heat lamp (burned a coop down that way) just the broody hen for warmth and comfort. And that takes some transition time for the "green house" chicks who've gotten used to a heat lamp for their comfort and warmth. That hen can look big and scary. Some will run to her and others will hang back and get stressed in the cold or strand themselves as they attempt to get away, so if you go feed store, watch and wait to see how they are doing being prepared to intercept run aways and tuck fearful ones under momma. (Scoop and tuck from the tail so mom doesn't peck at the chick in your hand causing further fear for the chick of the hen.) I would recommend that as well for the shipped chicks...cup your hand so the chick is hidden and scoop and tuck at the tail. If you can, leave your other hand so that mom pecks at it and ignores what you are doing at her tail. That way none of the chicks get a peck from the hen who is pecking at you but the chick thinks she is pecking at them, and I've had chicks become very fearful of the hen after that.

I think you have a good shot with shipped chicks who are not used to lights...they should instinctively run to the hen for comfort as she will be inviting them. Feedstore chicks have gone beyond that imprinting period so it can take them awhile to re-adjust to running to a large body.

My thoughts
Lady of McCamley

Thanks again! You had some very thoughtful points. That's why I love this site!

I do have another question for you. If all goes well with the adding of the chicks, I was then planning on moving her to my nursery area to keep the other hens away from the babies.This area already has a momma and 3, 3 day old chicks in it. would it be ok to keep 2 families in this 3 ft by 3 ft area. These two birds seem to get along during regular circumstances. well now that I think about it however, by that time maybe the 3 babies will be old enough to make their debut, so maybe all this was for not. What do you think. Thanks again to all your help.

 

[fisherlady]

Thanks again! You had some very thoughtful points. That's why I love this site!

I do have another question for you. If all goes well with the adding of the chicks, I was then planning on moving her to my nursery area to keep the other hens away from the babies.This area already has a momma and 3, 3 day old chicks in it. would it be ok to keep 2 families in this 3 ft by 3 ft area. These two birds seem to get along during regular circumstances. well now that I think about it however, by that time maybe the 3 babies will be old enough to make their debut, so maybe all this was for not. What do you think. Thanks again to all your help.

I wouldn't be too confident in it working in a 3x3 hutch,
Some broodies tolerate other hens and chicks, others don't.... a lot depends on whether they've been exposed to each other with chicks before or if this is all new to them... It isn't often you can mix them into such close quarters though. I have a coop with 4 broody hatches currently in the main coop living peacefully, but for the first week the oldest broody hen wouldn't tolerate the newbies without a peck and a squawk. Once the babies figured out who to avoid there were no problems. But this coop isn't small and this group of birds is very easy going and the rest of the flock is used to chicks of all ages so there were always lots of distractions to prevent blow ups from happening.

Once the first broody's chicks are a few weeks old move them out to the main coop area... you can set up a 'transition area' for them in the coop. We did this simply by creating a small partition with a baby gate in a quiet corner. We placed a broody and her 6 chicks in there with a pillowcase hung over the gate to make it a bit more private for the first few days. The partitioned off area isn't completely closed off from the coop, it just creates a 3 sided room for the broody to feel safe and cozy at night or whenever she wants to avoid the coop hubbub. When the broody is ready she will quit staying in the area at night and will begin teaching the little ones to roost. The only problem with this arrangement is if you have a flock member who isn't chick friendly, if that is the case you may need to find a different transition method.

 

[fisherlady]

Thanks!!! Me too! Anyone have experience with dual moms?
They are both gentle and while they puff up and squawk a little at me, they let me lift them, feed them scratch, and pet them. No biting or the usual broody attitude. I hope it means they will be gentle to each other And the chicks, if we get that far without incident. Fingers crossed!!!
I would love to have any advice you can offer!

I had 2 hens who were hatched by a broody last year who decided to join forces to raise their little ones who hatched on the same day....




They were doing so good together they decided to allow a 3rd hen (who hatched her clutch out 1 week after them) to join the broody party...


They are still raising their tri-brood... a 4th 'sister' hen from their hatch last year is currently on eggs and due this weekend. next year I am hoping they all go broody about the same time so I can just toss them all into a giant broody hut and let them do their thing. Finding areas for 8 broodies is getting busy in the coop (I currently have 2 more hens who are parked and waiting for eggs, one broody who just weaned her group and one who hatched last weekend)

 

[chicknnugget]

I wouldn't be too confident in it working in a 3x3 hutch,
Some broodies tolerate other hens and chicks, others don't.... a lot depends on whether they've been exposed to each other with chicks before or if this is all new to them... It isn't often you can mix them into such close quarters though. I have a coop with 4 broody hatches currently in the main coop living peacefully, but for the first week the oldest broody hen wouldn't tolerate the newbies without a peck and a squawk. Once the babies figured out who to avoid there were no problems. But this coop isn't small and this group of birds is very easy going and the rest of the flock is used to chicks of all ages so there were always lots of distractions to prevent blow ups from happening.

Once the first broody's chicks are a few weeks old move them out to the main coop area... you can set up a 'transition area' for them in the coop. We did this simply by creating a small partition with a baby gate in a quiet corner. We placed a broody and her 6 chicks in there with a pillowcase hung over the gate to make it a bit more private for the first few days. The partitioned off area isn't completely closed off from the coop, it just creates a 3 sided room for the broody to feel safe and cozy at night or whenever she wants to avoid the coop hubbub. When the broody is ready she will quit staying in the area at night and will begin teaching the little ones to roost. The only problem with this arrangement is if you have a flock member who isn't chick friendly, if that is the case you may need to find a different transition method.

Thanks again Fisherlady

I think the transition will go very smoothly with the older batch leaving the nursery to allow the other younger chicks to go on in. All but two of my hens have had one experience with broody mommas and baby chicks before these two gals when broody. That when very smoothly. now my momma with the 3 chicks was one of that 1st. group, matter of fact. Any way, I will keep my eye on the two younger newer gals, during the transitioning phase, to make sure this stays on track. thanks for all the help.

 

[jc12551]

I had 2 hens who were hatched by a broody last year who decided to join forces to raise their little ones who hatched on the same day....




They were doing so good together they decided to allow a 3rd hen (who hatched her clutch out 1 week after them) to join the broody party...


They are still raising their tri-brood... a 4th 'sister' hen from their hatch last year is currently on eggs and due this weekend. next year I am hoping they all go broody about the same time so I can just toss them all into a giant broody hut and let them do their thing. Finding areas for 8 broodies is getting busy in the coop (I currently have 2 more hens who are parked and waiting for eggs, one broody who just weaned her group and one who hatched last weekend)

What kind of hens are those? I have a silkie cross bantam that has the same coloring.

I have a group of three red cochin bantams, a mom and two daughters, that kind of coop hatch The two girls sit on the eggs together (usually) and the mom takes the babies away and raises them lol


A year or two ago I had a turkey and a hen raise babies together. The turkey hatched them, both took care of them during the day, and they slept with the hen at night. It was so funny!