Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[luvmychikens65]

I have 4 broody hens in 5 days now! 3 are in the same coop and not sure what to do about that. Will they be okay all together? I have several concerns such as how they will all get along, and all the nest boxes are raised off the floor. Any suggestions?

 

[fisherlady]

I have 4 broody hens in 5 days now! 3 are in the same coop and not sure what to do about that. Will they be okay all together? I have several concerns such as how they will all get along, and all the nest boxes are raised off the floor. Any suggestions?

There are numerous options but most depend on the personalities of the birds....
Some hens are fine in a communal location with their chicks, they sometimes co-brood them but don't expect that to happen... in a perfect situation it would, but hens rarely cooperate when we want them too! LOL Most will be willing to stay in the flock coop but will keep their brood separated from the others and will remain on a floor nest with them for a number of weeks.

If your coop is roomy enough you can hopefully set up the birds each in their own corner with a dog box or cat carrier, even better if you can give them each a small area to themselves by putting up a chicken wire fence around their floor box. This can be removed after the first week because by then the chicks will be familiar with mama's calls and sounds.

Don't worry about the raised boxes, if you can move them before giving them hatching eggs then that is great, or even if you are lucky enough to be able to if they already have hatching eggs it is good... but if you have a hen who is historically hard to move, don't worry about the elevated box. The chicks won't roam away from mama the first 12 to 24 hours and you can move mama much easier after the hatch. Just fashion a fine mesh screen frame to block the nest box after you know you have a pip or first hear the chicks, then move them when you can. Chicks can fall a surprising distance without injury,, but the problem is if one falls out and can't get back in... hence my screen suggestion.

 

[Johnn]

All the best to you and her and the babies!!!
I like the names of your chickens: Cadbury and Woodstock, especially. =)




Yes, you're right, pray or cross your fingers (which ever you subscribe to) and hope for the best.
Good for her!!! Yeah! C'mon chicks!!! =)

So excited for when my broody hatches out some babies!!!

It's so fun to watch! Did I tell you that the mother hen on this pics daughter from 2012 is now broody? She is a BO, she doesn't make a sound when she on the nest so you think she is nice then when you least expect it, she gets you! She has a couple of eggs under her...

Of course she did...she is up teaching those incredibly healthy chicks to scratch and be chickens...it is amazing how soon the broodies have the babies up and running around...sans heat lamps...they have those little down jackets zipped up and mum to pile into for warm ups and naps....just like the kids playing in the playground then running to mom for warm ups.

Enjoy them...this stage goes fast.

Lady of McCamley

She has completely soaked the bedding today, I'm not happy lol! Sure she wasnt this bad all of the other years. Oh well, she will be back out with the rest of the flock on Saturday, then her and the babies can come and go as they please

 

[TeaChick]

It's so fun to watch! Did I tell you that the mother hen on this pics daughter from 2012 is now broody? She is a BO, she doesn't make a sound when she on the nest so you think she is nice then when you least expect it, she gets you! She has a couple of eggs under her...

She has completely soaked the bedding today, I'm not happy lol! Sure she wasnt this bad all of the other years. Oh well, she will be back out with the rest of the flock on Saturday, then her and the babies can come and go as they please

I've enjoyed my first broody experience so far too. She's been in lockdown for about two days now (only eating/drinking what I place directly in front of her).
That's fantastic, a second generation broody!!! I'll have to wait until next year for that. =)
Oh, that seems to be the case with a lot of things, it's the quiet ones you've got to watch out for. ;-) lol

 

[MargaretYakoda]

I have a question about timeliness of the hatch, and having put two eggs under the broody when she was already almost two days along.

I know I put ten eggs under our broody on the afternoon of April 7th. Which makes today day 22, correct? Two days in I took one out since it had rolled out and had grown stone cold. I figured ten was a lot for a first time broody.

But someone in our house (who now knows better ) put two MORE eggs in nearly right after I took the one egg out, making the total of eggs eleven! I hadn't told him I'd taken the one out, and he thought it was early enough in the process to not make a difference.

So. Here we are. Day 22 waiting for the broody to hatch those eggs! and here's my question: Would she have purposely cooled off some of the eggs so that they'd slow their development down some, to allow them all to hatch closer together?

Or is it more likely they're all duds? Or?

One thing I know is I didn't screw up what day I put the eggs under her. So we're on day 22 for sure.

 

[MargaretYakoda]

I have a question about timeliness of the hatch, and having put two eggs under the broody when she was already almost two days along.

I know I put ten eggs under our broody on the afternoon of April 7th. Which makes today day 22, correct? Two days in I took one out since it had rolled out and had grown stone cold. I figured ten was a lot for a first time broody.

But someone in our house (who now knows better ) put two MORE eggs in nearly right after I took the one egg out, making the total of eggs eleven! I hadn't told him I'd taken the one out, and he thought it was early enough in the process to not make a difference.

So. Here we are. Day 22 waiting for the broody to hatch those eggs! and here's my question: Would she have purposely cooled off some of the eggs so that they'd slow their development down some, to allow them all to hatch closer together?

Or is it more likely they're all duds? Or?

One thing I know is I didn't screw up what day I put the eggs under her. So we're on day 22 for sure.

Or maybe it's because daddy's an Orpington so the hatch is taking a bit longer since theoretically they're all bigger birds?

 

[MargaretYakoda]

Or maybe it's because daddy's an Orpington so the hatch is taking a bit longer since theoretically they're all bigger birds?

OK. In any case ... I just checked and one egg has an external pip! I didn't root around in the nest box to check all of them. One pip was enough to let me know they're on their way!

 

[luvmychikens65]

Thank you so much for replying! I wonder if I should move the mama hens to their own little places like a dog kennel or pen? They are first time brooders so I don't know if it will throw them off. I did move one hen to another nest when she went broody and climbed in with the first hen and started stealing her eggs. I moved her to another nest box with eggs I had saved up and she did just fine. I just didn't think it all the way through or I would have moved her to a separate place all together when they first went broody.

 

[MargaretYakoda]

Took Miss Broody out for her daily poop and looked at all the eggs very quickly.
We've got the one pip, who has enlarged her hole to about the size of a pencil eraser, and another one who hasn't pipped externally yet, but she's peeping loudly. Squee!

 

[fisherlady]

Thank you so much for replying! I wonder if I should move the mama hens to their own little places like a dog kennel or pen? They are first time brooders so I don't know if it will throw them off. I did move one hen to another nest when she went broody and climbed in with the first hen and started stealing her eggs. I moved her to another nest box with eggs I had saved up and she did just fine. I just didn't think it all the way through or I would have moved her to a separate place all together when they first went broody.

It is a constant learning thing... and every broody behaves differently, so no matter how well you think you have it planned or organized be prepared to change it! LOL ... We are on #9 for the spring so far and now #2, who's chicks are now 6 weeks old and very independent, is trying to take over broody #6's group... hubby caught her red winged trying to chick nap some of the 9 day olds... guess she is already missing the fluffy butts.