Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[kannna]

I don't know much about silkies but those chicks are super cute!

 

[mrsmaonaigh]

How many chicks has everyone hatched this spring? We've gotten 14 so far!

 

[chickenhousesplus]

I always use my bantam hens to hatch out expensive eggs that I purchase, they are the best sitters. What I love about the bantams are the hens that share the burden of sitting, it's quite amusing to see.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Congratulations on the hatch so far, they are precious! love the colors is the second one a splash too?

 

[Miss Lydia]

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My bantams make great broodys and mamas and your right they love to sit together.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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12 so far!! one broody on 2 and another broody just started today and she's on one.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Do you have a web site?

 

[Equine_Angel]

I did have one egg hatch, but another broody hen...ate it! Yeah!!! Not impressed. The second broody hen has been stealing this clutch from my first BH. I found the first BH in another nesting box sitting on some other egg. I made the snap decision, and I know that it must have stressful for her, but I snatch her marked eggs underneath the second BH and placed it in an egg crate. Then I placed BH#1 on top of them, which she did not enjoy until she realized she was on her eggs.

I have now put her into a quiet brooder, seperated from four other BLRW chicks, made a quick nest and after 5 minutes, she settled nicely and is sitting on HER eggs. I am so crossed with BH#2. I hope the eggs hatch...there are 5 left to go. As for BH#2, I took her eggs from the clutch the other day and they are in the incubator....

Those are the Days of Our Chicken Lives!!! LOL

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Equine I had to do the same thing this morning, one of my hens actually my oldest hen and grandma to this on that is sitting, decided she was going to take broodys nest and eggs from her this started yesterday. I went in numerous times and removed granny from the nest while broody sat on the outside watching. well this morning i had enough, went in and took broody with her eggs and some of the nesting material and moved her to her very own little broody coop. she seems so much happier, after a few days I'll open the door and see if she wants to come out and do her daily constitution. Now granny is sitting on another egg that a hen left so I guess I'll let her have this one. Miss Lydia[aka Granny ] is all american game and not to be triffled with, but I am big chicken and can do what I want..with her

Shes the one that got me started in chickens so she's kinda special

glad to hear your broody settled and is now peaceful too!

 

[hokankai]

Had a REALLY close call with one of Molly's babies just now. I was playing with the babies in the brooder and heard loud peeping coming from where Molly was. I ignored it at first thinking it wanted Molly to sit down to warm it, but then it kept going and sounded more frantic. I went over, looked her over and I couldn't find the one that was peeping. I squat down and see a baby under Molly's breast while she was standing and walking around. At first I thought it was trying to stay warm, but then when she came over to me the baby didn't move and noticed she was dragging it. I frantically opened the pen and tried to get Molly and noticed the baby's head was STUCK IN HER FEATHERS. I moved too quickly to tell how it was stuck, but it looked like a noose around its neck. I lifted up Molly by the feathers and quickly pulled the baby out. It sat on my hand with its eyes closed. I hope it'll be okay, probably traumatized and a little in pain, but it wasn't suffocating because it was cheeping very loudly.

How the heck does that happen?! She had a few pieces of chick poop in her feathers, so maybe two feathers stuck together and formed a noose or something? How do I prevent something like that from happening again?

Man, you really do leave things up to Mother Nature with a broody