Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miz Mary]

I HAVE A CHICK !!!!!!!! Went out this am .... one baby , dark .....maybe a silkie...... hopefully she will hatch more today !!!!

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

I too have chicks! Went to move my broody silkie off her nest today (eggs not due until Tuesday) and loe and behold there were to Old English Game Bantam bitties! Her quail eggs were due Friday, and all were duds. Oh well, two chicks out of the two chicken eggs I put under her isn't bad! I knew the quail eggs were iffy from the get-go so no surprise there.

I am SO proud of Nee Nee the silkie!!

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Congrats on the biddies!! Pictures ASAP!!

 

[clio]

Quote:
Could something else be getting to her eggs and eating them? A snake perhaps?

Nope, definitely not a snake. She was just sitting there eating one under her today.

My husband thinks maybe she had too many and decided to eat a few since she was hungry. That's his guess anyway. I moved her to her own cage with more hay (after cleaning her up - yolk all over her legs and belly) and her own food and water. There's 5 eggs left, so we'll see what happens. The eggs are new - the 5 I put under her the 2nd day were just laid that day. I put 2 under her the 3rd day. She seems to have left them alone. I don't know if anything will come from them, but I guess we'll see.

I have a similar situation ... my broody cochin is setting 11 fresh eggs that I placed under her last Sunday. By Wednesday, one was missing, and I had 10 eggs. Today, when I put some new hay in the nest box, which is on the coop floor, there are 8 eggs. No evidence of shells, yolks, etc. The coop is shut tight at night, and she is in her nest box almost all of the time. She has food and water within 12 inches of her nest box. The coop is in my garden, no dogs, snakes, etc. around.... I have a regular size garden in a tract house neighborhood. There are 7 other chickens around that are not broody, and do not bother her. Any idea where those 3 eggs disappeared to?

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I now have 3 broodies..I just let them sit on eggs..I don't really want anymore mutts...

I for sure have 14 eggs that I can give them to sit on.

 

[arianna]

Hello everyone

here's my update:
Monday my hen hatched only one egg out of 6. Tuesday I checked the other eggs and they were all bad, so then the rush to find baby chicks started

. I stop by TSC several time a day each day, since they said they are expecting bantam chicks any time. Thursday, finally they got the chicks. I was the first one to buy bantam chicks that day.

I got 5 (2 bearded silver lace polish, 1 gold lace polish, 1 OE White, and one, I believe, Porcelain Millie Fleur) . Unfortunately my broody hen did not liked the polish

, so I had to take them back, and I got in return only one black cochin bantam. At first she picked on the black one as well, but eventually she accepted him. The problem was that I had to many days since she hatched and I give her the new chicks. She knew those chicks were not hers.
Anyway,

now my Foxy has 4 chicks, she is very happy and she is a great mama hen.

To my surprise all the other chickens accepted the new chicks right away. They were all curious about them, but no one show any aggression toward the new chicks at all. George, the rooster, even tried to feed the new chicks, by calling them to him, when I give him some treats.

He is so caring

. Best rooster ever.
I made a new broody box/house, and I got the hen out of the coop, so she can get in her house with the chicks without my help.

This are the bearded polish chicks that I had to take back

, so pretty.....

and here's my happy family

I put the gate because the other chickens were eating the baby chick food. I left one side open so Foxy (mama hen) can take the chicks out in the run

and the new brooder box/house

 

[BluBug]

Quote:

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Quote:
Yeah!! Congrats on all the babies!! The Polish are so cute!

 

[Fuffy]

Congrats on all the lovely babies!!!!

Getting close here now... Hermione is still sitting tight. She is getting up once ir twice a day for a few mins: eat, drink, poop and straight back in.

Please keep all your fingers crossed for my buff sussex: I need hens!!!!!

 

[Suechick]

Quote:
Nope, definitely not a snake. She was just sitting there eating one under her today.

My husband thinks maybe she had too many and decided to eat a few since she was hungry. That's his guess anyway. I moved her to her own cage with more hay (after cleaning her up - yolk all over her legs and belly) and her own food and water. There's 5 eggs left, so we'll see what happens. The eggs are new - the 5 I put under her the 2nd day were just laid that day. I put 2 under her the 3rd day. She seems to have left them alone. I don't know if anything will come from them, but I guess we'll see.

I have a similar situation ... my broody cochin is setting 11 fresh eggs that I placed under her last Sunday. By Wednesday, one was missing, and I had 10 eggs. Today, when I put some new hay in the nest box, which is on the coop floor, there are 8 eggs. No evidence of shells, yolks, etc. The coop is shut tight at night, and she is in her nest box almost all of the time. She has food and water within 12 inches of her nest box. The coop is in my garden, no dogs, snakes, etc. around.... I have a regular size garden in a tract house neighborhood. There are 7 other chickens around that are not broody, and do not bother her. Any idea where those 3 eggs disappeared to?

I've been thinking about this since my hens tend to eat my silkie's eggs. Hers tend to break easily and have very thin shells. I'm not sure if she just doesn't eat enough oyester shell or there's something wrong with her shell gland. But, if I get her egg first I get it in tact, but if they get to it before me it's gone. So, I'm wondering if maybe when mama is moving the eggs around in the nest, if she gets a little rough and one cracks then she goes ahead and eats it. Especially since brooding is next to fasting, eggs have plenty of liquid and convenient appealing food.

Its just a thought, I hope she stops! Does she get off the nest at all to eat and drink otherwise? I've been taking mine off the nest ever couple of days 'cause she shows now interest in taking care of herself.