Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[chippysmom327]

Update on my broody - She is doing  a great job taking care of the eggs.  I took her out this morning and her crop is still fluid filled and fairly full.  I could not smell anything coming from her.  I put her in the stall with the food.  She ate and drank water and then had some crumbles before returning back to the nest.  Maybe her crop is just slow to empty?  She isn't acting sick and actually seems a bit more active than she did a couple of days ago.

She is eating a variety of things depending on what I pick up at the store.  Usually:  peas, beans, corn, carrots, bread, watermelon, hard boiled eggs, spaghetti squash, layer pellets or flock starter (they have both free choice) and fresh water of course.  Her comb is looking a bit chalky and pink, but its not getting worse.  I'll keep an eye on her.  

Mine is the exact same. Her crop is fluid filled or its really hard and impacted feeling. I just let her go and she's fine. The way I figure, she gets off the nest and eats and drinks a TON and then gets on for it to last her about 24 hours. T

 

[chippysmom327]

My broody Peachy hopped off the nest for a second and this is what we found e . The eggs were all set together and are on hour 16 of day 22 (and its been warm out - mid 80s and above). I would love for those other four to hatch but so far they look totally intact, they were alive at day 14 though. So far mom is doing a great job and the chickys look good When we looked at mom and babies we saw the little critters below all around and in her nest box. We have never had pests before and these look like mites I guess? Our main coop and rest of the flock looks good, Im going to deep clean everything and switch out Peachys next box tomorrow. Do you guys think that gives the rest of the eggs plenty of time to hatch? I don't want to mess up any little ones still in the eggs. Also what type of nest boxes do you guys use for the little ones with mom? The one we have is a standard size box but the little guys are too small to get out, I was thinking of replacing it with a plastic dog crate when I clean it all out so they can walk out easier, thoughts? I would have done it when I set her but she was attached to this one. If they are mites should I treat her and the chickys like I normally would? I use food grade DE in the main coop. I would hate for the little guys to be harmed by the mites! Thanks!

Congrats on the babies! VERY cute Those look to be Northern Fowl Mites. Here's a super good article on all of the external parasites chickens can have and how to treat them. http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html

 

[KendyF]

My broody Peachy hopped off the nest for a second and this is what we found

. The eggs were all set together and are on hour 16 of day 22 (and its been warm out - mid 80s and above). I would love for those other four to hatch but so far they look totally intact, they were alive at day 14 though. So far mom is doing a great job and the chickys look good

When we looked at mom and babies we saw the little critters below all around and in her nest box. We have never had pests before and these look like mites I guess? Our main coop and rest of the flock looks good, Im going to deep clean everything and switch out Peachys next box tomorrow. Do you guys think that gives the rest of the eggs plenty of time to hatch? I don't want to mess up any little ones still in the eggs.

Also what type of nest boxes do you guys use for the little ones with mom? The one we have is a standard size box but the little guys are too small to get out, I was thinking of replacing it with a plastic dog crate when I clean it all out so they can walk out easier, thoughts? I would have done it when I set her but she was attached to this one.

If they are mites should I treat her and the chickys like I normally would? I use food grade DE in the main coop. I would hate for the little guys to be harmed by the mites!

Thanks!

What kind of chicks are those? Very cute.

 

[mylittlehippie]

I am about to use my broody for my first hatch. I have her new run set up and attached to the coop. My coop has two levels that are separated from each other. Usually all nesting takes place in the top. I intend to move my broody to the lower level which is now totally closed off from the top by its own run. How long should I wait to see if she will continue her broodiness or if it breaks will she go back soon? Thanks!

 

[chicknshrimp]

What kind of chicks are those? Very cute.

They're red rangers, we haven't raised them before so I'm excited to see how they do.

 

[fisherlady]

I am about to use my broody for my first hatch. I have her new run set up and attached to the coop. My coop has two levels that are separated from each other. Usually all nesting takes place in the top. I intend to move my broody to the lower level which is now totally closed off from the top by its own run. How long should I wait to see if she will continue her broodiness or if it breaks will she go back soon? Thanks!

i would give her at least one full day in the new location. The problem I see most often is that even if a hen seems fine when the initial move takes place it is after her next excursion outside to do her broody poo and dust bath that she doesn't want to return to the new nest site, she wants to go back to the original nest. This doesn't happen all of the time, but I don't give moved broodies any eggs until they have been up for at least one stretch/food break after the move.

You can help reduce her stresses by minimizing outside stimuli for her first trip off of the nest. maybe throw a sheet over her run area so she doesn't see her old haunts and want to return to them... that isn't required, but if you have a broody who doesn't want to resettle it sometimes helps to remove her ability to see much other than the nest she should be setting on.

 

[kabhyper1]

Hey guys, my cochin had two eggs under her, has only hatched one so far. The chick hatched a day early and the other egg was a bit under developed so I left it under momma. Today is day 21 for that egg. I decided to candle it since I had to clean broody poop out of the nest earlier today and I could see it was fully developed and there was rapid movement, almost like heavy breathing going on in the egg. It was not internally pipped. This evening I starting thinking that maybe it was malpositioned, so i candled it a little bit ago quickly, to see if I could tell it it was upside down, which I couldn't by the way, and I saw no movement at all, and right under the air cell in with the chick was a tiny little speck of what looked like blood. Do you experienced hatchers know what that could mean? Do you think the chick may have died? I will feel awful if it did. I'm afraid I may have done something wrong candling it. I only did it because it's sibling is running all over the brooder, but momma is intently sitting on the egg still. She tucked it back in also when I gave it back after candling it. I wonder if she can tell the difference if an egg is still good or not?

 

[ochochicas]

Thanks everyone for the great advice! This broody business is hard! It is like being eight years old again the week before Christmas. LOL Waiting and waiting.

 

[poodlechicks]

@ochochicas I'm glad your broody is doing well. I don't remember if you mentioned your broody has access to the outdoors. In case she doesn't, remember to give her grit to aid her digestion. Her diet seems rich in good nutrients, so she'll be fine.
I agree this waiting game drives us crazy, doesn't it? Best of luck!

 

[Johnn]

I've never done the whole candling thing, but today I deiced to candle my broodies one egg. I used my phone torch and went into a dark corner of the feed shed. The egg was basically full with the top (could have been the bottom) having a light gap which im assuming is the air sac. Is it normal for the egg to be this full when only on day 13?