Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[KuroKitsune]

here are some babies that just hatched yesterdy(the 28th) under my serama hen who is one of my best broodies and momma's

two babies are full serama(the dark brown and black and white) and the third is a serama/duccle cross(silvery chipmunk) and she has a fourth egg under her that due to hatch i think in a week that i gave and maybe shouldn't have but she content to sit for now and if that changes i have other broodies that'll take the egg and be very happy to have it.

 

[calichicken]

So my broody silkie hen has her temporary broody suite complete with nest side food and water service. She is such a sweet and calm girl. She sat and just watched me bulid everything up around her and not one sound. I feel much better knowing she has all the food and water she needs close by.

I love your fluffy little broody!!! What a great set up..totally comfy and set!!!

 

[702marine]

I love your fluffy little broody!!! What a great set up..totally  comfy and set!!!

Thank you. She is a happy girl right now. I guess I would be too if I had everything bedside. Lol...

 

[calichicken]

Thank you. She is a happy girl right now. I guess I would be too if I had everything bedside. Lol...

Seriously...what a lucky girl

I have a broody with the same set up, but she has to get up and move a foot to get to her food and water! What we do for our broodies

 

[702marine]

Very true

 

[bobbieschicks]

Today I got up early to check my nests. I didn't expect anything, but I already had 5 chicks, and 5 more eggs were pipping. The first nest I checked surprised me. I had two frankenchicks! (Joking - sort of). Out of two chicks, one has five toes! It is a Welsummer/Favorolle cross. The second chick is a Turken with a naked neck. LOL that one was a bt of a shock. The little guy is already my favorite. He jumped in the water dish and got a bath and also got "lost" in the corner of the nest box already. Since this morning I had 3 more hatch so I'm up to 8. Two more are almost hatched and that just leaves two that aren't doing anything. Both broodies are doing a great job! Not sure who this one is. I think it is an EE that hatched out of a broken egg.

Awh! Congrats!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Oh my goodness.  I have chicks coming out my ears all of a sudden.  I want to move one of the broody hens and the chicks out of the nest box.  If they hatched overnight is it too soon?  Should I wait until tomorrow?  I have a second broody hen that I will leave with all of the unhatched eggs.  I have a horse stall set up with hay and shavings for the new chicks and the mommas.  It is very secure and warm enough for everyone.  They will have a dog kennel to sleep in that has a door for locking them in at night.   Is it OK to move the chicks as soon as they are dry, or should I just wait until tomorrow?

Thanks!  Picture coming soon.

My broodies were in adjoining nests and when the RIR hatched her three WL chicks the Maran thought she would join them and leave, but I forced her back on her eggs again. There's a chance your broody will quit as well thinking her chicks have hatched and are leaving with the other broody. I don't remember if your girls were cobroodies or just next to each other.

I've also had broodies set up near each other, about a foot away, and those two hatched within a day of each other. They were fine because neither had left the nest yet, but when a chick breeched the divider between the nests the other broody tried to steal it away and that caused a bit of a fight. The chicks and broodies "talk" to each other before hatch and for several days after they are still imprinting. So if you move them away I'd recommend it be a far enough distance that the chick and old broody can't communicate otherwise she will seek out her chick.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I am still a beginner when it comes to chickens. I have been keeping them for less than a year. Now my speckled sussex has been sitting on a nest of eggs for 2 nights. I wasn't sure if she was broody or just developing a bad habit so I have been observing her closely today. She is currently on the nest, but I know she was off of it for at least an hour earlier. Could she still be deciding? Or just not a good brooder? Will this hurt the development of the eggs? Also, if she is broody, I really need to move her! She stole some eggs and decided right under the roost was a good place (darkest spot in the coop)

Congrats on the broody! Sounds like she's not deciding anymore, she's a broody. They get off the nest all the time to eat, dust bathe, drink, and poo the stinkiest big poops ever. The eggs should be fine. Move her in the evening when it is darkest and you will have the most success. She likes that spot because it feels safe to her because it's dark. You may need a dark nest for her to continue being broody. I've moved many broodies, others I've left alone and let them hatch whatever wherever. Both scenarios resulted in chicks.

If you do move her I recommend setting up the new nest with a bit of the old nests bedding. I do it at dusk. I usually swipe all the eggs while she is still on the nest. You may get pecked so wear long sleeves. Put a small towel over her head, then after moving her I remove the towel and put her eggs under her in the new nest. There's no science to it, just do what feels right with the broody. I make sure to cup the egg so if she pecks she gets me and not the egg.

 

[bobbieschicks]

So my broody silkie hen has her temporary broody suite complete with nest side food and water service. She is such a sweet and calm girl. She sat and just watched me bulid everything up around her and not one sound. I feel much better knowing she has all the food and water she needs close by.

I'm not showing this to my broodies or they will want it too.

Is the nest completely enclosed? If so, the only caution I would give is that she will poop and it will be big & stinky & messy. I've had broodies poop in their enclosed nests and it covered some of the eggs. I managed to wipe off most of it, but you can't wash the eggs afterwards so it leaves the potential for bacteria to breed. Then again I've had poop covered eggs hatch into chicks that were perfectly healthy so perhaps it isn't a big deal if she poops on them.

 

[bobbieschicks]

here are some babies that just hatched yesterdy(the 28th) under my serama hen who is one of my best broodies and momma's two babies are full serama(the dark brown and black and white) and the third is a serama/duccle cross(silvery chipmunk) and she has a fourth egg under her that due to hatch i think in a week that i gave and maybe shouldn't have but she content to sit for now and if that changes i have other broodies that'll take the egg and be very happy to have it.

Adorable! A weeks worth of hatch time is too far. It's a stretch for three days. I would move the egg to an incubator or another broody or candle it to see if it's still viable. Most of my broodies have left their nests on day 2 or 3 with their chicks. So anything not hatched is left behind. If it's still viable there's a possibility she will stay the course, but the other chicks need food and water which you will need to show them where and how to get it as that's what she would do the first few days after hatching.