Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Johnn]

I'm trying to figure out which is Bella? Actually also is the Roo you are talking about the black one that is she is sick of. Your chickens are really pretty. The one I think you said is moulting, is that the biological mother? She's a buff orpington right. She looks just like mine but your's is more mature. Mine is not laying yet though she should be. She is well over 5 months. Her comb isn't developed much like they say that seems to be a factor on egg laying. Just curious about your chickens, I read your posts a lot. Is the one chicken a New Hampshire? I have 4 of them. 25 weeks old today and only one laying. She lays every day though. Can't complain about that. Hope I haven't been a pain. I enjoy your posts.

X2! I enjoy the posts too!

Thank you both. Bella is the Buff Orpington and his mother who hatched him. But the little Ancona bantam who hes fighting with in the end pics is his biological mother. Its Bella the buff orp whos sick of him because he follows her around still and mates her when shes not looking and she doesn't find it amusing! I don't have a New Hampshire either

 

[earlyredrooster]

Moma and baby.

Ain't it cute.

 

[why do birds]

We are new to the whole chicken thing. We ordered a few eggs from Ebay last December and 3 hatched. Our little Silkie hen decided to sit on her eggs and not move so we're thinking that she's broody. She is in a TSC coop in our back hall area with a bantam rooster and a bantam frizzle hen, they all hatched together.

The other birds are leaving her alone. Is that ok that all 3 stay in their coop? If we try to move any one of the birds they all go crazy and yell at us until they are back together again.

She should be fine with the temperature for a while, but it's going to be getting cold soon. Any thoughts? Would we move her and any chicks after the eggs hatch? We don't expect a freeze for about a month.

 

[earlyredrooster]

Last picture of the day, taken at shutdown.

 

[sssharon]

Johnn, my rooster always sneaks up on the hens. I watched him the first time when I thought he was still a pullet and he was sitting in my potatoes watching my B.R. Roxanne. The next thing I know he is on top of her and she never knew what happened. I couldn't believe it. My hope of a green egg disappeared right before my eyes. He has been doing that every night to her or to another hen. The one chicken I saw looked like my New Hampshire chickens. Must have been mistaken.

 

[dldolan]

Both my Bantam cochins hatched out five chicks. Each bunch is pretty much a mirror image of the other except for one bird different in each batch.
Here is a sample! What's with the piggy back? So cute!

 

[krista74]

Hi all,

I was wondering of I could get some advice.

I have my main coop, with a corner blocked off separately. In this corner is a Broody Hen with one chick which is 1 day old, and five eggs are still under her, which I don't think will hatch. It is only Day 21, but we had some exploding eggs which I believe have ruined the batch.

In the main coop I also have a second Broody Hen, sitting in a high up nest box that only she uses. She is on 10 eggs, and it's only Day 1 for her.

Outside, I have another separate small pen under some trees, which is secure and would comfortably house a Broody and her chicks, but it's only the first week of Spring here and we still get frost on the ground in the mornings. This pen is secure and has a roof, but two sides are open mesh.

My question: Obviously if Broody # 2 holds her course I will eventually have to move her from her favourite nest as it's so high up and would be dangerous to chicks. My aim would be to candle around Day 8 and do it then. But where do I move her to?

I could move Broody #1 outside with her single chick, so that Broody #2 can have the inside pen, but that seems cruel as they will be separated from the flock, and she did her whole Broody session in that spot.

I could put Broody #2 outside with her clutch of eggs, but she was in the outside pen earlier today and panicked so badly she nearly hurt herself trying to fight her way out. Not even the presence of the eggs would calm her.

It seems everyone wants to be in the 'big coop' that they are already used to, but I can't very well take down all the walls and have them all in together can I? My flock consists of only 6 hens, 1 cockerel and 1 tiny Peeper, but one of my BO hens can be quite vicious, and I would fear for Peeper's safety.

Can I pen the 2 Broodies, Peeper, and the unhatched eggs together or will that cause problems too? Both Broodies are RIR's......who would have thought they would go broody, lol

Your advice would be appreciated.


- Krista

 

[rebrascora]

Hi.

My advice would be to leave broody No.2 where she is until her clutch hatches. She is happy there and you could always fasten something across the front of the nest box when the chicks are due to start hatching, to stop them falling out (even just a bit of cardboard taped across the front.

By that time your other broody and chick should be ready to join the main flock.... ie 3 weeks old..... you may find they are ready to explore the big wide world long before then, but by 3 weeks they will definitely be needing more space and be keen to leave the cage.

I have an old sideboard in the hen house that I use as a brooder but I also have a small box/cage in there where I put the chicks feed and water. I chock it up on bricks in the corners so that only the chicks can get underneath, but not the adult hens. The small chicks soon learn that they are safe under there and that that is where their food is. As long as their broody can see them and they can get to her when she calls them, it's a system that works very well for me.

Once Broody No 2's chicks hatch, move her into the corner area that Broody No.1 is currently using. At 3 weeks, the older chick(s) will probably be ready to start roosting but if not, their mother will find another place to sit with it/them in the hen house.

Good luck with them and don't give up on those other eggs just yet. My first broody badly soiled her nest and eggs, but all 14 hatched and were healthy despite that.

She is due to hatch her second clutch in 2 days time and my other broody has chicks that are just over 2 weeks old, so I'm in a similar situation to you but a couple of weeks ahead.. She tried to get them up onto the roost, the night before last.... two of them were about ready, but the others need a few more days. They have been out with the main flock for over a week and no problems with integration at all. Hope it all goes as smoothly for you.

Regards

Barbara

 

[ochochicas]

I agree with rebrascora. Don't move #2 until the chicks hatch. If she is happy where she is, moving her will only upset her and she could stop sitting on the eggs all together. After the chicks hatch you can move them. That gives you some time to figure out where to put them.
I'd put broody #1 outside in the other pen in a couple days after you are sure none of the other eggs are going to hatch. My broody really seems to enjoy her time away from the flock. At the same time, she brings her chicks up to eat with everyone else, so they are well socialized.

 

[bumpercarr]

X3. Agree with both recommendations above.