Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Kaylish]

I've only had one experience so far- My broody was off the nest for quite a while the day before hatch. I think she even got up briefly the morning of hatch day...

@Kaylish
I've also only done one hatch, but my broody didn't get up for 3 days before the hatch and 2 after so it might depend entirely on the hen which isn't very helpful. 

My experience with hens is that before hatch some sit tight the last two days and some still get up for a quick break even up to hatch day, so there is no good way to predict her activity because it just varies too much from hen to hen..... however, the greatest majority of our hens will set tight to the nest for at least 24 to48 hours after the first chick hatches, the biggest issue with that is sometimes they will broody poo in the nest if they have been reluctant to leave which creates a need to clean their nest. 

Given a choice (given your circumstance) I would lock her into a pen which allows her room to get off of the nest for food and water, this can mean an enclosure with just 4 square feet total.... that allows room for the nest in a corner and a bit of space in front of the nest for a food and water container.  That would suffice for a broody for a few days.  I expect that given a chance she will continue to try to go back to her old nest.... nest confusion has been our most common battle with hens hatching in the coop, so I understand what you have gone through.

The pen needs to have one more thing though.... you have to 'chick proof' it by making sure the spacing of the wire/cage bars is small enough that a chick can't get through, which usually means adding hardware cloth around the bottom of it.  I prefer the half inch hardware cloth, I cut it to be 6 or 8 inches high and attach it securely around the base of the cage, making sure to include the door and provide overlaps or overhangs if needed around the door to prevent any gaps when the door is closed.  A chick who can get out of a cage can rarely get back in and it won't end well... I would be a good idea to make sure any nest box (if you even use some type of box) has a low lip on it so the chick who falls out the front (and I have had plenty do it) can easily return to mama.   We rarely use a box to contain the nest anymore to avoid any issue... we just provide a few secure square feet and put the nest in a corner of it on the floor.

Add marbles or small rocks to the waterer base to prevent chicks drowning also... and make sure the feed available is chick starter, it won't hurt the hen at all to be on chick starter for the duration.  We switch our hens over to the higher protein chick starter when they are setting anyway since they don't need the extra calcium in the layer feed when they are in broody mode.

 I'm glad you have a responsible chicken sitter, explain some of the 'problems' he may find and simple fixes for him so he will feel more prepared and he will be much more comfortable... make up a spare 'nest'  or the materials needed for one and store it somewhere handy so if there is a problem he can simply swap it out if need be.  Make sure the other hens can't get to the spare nest or they will either use it or rip it apart checking for goodies (my hens dive into any container of hay I set down and go to town scratching and digging through it)

Good luck, I hope the hatch goes well!

Thank you all for the insight and great tips. I moved her in her kennel into a 3'x5' brooder pen in the garage and left the door open. I also broke the front of the box lid nest down into a mini ramp and made a step up for the lip of the kennel. She didn't budge the whole time except to growl when I was messing with the nest.

[COLOR=333333]Hello fellow brooders...I haven't been on here for some time...whoa, life just got busy and I couldn't justify "fun" computer time for while....and then I was out of town (out of state) for awhile helping my oldest daughter with her new little baby on a farm with very limited internet connection. (Yeeks....I'm a grandma now!  e )[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]At any rate...I've got a question...who on this thread has hands on experience using bantam Cochins for brooding.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]Sadly my faithful broody Silkie Oma-San was taken by a very determined Cooper's hawk this month (who gained a foothold during my absence).  [/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]So...After a local search for a new brooder, I am looking at purchasing 2 bantam Cochin hens that are about 2 years old that are experienced brooders, if we can work out delivery and pickup...they are about 1 1/2 hours away driving time (3 hrs round trip).[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]I've never owned a bantam Cochin.  Are they similar to Silkies in size, brooding power, and general upkeep?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]After reading up about the Cochin, and conversely the Silkie, I've discovered I was ignorantly bliss with my Silkie in that even though I live in the wet Northwest, she did fine as an outdoor bird. She was given access to a warm hutch with covered area below, but she always chose to stay in the run scratching in the dirt and the inevitable rain...but I never had a problem with her becoming chilled or ill. Thick bark chips in her run kept her from becoming a mud ball, and I trimmed her foot feathers periodically to help prevent matting....periodic dusting for mites...and she was a content camper.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]In other words I never read the manual on Silkies that told me I should be putting them inside during wet weather or they get chilled...ditto the manuals say with bantam Cochins.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]All to ask...what will taking care of a bantam Cochin really look like? I am expecting (after quarantine) to put them in my broody hutch with run like my Silkie was and continue life as before (hopefully without the Cooper's Hawk this time).[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]Thanks[/COLOR]
[COLOR=333333]Lady of McCamley[/COLOR]

I can't speak to the broody nature since my bantam girls aren't to POL yet but I have a pair of roos the rule my layer flock and I have not had to do anything special for them. Their feet get a bit wet with the rain but I think if you haven't had any problems with your silkies then bantam Cochin should do just fine.

Edited to fix typos

 

[ochochicas]

My legbar hens are very timid and unsocial. I got them as adults and they came from a breeder, so I don't know if their lack of social ability is their temperament or how they were raised. When I let the chickens out to free range, the legbar hens either stay in the coop or go about 5 feet from the barn. The Legbar rooster is mean to people and rather awkward around the hens. I'll admit I'm not fond of them as a breed. I have not been able to hatch any of their eggs for some reason. I have one legbar egg that I put under the broody last week. We'll see how that goes.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I can't speak to the broody nature since my bantam girls aren't to POL yet but I have a pair of roos the rule my layer flock and I have not had to do anything special for them. Their feet get a bit wet with the rain but I think if you haven't had any problems with your silkies then bantam Cochin should do just fine.

Edited to fix typos

Thanks for the feed back on the bantam Cochins...looks like they will make a nice addition to my flock as broodies that will acclimate just fine to my broody hutch/run.

Lady of McCamley

 

[lauraschicks]

@ochochicas. Dont give up on the legbars. Mine come to meet me every morning and any time they remotely think there's a chance of getting treats. They are very tolerant of all my other roosters and get along even with my big bossy malines pullet/pseudo cockeral.

 

[TeaChick]

I'm posting this in both the Broody Hen threads I know of ("broody hen thread" and "old-fashioned broody hen hatchalong and informational thread"). I'm sorry for double posting, I just want to get as much information and advice as I can. Thanks.

I have some eggs I need hatched right away. I put them in the brooder and put a hen in there I feel confident will go broody on them for me. I chose her b/c she already lays in the brooder (and I don't want her to start laying somewhere else) and no one else lays in the brooder (therefore, not causing anyone else to think they need to find a new nest). I have a few questions on what to look for and time frame.

I have had a broody before, so I have an idea of how she'll behave if/when she goes broody. But what should I look for to give up on her brooding the eggs?

She's kicked some of the eggs out and she has eaten one of them. At what point to I take the eggs and just stack them in the 'bator? (I don't want this situation to create an egg eater.)

Absolutely any information or advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[ochochicas]

@ochochicas. Dont give up on the legbars. Mine come to meet me every morning and any time they remotely think there's a chance of getting treats. They are very tolerant of all my other roosters and get along even with my big bossy malines pullet/pseudo cockeral.

Thanks Laura - I'm going to try to hatch some eggs after the first of the year. My hens were raised by a breeder and they are not used to people. One actually bites if you approach her. They are also not used to going outside and just sit in the dark coop all day. My rooster is mean and will not be staying long. He gets to fertilized a few eggs and he's got to go. He has repeatedly attacked us over the last few weeks since our other rooster has been sick. He also came from a breeder and is not used to interacting with people. The woman we got him from said "Don't turn your back on him." He was manageable when he was with our other rooster, but now his ego is a bit to big for his britches. DH is ready to shoot him already.

I'd like to raise my own legbar babies so they will be friendly and fit in with the flock. Just need to be patient while the girls are molting and hopefully hatch a bunch in the spring.

 

[A6chickenhome]

My legbar hens are very timid and unsocial.  I got them as adults and they came from a breeder, so I don't know if their lack of social ability is their temperament or how they were raised.  When I let the chickens out to free range, the legbar hens either stay in the coop or go about 5 feet from the barn.  The Legbar rooster is mean to people and rather awkward around the hens.  I'll admit I'm not fond of them as a breed.  I have not been able to hatch any of their eggs for some reason.  I have one legbar egg that I put under the broody last week.  We'll see how that goes.

My broody just hatched out 2 legbar chicks that both turned out to be roosters. My broody hen has tried to lead them out of the coop and they won't follow her, instead they stick close to the nest and heat lamp. After seeing your post, I'm thinking I might take one of the boys to raise as a pet so he will be more social with me and my kids.

 

[kristin07035]

My broodies babies are 4 weeks old today. The past 3 nights though shes been going up on the roost at night (too high for babies) is this normal (i thought its a little soon to be leaving them) she still keeps them close during the day and will sit/cover them at night once i take her down.

 

[ochochicas]

You can socialize them to people without taking them away from the broody. Go in and hold them and pet them each day. If you can put a chair near/in the coop just sit and talk to them. My broody-raised chicks that hatched in July are all super tame and friendly. They weren't totally on board at first, but I handled them several times a week - just holding them for short periods of time. Around 6 - 8 weeks of age they became totally tame. Now that know I'm "that person" who comes out every afternoon with scratch grains and they come running. Even the two cockerels liked to be picked up. There was a 3rd cockerel that was not nice and would bite from an early age. Some of them are just born that way I think.

After the broody left the chicks one of them became rather sluggish. We brought her in the house for a couple of nights to warm up. Of course she is the friendliest of the bunch now. She follows me around all over the place. She is so clingy that I accidentally stepped on her one day because she was right under my feet. Silly girl!

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[Lady of McCamley]

My broodies babies are 4 weeks old today. The past 3 nights though shes been going up on the roost at night (too high for babies) is this normal (i thought its a little soon to be leaving them) she still keeps them close during the day and will sit/cover them at night once i take her down.

Four weeks is often when my larger (standard) size hens leave the babies. My silkie and more compulsive broodies will hang until 8 weeks (or longer)!

If the chicks are fully feathered and have been taught to roost, and the weather is not too cold in the coop (no drafts), they should be fine.

However, it is on the earlier side of "acceptable." I prefer 6 weeks as the age when mom launches them as that extra time helps them be more acclimated to life, especially in the colder months.

If it were me, I'd take her down and set her with the chicks to cover them to if I couldn't eek out a little more time for growth before they have to brave the cold roost on their own. You'll know when she's simply done and won't stay with them at all.

Lady of McCamley