Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[CandylandRanch]

So how do I know hatching has begun when they are underneath miss broody? Other than obviously seeing a chick, what do I look/listen for first? Should I lift her a little and check for piping? Should I just lean in and listen for peeping? Will she start making noises?

I just figure that it's important to know when it starts so I know how late they are, or so I know when they first pip so I can monitor how long it takes them to unzip so I can help if it's taking too long.. Am I wrong?

I'm losing it over here waiting.. It's day 22

 

[vpatt]

With her August chicks all grown up, my silkie/ cochin mix hen has decided that it is time to hatch some more eggs! She started sitting on 8 eggs yesterday. I'm pretty sure all the eggs are hers but have no idea who fertilized them. I'm looking forward to figuring that out if/ when they hatch. e

That sounds like such fun! Do you keep all the babies? I have 3 twelve day old chicks right now and I want to let someone hatch out more in warm weather.....but I don't know what I will do with all of them.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Here in the damp of Blighty, it used to be common practice I believe to cut a sod of turf and turn it over to make a broody's nest, thereby creating quite a moist environment I would imagine. I assume the soil would also act as a hinderance to mites and lice too. They would naturally be nesting on the ground, not in dry wooden boxes we provide with air flow underneath that are removed from the dampness of the earth and dew etc. It may be that we make life harder for our broodies by giving them conditions that we think are beneficial. My first broody pooped in her nest during the last couple of days of incubation and it did occur to me that perhaps that was her means of upping the humidity. All 14 eggs hatched and were healthy without any cleaning of the nest by me, as I was unaware until the chicks had started hatching. It was a disgusting mess but all 14 chicks came out clean. How amazing is that! Since then I have added a little moisture to the nest and I haven't had a nest soiled since. Most likely coincidence but it's food for thought.

I have actually seen the hen "wet" the nest with what appeared to be water from her vent...not poo, and not urate, as a hen does not urinate but pass her urine through urates in the poo (the white stuff mixed in with the brown). This was clear watery fluid coming out of her vent, and since she was not laying, being deep in brood on nearly day 20, it would not have been egg white from a mislaid egg. I have had several hens feel dampish at the vent, so I think this must be how they do it, though I've not studied in depth for certainty.

It is indeed a marvelous and fantastic process.
Lady of McCamley

 

[Lady of McCamley]

So how do I know hatching has begun when they are underneath miss broody? Other than obviously seeing a chick, what do I look/listen for first? Should I lift her a little and check for piping? Should I just lean in and listen for peeping? Will she start making noises?

I just figure that it's important to know when it starts so I know how late they are, or so I know when they first pip so I can monitor how long it takes them to unzip so I can help if it's taking too long.. Am I wrong?

I'm losing it over here waiting.. It's day 22

Listen first, and then watch unobtrusively. Try very hard not to lift and check, but if no signs are coming forth, a very gentle, very quick peek on day 22 may be in order. Usually you see at least 1 or 2 hatched and drying or fluffly, but likely the rest are still half in the shell and you DON'T want to disturb them at this point.

Truly, it is best to wait it out until you see little heads poking out and hear peeping. If nothing has happened by beginning of day 23, then I definitely do a lift and check, if I haven't done a quick peek before. I've actually set up my brooding hutch with a peep hole that is very effective for me to get a good look without messing with the hen and possibly interrupting the process.

Lady of McCamley

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

With her August chicks all grown up, my silkie/ cochin mix hen has decided that it is time to hatch some more eggs! She started sitting on 8 eggs yesterday. I'm pretty sure all the eggs are hers but have no idea who fertilized them. I'm looking forward to figuring that out if/ when they hatch. e

Awesome! Congrats !

So how do I know hatching has begun when they are underneath miss broody? Other than obviously seeing a chick, what do I look/listen for first? Should I lift her a little and check for piping? Should I just lean in and listen for peeping? Will she start making noises?

I just figure that it's important to know when it starts so I know how late they are, or so I know when they first pip so I can monitor how long it takes them to unzip so I can help if it's taking too long.. Am I wrong?

I'm losing it over here waiting.. It's day 22

I was thinking of that too. Don't you wish you had a sthethoscope handy?

I have actually seen the hen "wet" the nest with what appeared to be water from her vent...not poo, and not urate, as a hen does not urinate but pass her urine through urates in the poo (the white stuff mixed in with the brown).  This was clear watery fluid coming out of her vent, and since she was not laying, being deep in brood on nearly day 20, it would not have been egg white from a mislaid egg. I have had several hens feel dampish at the vent, so I think this must be how they do it, though I've not studied in depth for certainty.

It is indeed a marvelous and fantastic process.
Lady of McCamley

That's amazing! Thanks for sharing!

Listen first, and then watch unobtrusively. Try very hard not to lift and check, but if no signs are coming forth, a very gentle, very quick peek on day 22 may be in order. Usually you see at least 1 or 2 hatched and drying or fluffly, but likely the rest are still half in the shell and you DON'T want to disturb them at this point.

Truly, it is best to wait it out until you see little heads poking out and hear peeping. If nothing has happened by beginning of day 23, then I definitely do a lift and check, if I haven't done a quick peek before. I've actually set up my brooding hutch with a peep hole that is very effective for me to get a good look without messing with the hen and possibly interrupting the process.

Lady of McCamley

Another excellent idea! I'd love to see a pic of this to see how you did it!

 

[kristin07035]

Ok question...i had a broody mom hatch 2 chicks on Halloween...they are 6 weeks old and she would rather roost without them but they still want to snuggle under her on the floor...if i take her down she will still give in & snuggle with them...but i have another broody sitting on 7 eggs due to hatch in 2 weeks and if i don't get out to the coop before dark i find them snuggling under her wings...she doesn't seem to mind (actually pecks at me when i take them away) but i take their real mom down from roost and take them away from new broody and this has been going on for about 5-6 days now...so question is is this safe for all to just leave everyone as is or should i continue separating all every night...

 

[fisherlady]

Ok question...i had a broody mom hatch 2 chicks on Halloween...they are 6 weeks old and she would rather roost without them but they still want to snuggle under her on the floor...if i take her down she will still give in & snuggle with them...but i have another broody sitting on 7 eggs due to hatch in 2 weeks and if i don't get out to the coop before dark i find them snuggling under her wings...she doesn't seem to mind (actually pecks at me when i take them away) but i take their real mom down from roost and take them away from new broody and this has been going on for about 5-6 days now...so question is is this safe for all to just leave everyone as is or should i continue separating all every night...

As long as the 6 week olds are just snuggling under her wings and she isn't objecting then I wouldn't worry for a few more days... they are just delaying the inevitable and who can blame them? It is definitely warmer tucked under a broody's wing than sitting up on a roost! LOL.. moving them onto the roost with their actual mama may speed the process up of getting them off of the floor before the youngsters hatch though. I would make sure they quit bothering the other broody at night at least 5 days before you are expecting the new hatch just to avoid problems.

 

[CandylandRanch]

Ok question...i had a broody mom hatch 2 chicks on Halloween...they are 6 weeks old and she would rather roost without them but they still want to snuggle under her on the floor...if i take her down she will still give in & snuggle with them...but i have another broody sitting on 7 eggs due to hatch in 2 weeks and if i don't get out to the coop before dark i find them snuggling under her wings...she doesn't seem to mind (actually pecks at me when i take them away) but i take their real mom down from roost and take them away from new broody and this has been going on for about 5-6 days now...so question is is this safe for all to just leave everyone as is or should i continue separating all every night...

That's so beautiful to visualize. The only thing I would wonder about would be when the new chicks come if the pullets would bully them or not?
I guess the question is Were you planning on letting broody hatch and brood her babies in the coop with everyone else?

 

[ochochicas]

It is day 20 and I can hear peeping from under my broody. I'm leaving her tucked in for the night and will check the nest in the morning.

If it were day 22 I'd take the broody off the nest and see what is going on under there. They should be pipping by now.

So how do I know hatching has begun when they are underneath miss broody? Other than obviously seeing a chick, what do I look/listen for first? Should I lift her a little and check for piping? Should I just lean in and listen for peeping? Will she start making noises?

I just figure that it's important to know when it starts so I know how late they are, or so I know when they first pip so I can monitor how long it takes them to unzip so I can help if it's taking too long.. Am I wrong?

I'm losing it over here waiting.. It's day 22

 

[kristin07035]

Yes my broody's and pullets share a coop. I guess im lucky & have gentle birds. They don't bother the babies. One of the 6 week olds wlil be going to a new home 5 days after the new guys are due to hatch.
I guess as long as their original mom keeps giving in and covering them I'll just keep taking her down (im afraid to put them up on roost because one is a frizzle and ive heard they can't fly as well & my roost is about 2 1/2 - 3 ft from the ground)
This is their "real" mom

This is my other broody