Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Wishapup]

I wholeheartedly concur with these two that if you have the room to designate a main nest box, partitioning is a great system for isolating hens where they are at. Isolation is the key as it really improves overall success in hatching. Doing so in the main coop really saves extra work on your part (ETA or at least coop space...you do have to let them in/out once a day). Many people fear doing so as it seems cruel to "lock" a hen inside, but she isn't moving off the nest and likes it dark, needing to get up only once a day to eat/drink/poo.

The only thing left to consider is what to do when the chicks hatch and how the chicks will do in the flock. A simple solution, and safest for chicks, is to move momma and chicks to a grow out area, especially if you have predator problems such as hawks (something I struggle with). Hens easily move once their chicks are hatched, to pretty much any area you locate them to.

I also use banties for my main broodies, who get no respect in the flock and would get hazed every time they were reintroduced back (that was a lot of hazing as they were brooding 3 to 4 times a year), for me it was simply easiest to create a broody hutch and grow out run so that my broodies live, brood, and grow out chicks safely in one place. I only move chicks when they are old enough to join the flock as pullets, and less tempting for hawks.

But if I had large fowl girls brooding, and plentiful barnyard eggs (rather than expensive purchased breeder eggs), and plenty of nest boxes, I would consider leaving them in the main coops with partitions for brooding isolation, then letting the chicks integrate into the flock and let nature take its course (knowing I could lose a chick or two here or there).

LofMc

Planning on trying it as soon as I have time! I know one of my bantams at least could get respect in the larger flock. When she's broody, she gets grumpy. At one point she attacked my rooster and he was surprised--he ran. After several similar encounters the poor rooster began attacking my boot. He had to take it out on something. They don't enjoy their position in the pecking order being threatened.
I would move the chicks once they are hatched. They are valuable eggs to me, from my Marans & Ameraucana pens that are not laying. I only have 1 Marans egg collected and it looks like I won't be getting more so I'm going to put it under her.

 

[bumpercarr]

Just candled the eggs under my broody - day 14. Only found 9 of them, probably a few under her wings or have done the mysterious disappearing act. Seven are developing, I took away the two that aren't because I want to replace them tomorrow with the two in the incubator that are due on the same day.

Fingers crossed!

 

[Pyxis]

Lacie's eggs are developing! I pulled out one from under her tonight - got hissed at but not bitten, she's a good goose - and there was a tiny embryo growing in there Here she is on her nest a couple days ago:

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Lacie's eggs are developing! I pulled out one from under her tonight - got hissed at but not bitten, she's a good goose - and there was a tiny embryo growing in there

Here she is on her nest a couple days ago:

Good for you (and Lacie)...I'm not familiar with geese, but goose eggs are harder to hatch if I remember right...you go Lacie!
LofMc

 

[Pyxis]

Good for you (and Lacie)...I'm not familiar with geese, but goose eggs are harder to hatch if I remember right...you go Lacie!
LofMc

They are harder! I've got three of my own in the incubator since I didn't want to overwhelm her on her first time with fertile eggs. She's doing really good though!

 

[bumpercarr]

Broody left the nest today for her constitutional, so I got a good look at the nest after candling last night. Only seven eggs, which is what I counted when I candled (plus two non starters, which I removed). So, we have mysteriously disappearing eggs...I had sort of hoped that the missing eggs were under her wings.

Anyway, I'm putting a few from the incubator in with her today...I'll probably be moving her tonight to a better chick area. These should hatch next Saturday.

 

[MistyMountain]

Hi all. I have a broody on my hands and would like to add a couple guineas to my flock. I was hoping to hatch a handful of guinea eggs (started 7 days earlier) with around 5 eggs from my mixed flock. I hatched 90% from my flock last summer, and have a specially designed broody coop, so no worries on housing and grow-out. Just basically wondering if anyone has done this before and if you have any suggestions.

 

[lauraschicks]

fisherlady so cute.my white leghorns are still cooking under my silkie momma that was born /hatched last july. 3 days to go. do u think there's a chance my silkie rooster could fertilize standard size hens? I've never seen them do the deed but was kind of hoping.what do you think?

I have around 20 young pullets that are half Silkie (roo) mixed with half Tetra Tint or Golden Buff layer hens. All are from one small roo with a big attitude. And they are gorgeous. .

 

[Wishapup]

After a trial run with golf balls, proving that the partition idea worked, my hen is now sitting contentedly on 5 eggs! I tried to fit more, but they are LF, and 5 is the max she can handle.

Her break was short this morning. Probably only 10 minutes. I hope that is enough for her once a day.

 

[Fentress]

The simplest option is to let her go broody in one of the main nest boxes... ie wait until she is committed to brooding and has been setting day and night for a couple of days, then remove the eggs she has and replace with the eggs you want to hatch. Place a removable board across the front of that nest box, so that other hens cannot get in to disturb her (it doesn't have to be the full size of the opening but cover most of it) and remove it once a day for her to come out to eat and poop etc. Then you can supervise her broody breaks and ensure she goes back to the right nest by removing all eggs from the other nest boxes so that she choses the box which has eggs in... hers. It really is very simple. She gets to brood where she wants, doesn't get disturbed by the other birds climbing on top of her to lay which risks the eggs getting broken and you have peace of mind that she is not wandering off to another nest and abandoning her eggs whilst you are not there. I have 2 broodies and this works absolutely fine. They know when I remove the board that it is time to get off and do what is necessary and even if I can't make it the same time every day, they hold until I remove the board and the increased light stimulates them to get off and go.

I keep posting this method as so many people seem to have the same problem, but no one seems to comprehend just how easy it is and how well it works. If you have a freestanding nest box, just put a cardboard box over it with a few holes punched in it. Broody hens like to be in the dark and undisturbed, so it is much kinder to do this than to allow other hens to climb all over her nest or move her to somewhere that she doesn't feel safe.

If you must move them, make the new nest really dark and she will most likely settle very quickly. Once she settles and feels the eggs under her, she will stop panicking and click back into broody mode.

Interesting. Might be easier if I was at home during the day. Would early evening, a couple of hours before dusk, be to late in the day to try and start this type of routine. Does the broody fowl the nest until she learns when break time is? I am having some relocation problems.