Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[itstartedwith2]

Was wondering do I need to vaccinate my newly hatched chicks? I thought I read somewhere that I did but I can't seem to find where I read it? My mind can also be playing tricks on me lol

 

[PD-Riverman]

Was wondering do I need to vaccinate my newly hatched chicks? I thought I read somewhere that I did but I can't seem to find where I read it? My mind can also be playing tricks on me lol

Some people that order them from the hatchery have them vaccinated----no one that I know that hatch them at home do. But you can get the stuff to do it if you want.

 

[bumpercarr]

Was wondering do I need to vaccinate my newly hatched chicks? I thought I read somewhere that I did but I can't seem to find where I read it? My mind can also be playing tricks on me lol

They should be vaccinated when they are a day old. There is a lot of information out there about vaccinating, if you google it I'm sure you'll get the information that you need.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Was wondering do I need to vaccinate my newly hatched chicks? I thought I read somewhere that I did but I can't seem to find where I read it? My mind can also be playing tricks on me lol

You can choose to vaccinate, and many advise doing so, although more and more are choosing to selectively breed for natural resistance and disease elimination (NPIP certification is part of that) in part because some of the viruses, Mareks for example (which is the major one to vaccinate for), are morphing and becoming more resistant to the vaccines on the market.

More importantly, the vaccine industry is not friendly to the small chicken holder as it is set up for the large commercial hatcheries. You generally have to purchase in lots of 1000 dosages...not so bad as often the vaccine is only about $10 to $20...BUT it has to be shipped overnight, in cold pack, which can run another $40 to $50 in shipping depending upon where you live...and if you only need to vaccinate a few chicks, that can work out to almost $10 to $20 a chick for ONE vaccine. AND the real kicker is the vaccine has to be used up within several hours and then tossed. So unless you are a breeder who is regularly hatching larger quantities, or go in with a couple of friends who are hatching at the same time, it typically just becomes to cost prohibitive.

Plus most vaccines should be administered within the first day of life (like Mareks) to afford any protection...that makes it a little tricky to plan with broody home hatched chicks as you'll need to coordinate the hatch date with virus arrival date....all that equates to most small backyard holders do not vaccinate but breed/raise for natural resistance and practice stringent bio-security (see below for description of that).

You can offset your possibility of disease loss by periodically purchasing feed store chicks which have been vaccinated for the major nasty illnesses (like Mareks, MSG, and Newcastle which are the biggies)...that way if your flock is hit you will not lose as large a percentage...but ask the feed store as many establishments do not bother to pay the few cents more per chick to have them vaccinated at the hatchery...and you have to request the chicks be vaccinated or the hatchery sends them without.

Check your feed store for what vaccines they do carry as some carry the local vaccine strains of some things like Fowl Pox, which is good to have if there is a local outbreak, but I've not found one in my area that carries vaccine for Mareks, which is the more troublesome virus, nor MSG or Newcastle. Look at Jeffers Feed Supply online. That is one of the few sources that carry Mareks vaccines. http://www.jefferspet.com/categories/poultry/health-wellness/poultry-vaccines

As stated, most back yard owners therefore do not vaccinate but practice very careful bio-security and breed/raise for natural immunity. That means quickly isolating/culling any bird that becomes sick to protect the main flock.

Bio-security means NO ONE enters your flock premises if they have outdoor clothing (shoes in particular) that came from another farm or park walk. The easiest thing to do is keep some guest boots by the back door and only use your shoes/boots in your backyard. NEVER tromp around the public park that has geese and waterfowl and tromp back to your lovely backyard...1 tiny gram of feces can infect hundreds of birds.

Also never exchange feeders/waterers or purchase used equipment without being able to thoroughly disinfect (soaking bleach solution).

Take away all wild life feeders/waterers as the wild life carries in disease and use bird netting appropriately (you can't prevent fly overs or birds landing in trees, but you can make it not so inviting to stay).

Never bring in outside older poultry (the typical purchased chicken at the swap) unless you quarantine them for at least 2 weeks, a month being best. Isolation should be out of wind, out of sight, no shared fencing...and NEVER use your isolation coop for anything other than isolation (I see so many people use their broody hutch/nursery for double time as an isolation place...they are courting disaster unless you can thoroughly scrub and disinfect ALL areas). Also tend your regular flock first, then at least change shoes and covering (coat/jacket) to tend to your isolation flock NEVER returning to your main flock. I keep a separate pair of boots and coats for main flock and isolation flock.

Never take your birds anywhere unless you are willing to quarantine them appropriately upon return.

That is what feasible proper bio-security looks like (real bio-security would approach Hazmat suits and ICU plastic bubble, but that is not feasible). Many people don't do much of that and are lucky enough. Many more people bring in disease that devastates their whole flock. Some diseases, like Avian Influenza can devastate your whole COUNTY with subsequent sanctions and quarantine by the Ag Department.

Bio-security is scary when you think about it...but practicing some basic steps can go a long way to prevent infection of your flock...the most important are: specific shoes for your flock only, best to never bring in outside birds unless new chicks from hatchery, never take your birds anywhere, if you visit a farm go through a car wash before returning home.

LofMc

 

[Carolei]

Yesterday I was worried because my broody never left the nest in seven days, as far as I could tell. Today I'm worried that she was off too long. I went to let the girls out to free range for a while and she was off her nest out in the run. She had deposited an ENORMOUS broody poop. She went out to free range in the yard with the others, but she seemed like a sleep walker. After a half hour I got worried that she had forgotten about her eggs, so I put her back in the coop where she could see her nest and eggs. About 10 minutes later I saw that she was out sitting in the run. I then picked her up and put her on the nest. She settled in, got all fluffed up and has been there ever since. However, she was off the eggs for at least 45 minutes. It was a pretty warm day, about 75 degrees, but I'm wondering if the eggs are going to make it. I've never candled eggs, but I think I should candle these. At what point should I be able to see movement? I think I'm too inexperienced to tell a a chick that died from a live one, unless I'm able to see movement. Thanks!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Yesterday I was worried because my broody never left the nest in seven days, as far as I could tell. Today I'm worried that she was off too long. I went to let the girls out to free range for a while and she was off her nest out in the run. She had deposited an ENORMOUS broody poop. She went out to free range in the yard with the others, but she seemed like a sleep walker. After a half hour I got worried that she had forgotten about her eggs, so I put her back in the coop where she could see her nest and eggs. About 10 minutes later I saw that she was out sitting in the run. I then picked her up and put her on the nest. She settled in, got all fluffed up and has been there ever since. However, she was off the eggs for at least 45 minutes. It was a pretty warm day, about 75 degrees, but I'm wondering if the eggs are going to make it. I've never candled eggs, but I think I should candle these. At what point should I be able to see movement? I think I'm too inexperienced to tell a a chick that died from a live one, unless I'm able to see movement. Thanks!

You just want to see good development of veins by day 5, growth of the dark blob and air cell by day 10, then if you candle again, some movement is nice by day 15 but often the chick freezes in the shell when you pick it up so I frequently don't see any movement.

45 minutes on a hot day won't matter usually...but a broody hen can frequently get confused as to where her nest lays if she has too much room to wander. That is why I use a broody hutch so that I can confine them better...just room enough to nest, stretch, dust, eat/drink, then go back to the nest.

LofMc

 

[Carolei]

You just want to see good development of veins by day 5, growth of the dark blob and air cell by day 10, then if you candle again, some movement is nice by day 15 but often the chick freezes in the shell when you pick it up so I frequently don't see any movement.

45 minutes on a hot day won't matter usually...but a broody hen can frequently get confused as to where her nest lays if she has too much room to wander. That is why I use a broody hutch so that I can confine them better...just room enough to nest, stretch, dust, eat/drink, then go back to the nest.

LofMc

Thanks for your help! I've set up a dog kennel/cage in the coop and I'm planning to move her nest into it tonight. I just hope I'm not too late. I don't know how long she had been off the nest before I came outside.

 

[AtlantisPeeps]

This is Phoenix sitting on her first clutch of eggs. She is a wonderful broody. She doesn't attack me when I touch her or the eggs, I can move her anywhere and she will absolutely not leave those eggs. I do have to hand feed her because of that, but I'm willing to do that.

That blue Orpington rooster is Lancelot, who may be the father of one of two of the eggs. He died two days ago, due to sour crop. I'm hoping to get one chick from him, so his legacy and go on.

The other daddy is a Red Sex Linked, so maybe Ill get some white peeps.

The mothers could be-
Easter Egger (Her egg was one of the good ones)
Red sex linked
GLW
Speckled Sussex
Buff Orpington
New Hampshire red
Lavender Orpington


Anyway, I put 9 eggs under miss Phoenix. It's her first clutch, and mine.

Two got cracked (both were thankfully unfertile) and one I had to chuck because when I candled today, it looked unfertile and what looked like the yolk was freely floating around w/ no veins. 3 of them I saw good air sacks, and embryo mass, but since they were a bit dirty and were speckled, I couldn't see veins. I wrote a "?" on them and stuck them back under her. The other 3 were perfect. Excellent air sacks, prominent veins and little (and very active) embryos.

I'm hoping I get some chicks! They are due June 18th

Sad update:

Well. I had a dream last night that one of the eggs got crushed. Low and behold, one of my 100% good eggs got stepped on and crushed. Thanks Cinderella, I guess dreams do come true.

Anyway, my poor broody is now all sticky underneath, and the other eggs, too. I have 5 eggs left. We will see what happens. If I don't get any chicks, I'll have to wait to order some next spring, or wait till she or one of the other hens goes broody again.

 

[Nightcro]

Ok i have a girl that went broody so i put 10 eggs under her. We are now down to 5 eggs with 2 days to go and i have no idea where the other eggs are going... i have her in a dog kennel isolated from the other birds. Any thoughts? ?

 

[Pyxis]

Ok i have a girl that went broody so i put 10 eggs under her. We are now down to 5 eggs with 2 days to go and i have no idea where the other eggs are going... i have her in a dog kennel isolated from the other birds. Any thoughts? ?

Probably they are breaking or going bad and she is eating them - it's an instinct thing that other birds do too - the smell of rotting or broken eggs would attract predators to the nest, so she eats them to keep that from happening. Or perhaps you have a snake getting in and stealing them - are the holes in the kennel big enough for a snake to get through?