Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Faraday40]

It's a miracle they have not died of a heart attack by now. sounds like PTSD though!
Can you put a camera in the coop to see what is happening with the feathers?
Who is doing what to whom? are the chicks separate or free in the coop. could be dangerous.
I have always had mine in my house in the sun room before I put them in a rabbit hutch outside when fully feathered. Worked for a five years now. Broody hatching only started spring 2014. So I have to do what works for me. I hope the little darlin's recover from their losses.

Cheers

The chicks are too young for feathers. The feathers look like they came from the broody - like a molt. She has been with the flock for the whole time. Once hatched, I moved mama & her babies inside a "broody cage' inside the coop/run. (Didn't want to risk her babies getting lost while free ranging in the big outdoors, but still want them to be part of the flock.) I have other black chickens (her former hatch). Since they're 3 months old, they kind of do their own thing, but I would expect mama broody to attack them if she felt danger. Don't know if that happened or if she's just molting. Found black feathers 2-3 days in a row. No other colors -just black.

The inside chicks are fine. Since the broody didn't seem to want them, my kids will continue to mother them until they're sold.




One sweet story: While Cookie(broody) was walking her chicks to their daytime run, the emergency sirens went off for monthly testing. She immediately covered her chicks & two other mature hens joined her making a circle with the little chicks inside. When the siren stopped, Cookie continued her journey to their little private run. (As you can see it's a baby play yard.)

 

[ChicagoClucker]

I agree the supplement is a good idea. Also have food and water near her and monitor her to make sure she is actually eating. (It doesn't take much, since she isn't moving around.) Yes, I've had a broody go nearly that long. She was very reasonable and would eat every couple of days, and she was a little shaky for a day once they hatched. She took extra attention, and she and her chicks were fine. They all turned out super friendly.

Ok, thank you all, for the advice and info. Now I won't feel so bad letting her sit. My first time with a broody and this is my hen's 1st time also. She is only 9 months old, so I guess we are going to figure this out together, with the help from BYC members! Thanks Again

 

[3 NH reds]

Ok, thank you all, for the advice and info. Now I won't feel so bad letting her sit. My first time with a broody and this is my hen's 1st time also. She is only 9 months old, so I guess we are going to figure this out together, with the help from BYC members! Thanks Again

I think it depends on the bird. I have Rangers that are broody 24/7 for the better part of this year, they are too large to hatch them and break eggs. I take away all the eggs daily but they still sit there but they eat and are quite healthy.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I think it depends on the bird. I have Rangers that are broody 24/7 for the better part of this year, they are too large to hatch them and break eggs. I take away all the eggs daily but they still sit there but they eat and are quite healthy.

Question, if you are not going to set them, why not break them---so they can get back to laying?

 

[3 NH reds]

Question, if you are not going to set them, why not break them---so they can get back to laying?

Strange part is they still lay eggs. Once we started pulling eggs because they could not brood them they went back to laying shortly after that. Even with pulling eggs multiple times a day they still sit, even though there is nothing to sit on.

 

[Faraday40]

Strange part is they still lay eggs. Once we started pulling eggs because they could not brood them they went back to laying shortly after that. Even with pulling eggs multiple times a day they still sit, even though there is nothing to sit on.

In have one hen that's kind of like that. She stays in the nest for almost 4-6 hrs per day. Never really went full broody - just likes to take her sweet time laying her eggs & wants to rest a long while afterwards. Her name is Einstein 'cause she's not so bright.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Strange part is they still lay eggs. Once we started pulling eggs because they could not brood them they went back to laying shortly after that. Even with pulling eggs multiple times a day they still sit, even though there is nothing to sit on.

Are you 100% sure the hen staying in the box is laying the eggs or if another hen is getting in there with her----laying then leaving?

 

[rhi23]

Can anyone help me with my broody hen. I'm not sure on her breed. She is just one of our egg layers. A pretty black chook and we stuck some bantam eggs under her. The chicks are now 9 weeks old and she shows no sign of weaning them and we want to put the bantam chicks with the other bantams to integrate them with the flock and the mother back with her flock and back to egg laying. Should we force this or leave it. I'm worried she will decide to wean them and they will die (it's mid winter in Australia at the moment).
She's a crazy brooding chook. She sat on the nest for almost 2 months before we gave her some fertile eggs. And last time we had a rooster she flew the coop and hatched 4 babies in the bushland somewhere and came back when they were chicks (we live on 40 acres).

 

[sktlmt]

I am not sure what I should do. I have 1 hen Pip sitting on a clutch of 16 eggs and about 1/2 way thru another hen laid one for the cause. I candled the 1 egg and it was developing. The rest of the clutch is due to hatch this weekend. This is a first time broody and she is only 9 months old. Fat Mama a 3 year old hen who has raised 2 clutches just went broody. Both Hens are super docile and I am wondering if I can put them together. Well I know I can but will a hen rise to the occasion if she has not been sitting on the clutch for more then a few days? Or should I just give her the one egg that was laid late? Or is it better to just shove a few fresh hatched chicks under her?
Thoughts???

I think she started sitting on the clutch June 27 well that was the first night she went missing. So they are due to hatch day 20 7/16-7/18 day 22. So I guess moving them is out of the question.

Now that I have done the math do you think it is ok to put 1 day old chicks under a hen who just went broody? Or is that a recipe for disaster?

 

[Johnn]

Looks like Bella's a mam again! It was Bella's mother orp originally sitting, but once I moved Bella into orps house orp started playing up. Not sure of it's because of Bella's arrival or because she was sitting for so long. Orps not been on the eggs for 4 days but refuses to leave the broody shed, so not sure what she's up to. I'm 10000% sure she won't hurt the babies so that's why I'm not forcing her out, she will just steal them if anything. Bella's a bit confused, probably because the eggs have hatched within a week of her being broody and because she probably doesn't remember being with a duck! Was so scared to go up this morning incase anything had happened to the duckling (rat drama), but luckily, the baby was safe!

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