Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Johnn]

Awwww! How fun! Both are looking great.

best one yet Johnn. Going to submit to calendar? If that is how it's done.

Thank you both! Bella's moulting at the moment so doesn't look her best! I think the picture isn't good enough quality for a calendar sadly

 

[Faraday40]

I did have another egg hatch, and it's perfectly healthy, so I'm just keeping a super close eye on her clutch

Such an adorable chick!!!! Love the color & puffy cheeks!

 

[Faraday40]

Can a hen go broody too often? Can she weaken herself by hatching one brood after another?

Cookie is acting broody - AGAIN!

Nov 2014 - acted broody, but we kept taking eggs (winter's not a good time to raise chicks here) She showed us by not laying until Christmas.
Jan/Feb - broody again, but snapped out of it after 2 weeks in -20'F temps
March/April - 1st successful brood hatched April 12
June/July - 2nd successful brood hatched July 1

Today she's grumpy & sitting in a nestbox. Is it safe to allow her to set again?

 

[fisherlady]

Can a hen go broody too often?  Can she weaken herself by hatching one brood after another?

Cookie is acting broody - AGAIN!  

Nov 2014 - acted broody, but we kept taking eggs (winter's not a good time to raise chicks here)  She showed us by not laying until Christmas.
Jan/Feb - broody again, but snapped out of it after 2 weeks in -20'F temps
March/April - 1st successful brood hatched April 12
June/July - 2nd successful brood hatched July 1

Today she's grumpy & sitting in a nestbox. Is it safe to allow her to set again?  

We have hens who brood 4x a year without problems. Just watch that they are eating well ( both quantity and quality) and not being harassed or stressed by the rest of the flock.
Our hens tend to hatch year round here.

 

[fisherlady]

It is hatching day again...our silver pencil rock, Lacey, hatched 10 chicks earlier today. Mindy has been keeping a close eye on her...

Luckily Lacey is used to Mindy hovering!

 

[fisherlady]

So far they are looking good...

And I still think Mindy is trying to figure out how she can sneak them into the house so she can watch them all the time!

 

[kilby]

So far they are looking good...




And I still think Mindy is trying to figure out how she can sneak them into the house so she can watch them all the time!

they are so precious. 10 at once wow mine are all scattered. Is that a record or something.

 

[fisherlady]

they are so precious. 10 at once wow mine are all scattered. Is that a record or something.

10 in the hatch, not 10 broodies all hatching the same day.... though that would be a heck of a hatch day! I think this is our 23rd or 24th broody hatch so far this year, i would have to go back through the calendar to get an exact count. We have another hen due Monday and another the following weekend. So Mindy is a happy pup with all of the littles to watch.

 

[kilby]

Gone with the Wind

Mere minutes old




I have a new hatch today. Pipped a hole yesterday. I had to try hard to stop worrying about it. Got up early and it was out after I tended the chickens. Mom is doing fine. Thrashing around to clean her feathers does scare me though. here are a couple pics. She is sitting on just one more. Story about this years hatches. I tried 7 or 8 with the first broody but when 3 hatched she discarded the rest. This broody now was sitting on four muscovy eggs and one chicken egg, The scovies were duds and the chick was stepped on accidentally. I gave her two new ones and this is the one she hatched today. Most likely a Copper Moran mix with barred rock or jersey giant or copper moran mix hen.



Images only work after saving and submitting and then going back to edit post to add images. thanks

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

So far they are looking good...

And I still think Mindy is trying to figure out how she can sneak them into the house so she can watch them all the time!

Mindy the dog is very well behaved!
Lacey is a super mom hatching out TEN chicks. Is there a difference between a silver penciled rock and a dark brahma?
Thanks for sharing your very cute photos.