Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Chicklette 1]

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They are adorable and mom looks content. Did she hatch in the container? Good idea to give them some privacy but yet be in the coop. Mom can get in and out right?

 

[Miss Lydia]

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i have never put a broody with the flock but i have only had one hen go broody her eggs are due to july 6th where do you put your hen and how do you get her to settle in ?

My hen is in the coop with the whole flock and she has 2 day olds. No one messes with a mama hen. She is on the floor in the corner, they all accept the fact that the chicks are off limits till mama leaves them on their own.

 

[CayuseRanch]

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They are adorable and mom looks content. Did she hatch in the container? Good idea to give them some privacy but yet be in the coop. Mom can get in and out right?

Yes it is an old dog house that I took the top off for photo's. We built a small run along the coop for broody's. She can get out if she wants, but I don't think she has and I put her there on Friday after the acident with the first chick.

 

[farmerChef]

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Eggs should be hatching this weekend

I gave her 4/13 eggs and the rest are still in the bator. I wanted to give her more, but I dont think she could fit any more under her. She will be getting all the chicks as they hatch though.

her new nest is and old drawer

It so hot down here, I could just let them sit outside incubate, without a broody or bator!

 

[stonykill]

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i have never put a broody with the flock but i have only had one hen go broody her eggs are due to july 6th where do you put your hen and how do you get her to settle in ?

My hen is in the coop with the whole flock and she has 2 day olds. No one messes with a mama hen. She is on the floor in the corner, they all accept the fact that the chicks are off limits till mama leaves them on their own.

I don't seperate my broody's. They interact daily with the flock, and everyone, even the cat is smart enough not to mess with mama. Yes, they are free range, and mingle outdoors everyday. When mama kicks them loose, still no one messes with the little ones. There isn't a pecking order to deal with, as they were raised with the flock.

 

[joycenjohnb]

I had my first 2 broodies and left them both in with the flock. Between the 2 they hacth 8 and the others did bother them. the little ones will be 3 weeks tomorrow and the one hen has four more eggs already.

 

[Fuffy]

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i have never put a broody with the flock but i have only had one hen go broody her eggs are due to july 6th where do you put your hen and how do you get her to settle in ?

I put mama hen and her eggs in my 'nursery' separated from the rest of the flock

Broody setup by FuffyKing, on Flickr[/img]

And after 21 days or so, I get this

When they are about 6 weeks old I move them into my 'teenage pad' which is a sectioned off part of the main chicken run. I found that the older hens liked to come and visit (Cost an absolute FORTUNE in grower's pellets!!!

). And then one day the fence in the middle was gone and they were all together.

There is no roof on my main run and we have lots of crows, magpies, seagulls and jays, all of which will take all the babies, so I like to keep them under cover until they are a bit bigger

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
i have never put a broody with the flock but i have only had one hen go broody her eggs are due to july 6th where do you put your hen and how do you get her to settle in ?

I put mama hen and her eggs in my 'nursery' separated from the rest of the flock

[URL='http://www.flickr.com/photos/...tic.flickr.com/1226/4606681404_2da32337f2.jpg[/URL]
Broody setup by FuffyKing, on Flickr[/url]

And after 21 days or so, I get this

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/40490_hermiones_babies_2011_008.jpg

When they are about 6 weeks old I move them into my 'teenage pad' which is a sectioned off part of the main chicken run. I found that the older hens liked to come and visit (Cost an absolute FORTUNE in grower's pellets!!!

). And then one day the fence in the middle was gone and they were all together.

There is no roof on my main run and we have lots of crows, magpies, seagulls and jays, all of which will take all the babies, so I like to keep them under cover until they are a bit bigger

very sweet picture Fuffy. When everyone goes to roost in the evening is when the adults start messing with the younger ones, goes on for about 10 mins. then everyone gets into their own space and it gets very quiet.

stony do your chickens roost inside a coop?

 

[CayuseRanch]

Well...I am quite sure that I know how to count 21 days but Im not sure my eggs do. I had placed the eggs under my Broody on the evening of May 27. My thoughts were that the 21st day would be Friday the 17th and then I could watch babies all weekend. Last night had 3 (2 newly hatched) babies with momma, this am had 5 babies and one zipped egg and one pip. Which if I did my math right, I am on the 24th day. Correct me if I am wrong here.

Wondering now what makes the difference on when eggs hatch....could it be the age of the eggs when they are put under mom??? (All these eggs were between 1 and 4 days old)....could it be how they were stored? (I did not monitor the temperature of the eggs while I was gathering for mom, I just moved them in the house and kept them together so approximately 72 degrees. I didn't even realize I needed to keep them stored with point down until after I put them under mom.)

Anyway, none of those questions are really important, just the curiousity of a newbie. I am just sooooooooooooo HAPPY that she is having some babies!!! So far I have one EE, two barred rock, one white rock and one that I have absolutely no idea what it is!

How do I get an all black chicky when I don't have anything black??? Maybe barred rock, but if so no white spot on head.

Anyway, more on this exciting episode after I get home from work today....

 

[stonykill]

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Some do. My RIR's do, as does their Sumatra Rooster/mate "Loverboy" My incubated chicks, and young pullets and roo's have their own caged, covered coop. The original "ferrel" Sumatra's and all of their broody chicks sleep in a 40 foot tall Spruce tree in front of the house. When I 1st got them I tried and tried and tried to keep them penned. Couldn't do it. They ALWAYS found a way out.
The really cute thing about "Loverboy" is he chooses to be cooped at night to be with his girls. As they all freerange together all day long over several acres.
So with the exception of my youngest broody chicks who sleep with mama in the nest yet, all of my original Sumatra's, and all of their young sleep in a tree.