Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[fisherlady]

I thought that would be my second guess, they must have been the inspiration for marshmellow peeps. They look identical!

Lol, yes they do!

 

[CoopDeDoo]

One week update on our broody - started with 10 eggs and 2 get broken (and eaten

) but she is sitting firm on the other 8

. Trying to figure out how to candle them since she is an awkward place for me to get to them. We had to move her and her "nest" (kitty litter pan full of shavings and eggs) into the big dog crate and now the only way I have access is to crawl in there with her

 

[Catandherchicks]

OK - I'll play. First time chicken owner with 3 hens. The younger of the two Olive-Eggers (both laying consistently) is just about a year old and went broody last week. The Marans part of the cross musta kicked in. Tried removing her from the nest/coop for several days unsuccessfully. Checked BYC, since it has all the answers, and contemplated going out to buy a wire bottom crate to break her. What I did already have is a medium size plastic dog crate. Got two fertile eggs from a friend and set her up in the garage with a nice nest in the back half of the crate, crate door propped open leading to a kinda closed off entry area with pine shavings with food and water. She's been sitting tight for 3 days. I'm almost afraid too tight as I don't think she's left the nest at all. She did take dried meal worms that I fed her by hand, but I'm worried about her getting dehydrated.The water is about a foot away and she doesn't attempt to drink when I offer the little waterer to her. Feedback?

 

[CoopDeDoo]

OK - I'll play. First time chicken owner with 3 hens. The younger of the two Olive-Eggers (both laying consistently) is just about a year old and went broody last week. The Marans part of the cross musta kicked in. Tried removing her from the nest/coop for several days unsuccessfully. Checked BYC, since it has all the answers, and contemplated going out to buy a wire bottom crate to break her. What I did already have is a medium size plastic dog crate. Got two fertile eggs from a friend and set her up in the garage with a nice nest in the back half of the crate, crate door propped open leading to a kinda closed off entry area with pine shavings with food and water. She's been sitting tight for 3 days. I'm almost afraid too tight as I don't think she's left the nest at all. She did take dried meal worms that I fed her by hand, but I'm worried about her getting dehydrated.The water is about a foot away and she doesn't attempt to drink when I offer the little waterer to her. Feedback?

I thought the same thing -that mine wasn't leaving the nest either. By day four she did leave the nest when I was around and I timed it - 7 minutes of eating, drinking, scratching, pooping

and then back to the nest for the remainder. I really couldn't tell you if she left the first three days or not but there was no poop in the nest. I know - not much help

just sympathizing!

 

[chickendreams24]

We have the same problem with a couple of our broodies we were finally able to tell by leaving the waterer for two days after marking the level. We have four broodies separated together each having their own nest but they share a waterer and feeder. We were finally able to confirm that indeed they are getting up.
We have one due tomorrow, one due Monday, one due on the 1st and one due on the 4th

 

[Catandherchicks]

Thanks. Your comments were helpful cuz it gives me hope. Good luck to those nearing hatch.

 

[FlyWheel]

Must confess, I have never seen a dog go broody before, may I ask of the breed?


Y'never know, may come in handy someday....

 

[fisherlady]

Must confess, I have never seen a dog go broody before, may I ask of the breed? Y'never know, may come in handy someday....

LOL, she is an English Shepherd, bred on a sheep farm from working stock...she loves her critters, and chicks top the list!

 

[Curnow]

Our first broody! Hopefully our first hatch! We set 10 eggs under out Cuckoo Marans broody hen on the 16th. She has a mixed clutch of Easter Egger (blue & green), Cuckoo Marans, Rhode Island Red, and maybe a Light Brahma egg under her. Our flock has 4 roosters. 1 Cuckoo Marans (the head man), 1 Silver Spangled Spitzhauben, and 2 Whte Sultans. I can't wait to see wait to see what we might get if all were fertile and she finishes the task.

She is in a metal dog cage inside the main chicken house. Her nest box is now a plastic wash tub with hay that sits inside a box turned on it side for privacy. I've been reading as much as I can trying to decide whether to leave the cage inside the coop or move to our smaller coop that I can easily close off from the rest of the flock. We have about 40 chickens that all live together. We do not free range, but they have access to the two coops and a chicken yard approx. 20 x 40 that I can easily section into separate areas if need be.

Please feel free to chime in.

Also, if she hatches the chicks and they fall/crawl out of the wash tub nest...will they be able to get back in? Does she help them somehow? It has approximately 7 inch high sides.

 

[ameliadanielle]

Our first broody! Hopefully our first hatch!  We set 10 eggs under out Cuckoo Marans broody hen on the 16th.   She has a mixed clutch of Easter Egger (blue & green), Cuckoo Marans, Rhode Island Red, and maybe a Light Brahma egg under her.  Our flock has 4 roosters.  1 Cuckoo Marans (the head man), 1 Silver Spangled Spitzhauben, and 2 Whte Sultans.  I can't wait to see wait to see what we might get if all were fertile and she finishes the task.  

She is in a metal dog cage inside the main chicken house.  Her nest box is now a plastic wash tub with hay that sits inside a box turned on it side for privacy.  I've been reading as much as I can trying to decide whether to leave the cage inside the coop or move to our smaller coop that I can easily close off from the rest of the flock.  We have about 40 chickens that all live together.  We do not free range, but they have access to the two coops and a chicken yard approx. 20 x 40 that I can easily section into separate areas if need be.

Please feel free to chime in.

Also, if she hatches the chicks and they fall/crawl out of the wash tub nest...will they be able to get back in?  Does she help them somehow?  It has approximately 7 inch high sides.

I use rubber maid bins for nest boxes, I cut a door in the side with a lip that is about 1.5" and the chicks can get in and out just fine once they are up and moving around. I know the little things can hop, but I don't know if they can jump back in if it's that high. If they get out she may end up sitting on them right next to the nest box if they can't get back in.

My dad lets hens hatch out babies right on the yard, but they aren't confined at all and they seem to separate themselves from the flock until their babies are a certain size. Confined to a run I would probably keep her and the babies separated from the others until the babies feather in. Someone else probably knows a lot more than me though.