Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[nchls school]

AAAACK!!! No - now another thing to worry about!

. My hen currently sitting on purchased fertile eggs is an Olive Egger (half Marans x Ameraucana).

There may be problems with any breed. Until there is a problem, don't plan on one happening.

I have serama, Japanese bantams, and silkies. These breeds make fantastic broody hens. But that doesn't mean every single hen of those breeds is good at being maternal. There's the good, bad, and ugly as with everything else.

 

[Catandherchicks]

There may be problems with any breed. Until there is a problem, don't plan on one happening.

I have serama, Japanese bantams, and silkies. These breeds make fantastic broody hens. But that doesn't mean every single hen of those breeds is good at being maternal. There's the good, bad, and ugly as with everything else.

Thanks for the reminder about not borrowing trouble. I'm just anxious I guess with the other broody and her unsuccessful "hatch". But, I learned a lot from y'all last time so I'm doing better this go-around.

 

[Coop de Grass]

I went to check on my broody. Her chicks are due. She had a dead chick in there with her. I think she pecked it. It looked good but had blood on its side. How often do hens kill their chicks? Should I take the rest of the eggs away? I can hear peeping so I know more will be hatching.

 

[Coop de Grass]

Just properly move the hen to a private hatching place----then you can sleep Good. I use to have this same problem, but not with the last 150 broodies because they were all moved. Good Luck!!

Do you do that inside the coop? I don't know where else I would keep her.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Do you do that inside the coop? I don't know where else I would keep her.

See. I knew I was going to have broodies and I was going to allow them to set so I made broody/hatching pens just for this. I have about 15 hatching pens and can quickly make-shift more if needed. Mine are safe, movable pens, but NO not in the coops. You can do a make-shift pen----it just needs to be big enough for her to get off the eggs, stretch her legs---poop and get some food and water---which is on the far side of the pen from her nest. A place to dust bath is good too. Example, this pen holds 4 broodies, separated---each section is 2ft wide, 4ft long with the nest on the outside of that where I can open the top and look in on her, clean afterwards, etc.

 

[fisherlady]

If you can't make an outside pen you can create nesting areas inside with a bit of rearranging. .. our main coop is a 12x12 building, it has a 'man door' in the center, you step into an area nearly 3 ft deep which we call the 'people area'....it is used for storage and as a safe place to get into the coop without birds getting out. There is a chicken wire wall with 2 doors into the chicken area of the coop, normally it is one large space but we have removable chicken wire panels which can divide it in half if needed.

To the left and right of the people door we made a wide shelf at approximately 3 ft high, under these shelves are two broody areas. This allows the hens to have access to the people area floor to scratch, dust and stretch but they remain in the coop within sight and sound of the flock. We have used cat and dog crates to establish broody areas within the main coop itself if needed, sometimes the hens just remain in their chosen nest boxes with no separation, depends on what the hen needs. Most do move to the people area for a few days after hatch to let the chicks get mobile before joining the rest of the flock.

A few pictures....
Front of coop, to make more sense of above explanation

Pidgy with a couple of her newest chicks, she is sitting in the 2nd broody area which is to left of the door, we have a removable wire frame that secures in front of it if needed, she likes messing up her hay...lol

Dillon posing in front of the main broody hut, currently occupied by a grouchy buckeye!

This broody hut has a lift up front wall with a pop door so we can decide how much privacy is needed. I had it shut while I had all the other doors open while cleaning so she did not get raided by nosy hens.

With a bit of scap wood and chicken wire or hardware cloth you can make multiple frames which can be fitted together with zip ties to create barriers and establish broody areas within the coop. Make 3 or 4 ahead of time so they are ready to use when needed. It doesn't need to be fancy at all.

 

[Coop de Grass]

@PD-Riverman that is quite the set up. I have some scrap lumber that I was going to use to make a second coop for brooding. I like the idea of having separate pens for broodies, DH may not be so happy when he realizes how many chicks we will have running around.

@fisherlady Dillon is clearly a photo bomber! I actually have the perfect spot to do something like your set up, I put up a poop board that is almost 3 ft deep. There is plenty of room under that board for me to create a "private broody area". Project for when the sun finally decides to come out!

 

[fisherlady]

@PD-Riverman
 that is quite the set up. I have some scrap lumber that I was going to use to make a second coop for brooding. I like the idea of having separate pens for broodies, DH may not be so happy when he realizes how many chicks we will have running around.

@fisherlady
 Dillon is clearly a photo bomber! I actually have the perfect spot to do something like your set up, I put up a poop board that is almost 3 ft deep. There is plenty of room under that board for me to create a "private broody area". Project for when the sun finally decides to come out!

Sounds great!
I have another improvised hut area in main coop under a roost board, like yours it is about 3 ft up. We had 2 frames, each were about 2ft wide by 3 ft long. We hinged them together along their 3ft side and then attached to the shelf along the 3 ft side. When in the down position it creates a bend and helps hold it in place, then we just put another frame in across the open end to protect the broody and chicks. Quick, simple and effective.

 

[h2oratt]

AAAACK!!! No - now another thing to worry about! . My hen currently sitting on purchased fertile eggs is an Olive Egger (half Marans x Ameraucana).

Don't worry. I just peeked under her tonight and saw a live peeping baby. Maybe something was wrong with the other one.

 

[fisherlady]

Don't worry. I just peeked under her tonight and saw a live peeping baby. Maybe something was wrong with the other one.

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Glad she has one doing good!