Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[h2oratt]

Mercy, I am sorry, You can candle the eggs under her to see if any are alive----if not I would break her and let her get over this. Then if you get another broody----""before you do anything""----""""ask""""---I/we can direct you to where your next hatch is a pleasure instead of a nightmare. I set 150+/- broodies in the last 3 years, all hatched, with little to No problems---it can be done.

What is your water set up in the private broody nest? I have a pail for the mom but the babies are hatched and the pail is too tall. I have a chick water jar in there now but will the mom show the chicks how to drink from it. It is small.

 

[lorelei71221]

Kirstin, this is incredibly helpful--thank you! I didn't even think about fake eggs, but giving each mom her own chicks and spacing out the batches would solve a lot of problems. I will probably also get a hutch like that--the nest is pretty high and even if I enclose it, they're probably safer in their own pen. How long do you wait before taking them out of the nest?

Also, I'm planning to give away any roosters ASAP since they are auto-sexing breed. But if they all turn out to be boys, is there a certain amount of time I should wait before taking them all away? Will she still be able to get her mother fix if she loses her chicks right away?

 

[PD-Riverman]

What is your water set up in the private broody nest? I have a pail for the mom but the babies are hatched and the pail is too tall. I have a chick water jar in there now but will the mom show the chicks how to drink from it. It is small.

Yes, its best to use a chick waterer and remove the other one so your chicks do not jump into a taller container and drown----Mom will drink from the chick waterer and will show the chicks everything!! I put the chick watering jar on top of a 2" brick because Moma will be scratching----( mine are in a dirt bottom pen) and she will keep it full if it just sits on the dirt.

 

[PD-Riverman]

My broody hens get up once or twice a day throughout the whole process.

When I take them off the nest in the afternoon to check on everybody I stay in the run. They are not off for more than 30 minutes, and then they go back to their nests and I am there to be sure that one does not steal/move the other's eggs around.

They don't go into lockdown the same way it would happen with an incubator. Both my broody hens got up once a day, sometimes twice a day, every day until the eggs hatch.

Once a day I open the hutch so mom can wander the run and then go back to the hutch. (Same time I take the other hen off her eggs to check on everything.)

You stated your hens get off the nest 1 or twice a day---through out, then you say "when I take them off the nest in the afternoon"----are you the one that takes them off the eggs or they get off on their own without your encouragement???

All 150+/- hens that I have set DO go into lock down like a incubator, all 150 do not leave the nest the last 2 days period----this is how I know its about hatch time. "I" do not even get close to them when they are hatching---they can handle it When she gets off the nest after they hatch then I will clean up the shells while she is away from the nest. Removing a hen from her nest the last 2/3 days can effect her hatch which "Might" be the reason you had a bad hatch rate with them?? Might not be?? My hens hatch 99.9% of every fertile egg that's under them but they stay tight in the nest during hatching.

I am questioning because """I""" feel we should never encourage/suggest for people to remove their hens daily while setting. Good Luck!

 

[hofhine68]

Hi PD-Riverman,

Thank you for the good information you share, and your good questions.

My hens got up once or twice a day. Once when I picked them up. The other time on their own. The longest they ever stayed off is 30 minutes. When I pick them up and take them off the nest I just pick them up and move them over. I don't carry them off to another part of the yard or take them out if the coop. If they want to go right back they do, but usually they go relieve themselves and drink some water/eat some food. This has been important in my situation. I have had a few occasions where ants invaded the coop.
Neither of my broody hens will poop in the nest. When they are off the nest they get a drink of water and relieve themselves, and then go back.

I hear and understand that your hens go into lockdown, but my hens don't do that. I mark on the calendar when I put the fertile eggs in the nest, and then three weeks later I wait to hear peeping. You can hear them peeping long before they hatch. Both hens got up off the nest while babies were peeping. They were not gone long, but they drank water, ate, and pooped.

It may be true that the hatch rate would have been better if the hens did not get up, but there were several factors that contributed to the low hatch rate. The first batch of eggs had three fertile out of nine. Of the three fertile, one was stepped on by another hen and one stopped developing. The next batch had three fertile out of nine - one of the seven Bielefelder eggs and both of the Niederrheiner eggs. And all three hatched. If I had to speculate I would say that the Bielefelder roo was on the particular side, and prefers one lady over the others.

~Kirstin

 

[hofhine68]

@lorelei71221

I move the babies and the mama right after the last chick hatches. It is usually two or three days after the first one hatched but you can tell when the mama has given up on what is still in the nest. I put a chick waterer and a chick feeder in the coop once I hear the peeping start. They drink water, but they won't eat for the first 48 hours or so. When I move them to their separate "nursery" I move the chick feeder and waterer with them.

When you see mama peck them in the head if they try to eat before her, or stop calling them over for special treats, then you know it is a good time. For me, the babies were about five months old when I sold my Neiderrheiner pair. I can't have roosters because of neighbors, and I felt they would be most useful to someone else as a pair.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I hear and understand that your hens go into lockdown, but my hens don't do that. I mark on the calendar when I put the fertile eggs in the nest, and then three weeks later I wait to hear peeping. You can hear them peeping long before they hatch. Both hens got up off the nest while babies were peeping. They were not gone long, but they drank water, ate, and pooped.

Hey Kirstin

To start with, your chickens are your chickens and you can raise them anyway you want!! I am just curious---and would like to ask some Questions if I may ask?? You say your hens do not go into lock down, but then you tell me you remove them once a day yourself. How would they go into lock-down when you are removing them daily?? If you take a hen off the nest from day one----she gets use to that and would probably leave the nest for a few after you remove her---even though she should not at hatch time. My hens do not eat/drink the last 2/3 days because if they did they would either poop in the nest or have to get off the nest to poop which is why their food is not next their nest and why they don't want to eat during the hatch---because they know they should not leave the eggs.

My other question is Have you Ever just set your hen with fresh eggs in a private pen, give her some food and water at a distance where she would have to get off the nest to get to it then while off she can poop, eat. drink, exercise?? Then once set be totally hands Off----not touch her for anything for the entire 21/22 days??? Curious if you ever tried that??

 

[hofhine68]

@PD-Riverman

Good questions!

I initially started without taking my hens off the eggs and for the first week and a half they got up every day without my involvement. After the first ant incident, I needed them to get off when I was able to check on the coop, and sometimes they also got up in the mornings.

I have not tried a private pen. I am content with our process and with just one or two chicks hatching. For our circumstances it is just about letting a broody hen raise a chick.

 

[h2oratt]

Yes, its best to use a chick waterer and remove the other one so your chicks do not jump into a taller container and drown----Mom will drink from the chick waterer and will show the chicks everything!! I put the chick watering jar on top of a 2" brick because Moma will be scratching----( mine are in a dirt bottom pen) and she will keep it full if it just sits on the dirt.

All righty thanks!! That is exactly what is happening. It is full of dirt. I will remove the tall pail.

What is the oldest age I can try and leave new choc with the broody? Is one week too old?

 

[PD-Riverman]

All righty thanks!! That is exactly what is happening. It is full of dirt. I will remove the tall pail.

What is the oldest age I can try and leave new choc with the broody? Is one week too old?

Most all my broodies raise their chicks till they feather out good, then I remove her. Usually 1 to 2 months.