Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[h2oratt]

I'm thinking of letting one of our hens (we constantly have broody bantams its a nightmare!!) hatch out some more chicks in august, and was wondering what bedding everyone uses, and what the pros and cons are? I've used straw in the past but I'm not really sure why!

I use pine flakes from tsc

 

[tobit]

I use pine flakes from tsc

interesting! Is this for any specific reason or just convenience?

 

[sjturner79]

Thanks for the input guys! I imagine shellgrit or cat litter clay to be hard and not particularly comfortable? good point by PD-Riverman, people have said that hay gets mouldy, but if it stays dry (broodies should be in dry places) that shouldn't be a problem?

I wonder what wild chickens would use as nests, dry grass and leaves maybe? But in contrast to our hens, these nests would be on soil and not a wooden floor, I'd have thought the soil would contain a lot more moisture than wood/concrete

In the wild it is often a hole dug into the ground lined with small rocks and hen feathers. When I first got my hens I set up nests with with every nest material I could find locally. I put 2 golf balls in each. I also moved around where the nest types were. My flock kept choosing to lay in the shellgrit as first choice. That's one of the reasons I chose it.

 

[fisherlady]

In the wild it is often a hole dug into the ground lined with small rocks and hen feathers. When I first got my hens I set up nests with with every nest material I could find locally. I put 2 golf balls in each. I also moved around where the nest types were. My flock kept choosing to lay in the shellgrit as first choice. That's one of the reasons I chose it.

Very interesting, I see you are from Australia, I don't recall seeing the phrase 'shell grit' on bags of litter here in the US, can you tell me what the primary ingredient is? Is it bround up sea shells or oyster shells?
Many of our litters are ground limestone/sandstone or clay....wonder which would be closest....

 

[sjturner79]

Very interesting, I see you are from Australia, I don't recall seeing the phrase 'shell grit' on bags of litter here in the US, can you tell me what the primary ingredient is? Is it bround up sea shells or oyster shells?
Many of our litters are ground limestone/sandstone or clay....wonder which would be closest....

The litter is my second choice when I can't get shellgrit
The litter I use is cheap clay type.
The shellgrit I use for nesting material is fine ground seashell, which I buy at the local fodder store.
The course ground is to rough for a nest and only good for digestion.

 

[fisherlady]

The litter is my second choice when I can't get shellgrit
The litter I use is cheap clay type.
The shellgrit I use for nesting material is fine ground seashell, which I buy at the local fodder store.
The course ground is to rough for a nest and only good for digestion.

Thanks

 

[PD-Riverman]

Thanks for the input guys! I imagine shellgrit or cat litter clay to be hard and not particularly comfortable? good point by PD-Riverman, people have said that hay gets mouldy, but if it stays dry (broodies should be in dry places) that shouldn't be a problem?

I wonder what wild chickens would use as nests, dry grass and leaves maybe? But in contrast to our hens, these nests would be on soil and not a wooden floor, I'd have thought the soil would contain a lot more moisture than wood/concrete

Wild chickens/free range broodies----Dirt, leaves, etc------to each his own---I will use soft hay. Wood chips do not say together like hay---so eggs could move around---I have Very High hatch rates and rarely a problem with my broodies so I will stick with whats been working for the last 50+ years. I could not imagine using ground up oyster shells as a bedding---but Again----use what works for you.

 

[sjturner79]

. Silkiecuddles and her 2 babies hatched today day 24 as usual.

This is a nest box with the shellgrit I use.

 

[tobit]

This is very interesting! Are there any types in which you have experienced eggs/chicks being accidentally buried? My first ever broody (a hybrid) had a straw/hay nest, and when I emptied the nest out I found a dead chick buried under straw/hay, I'm not sure what the reason for this was, but she was LF and hatching out bantams, I suspect the nesting material may also have been too deep (allowing this to occur)!

 

[sjturner79]

This is very interesting! Are there any types in which you have experienced eggs/chicks being accidentally buried? My first ever broody (a hybrid) had a straw/hay nest, and when I emptied the nest out I found a dead chick buried under straw/hay, I'm not sure what the reason for this was, but she was LF and hatching out bantams, I suspect the nesting material may also have been too deep (allowing this to occur)!

I've had chicks death through getting stuck the few times I have used straw in nests, but I do run mostly bantam