Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[NysiaAnera]

Can I ask a question, you say it is not worth it to you and you also said  it was a "horrible situation"? What made it a horrible situation?

Once the chicks hatched, the hens were not at all happy to be separated from the flock. They would go into full panic mode, and started trampling chicks trying to escape the enclosures to rejoin the flock. One of them after I let her out, then got attacked by the flock and kicked out, and repeatedly attacked for the next 3 weeks. With her, it was a constant battle making sure she was okay. Removing them was just more of a headache and stressful than just leaving them with the flock. In contrast, when we leave them all together, there is very little fighting, and the chicks are raised with the flock from day one, and the mommas are happy. Even with 6 broodies at the same time. It is not hunky dory all the time, we do have mishaps now and then, but overall, everyone is much happier.

 

[PD-Riverman]

What I do is put a door on the nest and I take them out a couple times a day and watch them until they go back to the right nest so I can close the door again. That would stop other hens from laying in there too. Then I move them once the chicks are strong enough

You sound like you have a lot of time--to be able to do this twice a day for 21 days----which is fine if you do. I personally would Never remove a hen from her broody nest---that's me---for sure not the last 3 days. We all do things "our" way. I offer advice on things I do that have worked for me. Things that help, make it easier/less work. If you go back and read, read, read, you will read MANY sob stories of hens getting on the wrong nest and set eggs get cold and die, problems with chicks dying because momma hen got back into the nest and chicks could not get to the nest and die, Chicks dying from other hen/roosters pecking them, etc, etc. many Sad stories. That's why I suggest moving the broody in the beginning to a private hatching pen---Because I never have that problem and don't like to see others have those problems. Plus I set 72 broody hens in one season---so it has to be simple.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Once the chicks hatched, the hens were not at all happy to be separated from the flock. They would go into full panic mode, and started trampling chicks trying to escape the enclosures to rejoin the flock. One of them after I let her out, then got attacked by the flock and kicked out, and repeatedly attacked for the next 3 weeks. With her, it was a constant battle making sure she was okay. Removing them was just more of a headache and stressful than just leaving them with the flock. In contrast, when we leave them all together, there is very little fighting, and the chicks are raised with the flock from day one, and the mommas are happy. Even with 6 broodies at the same time. It is not hunky dory all the time, we do have mishaps now and then, but overall, everyone is much happier.

I am sorry you had those problems. I have had 21 broodies at one time and have never had those problems. Maybe my set-up is different than yours. None of my broodies are near the others/flock. Never do I let a broody/momma out with the flock unless the chicks are full feathered and do not need her anymore---then she is gone back for good. I would not try having a broody in a cage in the coop/pen with the flock or close to the flock-----that could probably be a problem. My set-up is simple. I move them in the beginning and never touch them or bother them in any way other than adding feed and water. The first time I touch the broody is when I ease her out the private hatching pen at night to put her back with the flock---this is after the chicks are feathered out and do not need her anymore. It works great for me.

 

[Violetsfeathers]

You sound like you have a lot of time--to be able to do this twice a day for 21 days----which is fine if you do. I personally would Never remove a hen from her broody nest---that's me---for sure not the last 3 days. We all do things "our" way. I offer advice on things I do that have worked for me. Things that help, make it easier/less work. If you go back and read, read, read, you will read MANY sob stories of hens getting on the wrong nest and set eggs get cold and die, problems with chicks dying because momma hen got back into the nest and chicks could not get to the nest and die, Chicks dying from other hen/roosters pecking them, etc, etc. many Sad stories. That's why I suggest moving the broody in the beginning to a private hatching pen---Because I never have that problem and don't like to see others have those problems. Plus I set 72 broody hens in one season---so it has to be simple. 

I've had that happen, the hen got on a different nest because I didn't wait for her to get back on the right nest and left, leaving the door to her nest open. When I came back three or so hours later she was on a different nest and the door to her nest was shut. The eggs lived though, they are in the incubator currently and I've candled them and they are all wiggling around. The hen that was on them I broke because she was having a mite problem from sitting so long and it wasn't going to go away while she was broody.

 

[NysiaAnera]

I am sorry you had those problems. I have had 21 broodies at one time and have never had those problems. Maybe my set-up is different than yours. None of my broodies are near the others/flock. Never do I let a broody/momma out with the flock unless the chicks are full feathered and do not need her anymore---then she is gone back for good. I would not try having a broody in a cage in the coop/pen with the flock or close to the flock-----that could probably be a problem. My set-up is simple. I move them in the beginning and never touch them or bother them in any way other than adding feed and water. The first time I touch the broody is when I ease her out the private hatching pen at night to put her back with the flock---this is after the chicks are feathered out and do not need her anymore. It works great for me.

Ours just free range, so usually they just go wherever they want. Perhaps my broodies simply do not want to be penned up. When left with the flock, they just choose where they want to be and everyone is happy 99.99% of the time. So much less stressful for everyone involved. The little ones mingle just like everyone else. Other hens will sometimes even hang out with the mommas and chicks if they are buddies. Sometimes a momma will move out to nest away from everyone at night, but usually they just pick a corner or nest box and use it each night to sleep in. One interesting tidbit... the hen who kept getting attacked, her chicks never got bothered, only her. Nobody cared that the chicks were around, they just decided she was an intruder.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Left coop dried out nicely, fresh bedding down and fluffed, Olive is peaceful in her new private nest (in a coop and nest she has been familiar with before...she barely flinched with the move), 9 eggs are set...about half hers for F2 olive eggers (Isbar/Marans/Barnevelder) and the others from the Splash Marans/Barnevelder daughter who has an especially nice terra cotta egg color.

Marking my calendar for..."set day."

This *should* work out nicely.

LofMc

 

[ameliadanielle]

Those are some mean chickens. I move all my broodies away from the flock after having issues. I've had hens break the eggs while fighting over who gets to sit on the nest or trying to push a broody off the eggs to lay a fresh egg there. Had staggered hatches from new eggs laid under hens and lost good eggs because they were pushed out by the new eggs. I've had mama hens steal another's chicks and then be horrible mothers. Having chicks on the yard... small birds of prey just pluck them right out of the yard and eat them like chicken nuggets. I keep my mama's and babies separated from the time they go broody until the chicks are feathered. I've never had my flock attack the mama. She usually moves down to the bottom of the pecking order until her chicks are on their own, but no issues with injury. I keep mine in a pen in the yard, so the flock still sees her and the chicks everyday, just can't bother them. My silkies are the worst. They will make multiple nests in one nest box and constantly steal eggs from each other, then when the chicks hatch they fight over the chicks and steal them back and forth. The poor babies don't know which end is up. So I even separate my silkie broodies now too.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Ours just free range, so usually they just go wherever they want. Perhaps my broodies simply do not want to be penned up. When left with the flock, they just choose where they want to be and everyone is happy 99.99% of the time. So much less stressful for everyone involved. The little ones mingle just like everyone else. Other hens will sometimes even hang out with the mommas and chicks if they are buddies. Sometimes a momma will move out to nest away from everyone at night, but usually they just pick a corner or nest box and use it each night to sleep in. One interesting tidbit... the hen who kept getting attacked, her chicks never got bothered, only her. Nobody cared that the chicks were around, they just decided she was an intruder.

That's probably it! I could not free range with 27 different breeds-----that would have been a mixed up mess----LOL.

 

[PD-Riverman]

My silkies are the worst. They will make multiple nests in one nest box and constantly steal eggs from each other, then when the chicks hatch they fight over the chicks and steal them back and forth. The poor babies don't know which end is up. So I even separate my silkie broodies now too.

My silkies were put in private hatching pens too----so no problem there either.

 

[NysiaAnera]

Those are some mean chickens. I move all my broodies away from the flock after having issues. I've had hens break the eggs while fighting over who gets to sit on the nest or trying to push a broody off the eggs to lay a fresh egg there. Had staggered hatches from new eggs laid under hens and lost good eggs because they were pushed out by the new eggs. I've had mama hens steal another's chicks and then be horrible mothers. Having chicks on the yard... small birds of prey just pluck them right out of the yard and eat them like chicken nuggets. I keep my mama's and babies separated from the time they go broody until the chicks are feathered. I've never had my flock attack the mama. She usually moves down to the bottom of the pecking order until her chicks are on their own, but no issues with injury. I keep mine in a pen in the yard, so the flock still sees her and the chicks everyday, just can't bother them. My silkies are the worst. They will make multiple nests in one nest box and constantly steal eggs from each other, then when the chicks hatch they fight over the chicks and steal them back and forth. The poor babies don't know which end is up. So I even separate my silkie broodies now too.

I have had a nest get stolen before, and even a few broodies who played "musical nest boxes", but not stealing eggs or chicks themselves. I do sometimes have chicks who follow the wrong hen (they all look the same from that angle), but they find momma when she clucks at them. I admit, I had to giggle about the Silkies. I have heard they are excellent mothers, and stories about hens coparenting, but not actually stealing chicks. My chickens are actually not mean, bht they sure did act like it in that instance. Lucking my broody who kept getting attacked was never injured. She is a big tough hen and held her own, I could never figure out why they kept going after her, except that they just decided she was an intruder. But she was an excellent momma and all of her chicks made it to adulthood.