Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

perchie.girl :

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I love the peanut gallery in the background.....

I can see the elbow poking and the whispering going on.... I tell ya....

Bertha is georgeous, When are the eggs due to hatch?​

 

[justtoni44]

HI, I am having to much fun with these broodies................
My blue marans started setting, then was joined by an Austorlorp.(sp?)
they shared the nest for about a week and split the eggs. A few day later were joined by a Sussex that seemed to just fill in
when the others were off to eat.........then she really decided to sit....no eggs but very happy with the other two hens...........
This morning, all three went to eat and a big Delaware sat the eggs.....big smile on her face..............
Now we are back to three sitting the same nest.Delaware is off goofing around and I am cracking up
at the musical nest sitters game.
You could not buy this entertainment....

Don't you just love them.............

Good Luck all and have fun.
Toni

 

[stonykill]

well Mama is indeed Broody #9. And Broody #4

1 short month after kicking her 5 chicks loose, she is broody again. I found her nest in the shed where 2 other broody's have sat. I have NO IDEA how many she is sitting on....as I didn't know the nest existed until this afternoon. I'll take a peek next time I see her up for a snack/poop break

 

[new2thischick]

Congrats!
Just watch to make sure no one else is messing with the baby. I know here, NO ONE and I mean NO ONE DARES mess with mama. She will leave the nest when ready to show the little one what to do.

move the nesting box to ground level. If she and the chick are already down, my Broody's have always just made a new nest to keep the little ones in.

If she is anything like my many broody's, she will not let anyone mess with her or her chicks.

Thank You for the reassurance.. Unfortunately I cannot move the nesting box down.. So I will just keep an eye out to see if my assistance is needed..

Just out of curiosity... Is there any chance the hen will stay broody & not leave the nest?​

 

[kegbergman]

I've had a broody BO for the past 2 weeks and received my fertilized eggs today. Unbeknownst to me (first time with a broody) I set the eggs under her this morning. My hen seemed to take them well and not reject any based on looking in on her the couple of times today. Currently, her nest is in my coop, but I only have one other hen and the other always lays in the other nest. I was wondeing if I should move the laying hen to another run and leave my broody to have my small coop to herself and move her water and food closer to her? Also, should I change her feed? Currently, I feed a layer crumble with free choce oyster shell. Thanks for any information you can give me. As helpful as all the posts have been they all seem to involve larger flocks than mine.

 

[stonykill]

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Thank You for the reassurance.. Unfortunately I cannot move the nesting box down.. So I will just keep an eye out to see if my assistance is needed..

Just out of curiosity... Is there any chance the hen will stay broody & not leave the nest?

she will stay broody, but move onto the part of broodiness that involves raising chicks. Being broody is more than just hatching eggs. It is also teaching the little fuzzy butts how to be chickens!

 

[bburn]

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Thank you SO much for posting this. I just got a cat carrier at a yard sale yesterday for .50 and it is currently being disinfected so I can put one of my broodies in it. I like your set up, it has my wheels turning!! I am looking for a metal dog cage to use...hoping to find one soon!!

Now, the black metal cage at the end is just being used for a 'blocker'. The pen part is made of hardware cloth....but it is the 1" squares instead of the small squares. I used one of those tools that bends the little metal things (lol) to make it. But, it is at least 5 feet long and I used it before for three barred rock pullets that I got last fall. It has an opening at one end where it is attached to the big dog crate and an opening at the top that I wire shut that we used to put in food and water! It is working well for us. We did attach it to the ground for security with metal posts that we hammered into the ground. We have predators!

 

[Firefly]

Well unfortunately my first broody/hatch experience was a failure. Two out of four hatched, and both chicks have died. The first one seemed little shaky from the start and didn't make it past the first night. Chick #2 was bright eyed and active all day yesterday (born the previous morning) and suddenly today took a turn for the worse. I found her in the nest next to Mama just lying there breathing heavy. I brought her in and nursed here all day in a warm brooder, but she died tonight. I wish I knew what was wrong-- if it was an inexperienced new Mama, or if they were just sickly. So sad! We will try again someday...

 

[bburn]

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Oh, my. How sad. It just breaks your heart to lose a baby chicken! This is my first broody hatch. It comes on the tails of two incubator hatches and I have baby chickens in two different groups running all over the place. Now a broody hen on 8 eggs.

I think she is in 'lockdown'! (do broody's go into lockdown?) Anyway even the way she is sitting on her eggs has changed and for the first time since she started sitting on her eggs she did not turn them last night or anytime today. X is still up and the eggs are in the same position. So, I THINK a hatch is on it's way.

I have no idea what causes some chicks to fail like that. Sometimes it just is not meant to be.

Much luck and good wishes for your next broody hen!

 

[Fuffy]

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So sad, Firefly!

I know how you feel - I had to try 3 times before I got my buff sussex!

Better luck next time!