Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

I highly recommend broody coops. It keeps things simple. The hen won't choose to sit in a high-up nest box; she won't return to the wrong nest; when she's ready to eat, there will be food; when the chicks hatch they can be isolated for a few days until mama looks like she's ready to go out with them. There are a million advantages and you will be very pleased with the way they simplify your life. They should be small--just a private place to sit and a tiny yard. Mine has a floor in the nest chamber and no floor in the run. When the run needs cleaning I pull it to a new fresh postage stamp patch of grass. Nature does the cleaning for me. It's small enough to set it in the coop if it's still more wintry than summery. So many advantages. I know this partly because I only built one (so far) and wish I had a half dozen.

All good info. I think I'm going commando this one. I planned to learn about hatching next year. This year was raising meat birds (CX), and starting a sustainable meat flock. I'm pretty sure I challenged you in other threads on that, Sorry but it's how I learn lol. No the sustainable isn't going to be CX though I may experiment in the future.
1) I have no intention or need for more chicks but want to learn since the opportunity is there. And DW and DD is excited about it, Otherwise I would have pulled them.
2) I have 4 gold comets and the are serious about pecking order and gang activity. I have failed to introduce or reintroduce an older bigger hen and my brahma chicks. I'm hoping the broody hen will do better to introduce the chicks. Curious to see if they accept them better.
I am going to leave her in the flock. Keep clearing new eggs (she has 7 marked eggs). Keep returning her to the correct nest when I can. If they make it good, if not at least we are both learning.

 

[CindyinSD]

All good info. I think I'm going commando this one. I planned to learn about hatching next year. This year was raising meat birds (CX), and starting a sustainable meat flock. I'm pretty sure I challenged you in other threads on that, Sorry but it's how I learn lol. No the sustainable isn't going to be CX though I may experiment in the future.
1) I have no intention or need for more chicks but want to learn since the opportunity is there. And DW and DD is excited about it, Otherwise I would have pulled them.
2) I have 4 gold comets and the are serious about pecking order and gang activity. I have failed to introduce or reintroduce an older bigger hen and my brahma chicks. I'm hoping the broody hen will do better to introduce the chicks. Curious to see if they accept them better.
I am going to leave her in the flock. Keep clearing new eggs (she has 7 marked eggs). Keep returning her to the correct nest when I can. If they make it good, if not at least we are both learning.

If you did challenge me, I don't remember. You might have, though. It's really tricky as you may have discovered, to breed CX. Try Chanticlers... I am raising some now and hoping they'll be a good meat breed (or crossbreed) for me. I want sustainable & CX just is not.

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

If you did challenge me, I don't remember. You might have, though. It's really tricky as you may have discovered, to breed CX. Try Chanticlers... I am raising some now and hoping they'll be a good meat breed (or crossbreed) for me. I want sustainable & CX just is not.

May not have been you. I think it was ridge runner or something like that. Sustainable for me probably going to be Bresse. Could be Cornish cuz they have fight in em and gang up on predators. I've heard of them chasing off coyotes. I like the chanticleers too. How's it going so far?

 

[CindyinSD]

I just realized I have yet to post pics of my broody mama Buckeye and her biddies! I also have a Columbian Wyandotte with three, but they haven't left the broody coop yet. I think I'll open the door for her tomorrow and see what she does.

 

[black_cat]

General broody hatching questions:
-For beginners at hatching, is it better to use a broody if you have one or use an incubator?
-Broodies can eat chick feed, and will show the chicks where food and water is? Does all flock work for chicks?
-do you actually need a separation thing so that momma can get out and babies will stay in?
-How long should you wait before giving fertile eggs to a hen to confirm her broodiness?
-Do you still candle the eggs throughout incubation?

 

[CindyinSD]

May not have been you. I think it was ridge runner or something like that. Sustainable for me probably going to be Bresse. Could be Cornish cuz they have fight in em and gang up on predators. I've heard of them chasing off coyotes. I like the chanticleers too. How's it going so far?

They're doing well. Growing faster than the others their age, but not super fast. It's pretty cold here, so the Bresse combs looked like frostbite to me. I may breed some into my group at some point as the rose combs are dominant. Anyway, from what I've read the gene pool for Bresse in the USA is pretty limited. I'm no expert, so I'd feel better crossing them.

Anyway, their big secret is 1.) They're caponed or poularded and 2.) The finishing. I'm learning to capon... not sure I'm okay with doing the finishing, though. I may decide to try it--just not certain. Anyway, best of luck with your broody and your Bresse.

 

[CindyinSD]

General broody hatching questions:
-For beginners at hatching, is it better to use a broody if you have one or use an incubator?
-Broodies can eat chick feed, and will show the chicks where food and water is? Does all flock work for chicks?
-do you actually need a separation thing so that momma can get out and babies will stay in?
-How long should you wait before giving fertile eggs to a hen to confirm her broodiness?
-Do you still candle the eggs throughout incubation?

• Using a broody to hatch chicks can be easy or frustrating. Some say a broody is more reliable if she's at least two years old, but My first successful broody hatch was the one in the pics above, and she's a little over one year old. They (broodies vs incubators) are just two very different ways. Incubators can be very successful, but they can also have a lot of mishaps: power outages, thermostat failures, too much humidity/too little (and that varies depending on local conditions. Broodies may sit reliably, hatch every egg, or have all kinds of inconsistencies (see my post earlier this evening, #28,804.)
• I let the broodies eat the same as the rest of the flock--a little dish and waterer in her little coop. Once the chicks hatch, I switch to chick starter. Mama eats it too. It's higher in protein, so likely a restorative for her. She will teach them to eat & drink. After two weeks they can switch to All Flock. Or if you let them out sooner (which I do) you can still supply developer in their broody coop but they'll eat the big kids' food, too, and forage with mom if your flock does that.
• You don't need a separation thing. If mama goes out she should call her chicks to follow her. If she ignores/abandons them you may need to brood them yourself, but I've heard most saying their moms do fine.
• I would put her in a broody coop with some flock eggs once she's been sitting for a week or so. What I would NOT do is order super expensive eggs and plunk them under her on her first go. If you have no rooster, try to get some eggs locally. Many peeps who sell eggs may have fertilized eggs in those cartons. (Ideally your eggs shouldn't have been refrigerated, but they may still hatch anyway.) Cheap or free is the way to go for your first or her first try. You can sell the chicks if you don't want them, or grow them out for meat. Put the date/time on the eggs & any other info you like. I use a sharpie. Some disapprove, but that's what I use.
• I candle them once or thrice. If the eggs are light brown or white and your flashlight is bright enough, you should be able to see at least something even just in the shade. All you're doing at first (somewhere after day sevenish) is confirming fertility. Any clears, remove. Anything after that is as you please & depending on your broody's temperament. If she seems skittish or fickle, only go in at night in the dark. If you don't candle them again, at least give them a sniff to make sure they're not going bad.

Best of luck! Oh yes... join a hatch-a-long. Lots of experienced & inexperienced hatchers there. It's a great place to get good advice.

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

My broody returned to the wrong nest. I moved her and cleared the other nest and she returned to the correct one. A few hours alone should the eggs be ok?

 

[Perris]

If you're a first time hatcher, is it generally better to let a broody do her thing if you have one, or just get an incubator?

I would advise broody, but I am biased in favour of natural processes
CindyinSD answered the rest of your questions.

My broody returned to the wrong nest. I moved her and cleared the other nest and she returned to the correct one. A few hours alone should the eggs be ok?

Should be fine. My worst airhead (novice) broody went back to wrong nest on and off throughout the first week and was off for half a day in worst case. And she broke one of them, which covered some of the others. Mentally I wrote off the hatch, but let her continue as a learning experience. To my amazement the eggs hatched. I think they're very easy going about being left in the first week, at least. The other thing to watch out for is other hens going to that nest while your broody is off, so she can't return to the right one. That's why some prefer a broody coop. But I still prefer to keep the broody with the flock and raise chicks in the coop. Good luck!

 

[Faraday40]

My broody returned to the wrong nest. I moved her and cleared the other nest and she returned to the correct one. A few hours alone should the eggs be ok?

It's summer, so a hen's break time can be longer. I'm pretty sure it will be fine. I had a hen do the same thing for about an hour in winter - with snow on the ground! Her eggs still hatched. In most cases, the worst that happens is a slightly delayed hatch date.