Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Ursuline Chick]

I'm willing to take the risk. Better to have more broodies than none

That's how I felt, but also thought I should issue a warning for those who might feel differently.

 

[fluffycrow]

That's how I felt, but also thought I should issue a warning for those who might feel differently.

Yeah, it's important to do so, and I totally get it. I know for me though I'd be happy if they all went broody 'd still have my two ISA brown laying

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Three cheers to my broody Barnevelder-Cochin mix. A very experienced momma, she is currently sitting on 8 eggs (8 of the original 10 were fertile on candling day 5). This is the SECOND setting after a mishap with the first setting. What kind of mishap you ask?

Well the first set of 10 eggs went the way of a skunk. Yes a skunk got into the broody hutch and ate 8 of the 10 first set of eggs. Of course they were my best choice blue eggs I'd been saving. Since I had just set them (thankfully), I had time to reset another batch the next night after resecuring the hutch.

Hen is fine, filled with resolve. Me? I'm still washing out skunky clothing from my encounter that night to protect my broody. Dog? Well he scared the skunk out of the coop, but not without a price...to us both. (He full face. Me on the right side of my chicken coat).

Broody? Now setting day 10 on well developing 8 eggs. Go momma!

LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Update on Broody that got skunked.
The second emergency clutch after the skunk didn't go quite as hoped. Of 10, 8 seemed to be developing at week 1. BUT for some odd reason (likely the hen was unsettled after the skunk raid) one egg hatched a day earlier than the others and momma abandoned the nest (with developing eggs...sigh). Yes they were all set on May 4th. I didn't figure it out until the day after (day 22) as I was leaving momma alone. So I got 1 chick out of the 8 that were developing. I'll be happy whether it is a roo or a hen, but disappointing. Just glad momma didn't get killed by the skunk and we managed to salvage something of a blue line hatch.

Now on to more interesting stories. Apparently the hen below (a utility Barnevelder...a line breed back that has nice markings) had somebody call out her number on the nightly coop check. I SWEAR I checked each night and thought I counted her. However, my husband discovered her in a pile of netting on a table by our bbq...about 3 days ago. As this is obviously not an ideal place to go broody, I went out today, as I had time off, to assess things and prepare another broody hutch to try to move her tonight with any eggs she had under her in hopes she'd resettle.

Well...apparently this momma has been at it a lot longer than we realized. As I approached the table, I pulled away a dead chick that failed to hatch in the shell the broody had pulled from her nest. Raising up to fend me off, I saw Mom is viciously protecting 8 more eggs under her which apparently may be close to hatch. Who knew! I didn't dare move things in this shape, so I put water and food by the hen in hopes that will tie things over until I can get her off the table and into safer quarters with anything that hatches.

Seriously folks...I must be bad at math or somebody doubled in her spot every night. I know I saw her on the nest on the table (and not in the coop) at night after my husband mentioned it. The little sneak. We'll see how this goes. I have NO idea how this is going to work out other than putting food and water on the ground when she bounces the babies out of the nest...literally.

Seriously...working with broodies can be so maddening at times. LOL.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Update on Broody that got skunked.
The second emergency clutch after the skunk didn't go quite as hoped. Of 10, 8 seemed to be developing at week 1. BUT for some odd reason (likely the hen was unsettled after the skunk raid) one egg hatched a day earlier than the others and momma abandoned the nest (with developing eggs...sigh). Yes they were all set on May 4th. I didn't figure it out until the day after (day 22) as I was leaving momma alone. So I got 1 chick out of the 8 that were developing. I'll be happy whether it is a roo or a hen, but disappointing. Just glad momma didn't get killed by the skunk and we managed to salvage something of a blue line hatch.

Now on to more interesting stories. Apparently the hen below (a utility Barnevelder...a line breed back that has nice markings) had somebody call out her number on the nightly coop check. I SWEAR I checked each night and thought I counted her. However, my husband discovered her in a pile of netting on a table by our bbq...about 3 days ago. As this is obviously not an ideal place to go broody, I went out today, as I had time off, to assess things and prepare another broody hutch to try to move her tonight with any eggs she had under her in hopes she'd resettle.

Well...apparently this momma has been at it a lot longer than we realized. As I approached the table, I pulled away a dead chick that failed to hatch in the shell the broody had pulled from her nest. Raising up to fend me off, I saw Mom is viciously protecting 8 more eggs under her which apparently may be close to hatch. Who knew! I didn't dare move things in this shape, so I put water and food by the hen in hopes that will tie things over until I can get her off the table and into safer quarters with anything that hatches.

Seriously folks...I must be bad at math or somebody doubled in her spot every night. I know I saw her on the nest on the table (and not in the coop) at night after my husband mentioned it. The little sneak. We'll see how this goes. I have NO idea how this is going to work out other than putting food and water on the ground when she bounces the babies out of the nest...literally.

Seriously...working with broodies can be so maddening at times. LOL.

View attachment 3519265

Don't feel bad, we adopted a bantam hen. She disappeared a few days after, and after searching for days we figured a hawk had gotten her. About 3 weeks later I heard peeping from under our house and found the bantam and about 15 baby chicks.
They can be very sneaky.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Update on "BBQ" Broody (photo above).

Well, I candled 3 of the 8 (she is a particularly ferocious broody, and I value my knuckles)...all 3 showed about 2 weeks worth of development...so they are developing. My thinking is the chick I saw a few days ago was the result not of a hatching attempt but simply a broken egg. It makes sense as it was small and now I realize the gook on one side of the shell was the egg yolk sac.

I still think this broody will not move well (actually I am positive) as she is locked into her location and particularly resistant to interference. So....I am planning on setting up netting or some sort of flexible fencing to create a "baby bumper" around the table so that new chicks don't wander off and fall off as she hatches the balance of the clutch...then move her and the chicks to safer quarters in an empty broody hutch I have now. (I like to use my large broody hutches as a nursery for about 2 weeks and then allow the older chicks to integrate into the flock as they can fly well out of way of older members.)

We'll see what I come up with. I figure I have to do it in the next couple of days, if the eggs are giving me any accurate idea.



LofMc

 

[fisherlady]

Update on "BBQ" Broody (photo above).

Well, I candled 3 of the 8 (she is a particularly ferocious broody, and I value my knuckles)...all 3 showed about 2 weeks worth of development...so they are developing. My thinking is the chick I saw a few days ago was the result not of a hatching attempt but simply a broken egg. It makes sense as it was small and now I realize the gook on one side of the shell was the egg yolk sac.

I still think this broody will not move well (actually I am positive) as she is locked into her location and particularly resistant to interference. So....I am planning on setting up netting or some sort of flexible fencing to create a "baby bumper" around the table so that new chicks don't wander off and fall off as she hatches the balance of the clutch...then move her and the chicks to safer quarters in an empty broody hutch I have now. (I like to use my large broody hutches as a nursery for about 2 weeks and then allow the older chicks to integrate into the flock as they can fly well out of way of older members.)

We'll see what I come up with. I figure I have to do it in the next couple of days, if the eggs are giving me any accurate idea.



LofMc

Sounds like a good plan, looking forward to seeing your solution. FYI... I had a career ending injury and subsequent illness that forced a career change. I am now transporting animals for a living (Keystone Small Animal Transport) I will drop off some SPR broody eggs someday if in your area!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I'm so sorry to hear of your difficulties. I'd love for you to drop by some day!

Sounds like a good plan, looking forward to seeing your solution. FYI... I had a career ending injury and subsequent illness that forced a career change. I am now transporting animals for a living (Keystone Small Animal Transport) I will drop off some SPR broody eggs someday if in your area.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Update on BBQ Broody:

Well for the last 3 days she kept getting off the nest for significant time leaving eggs cold. Today the nest was completely empty with her nowhere in sight. So...since she had broken an egg (which was not developed) several days ago, and, the netting her nest was in already stunk from the egg with partial chick that had broken (and decayed..yuk...which she had pulled out of the nest), and flies were beginning to swarm....I bundled it all up and threw it in the garbage. In doing so, I dropped one egg which was undeveloped and another which was pink sludge...obviously a quitter.

So her experiment was, as expected, a stinking disaster.

I've told her if she wants to go broody, I'll set up a lovely broody hut for her. We'll see if she listens.

LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Good news. Another reliable hen has gone broody in the main hutch. She happily moved to a quiet side hutch where she is completely isolated and on her own.

I candled today, at day 3-4. I *think* 5 of the 9 are developing, 1 a maybe, 3 probably clears. So hopefully 5 developing chicks. (About what I expected as I am down to 1 rooster with 20 hens...a bit hard for him to get to everyone).

We'll see how this hatch goes. I've got this one in a very secure side broody hutch that a skunk cannot possibly get into. I have very high hopes for this batch.

LofMc