Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[stonykill]

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[Miss Lydia]

That is so funny, and brings to memory this morning when i let everyone out, here comes my newest mama with her 2 at 4 weeks old today, all of a sudden she pooped the biggest poop ever.

I think she was leaving a message, I didn't realize that even after 4 weeks they still have that broody poop. I never did figure out what the message was.

 

[stonykill]

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[the1honeycomb]

I didn't know anything about moving the nest, My cochin went to the roost, I thought she had left her babies but when I picked her up they were under her on the roost!! should I make a nest for her on the floor the temps are fine and the babies go with her to the roost. I am very confused now!

 

[Spitman]

And another one hatched today in bator , and one that has been trying to hatch for some time , might have a problem if she doesn't hatch by morning Ill do something for it , I beleive it pipped over 24 hrs ago but it cant seem to zip around it blasted a hole and is trying to push her way out the egg, it is cracked all the way around now hopefully she can push her way out by morning. Here are some Pictures I took today .

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. Its so much better than brooding myself , and my better haft doesn't get mad about the chicks being inside

. ( Big Big Deal ) , when she is happy I'm happy.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Very sweet pictures, I hope the one trying makes it out. Congrats to you and you better half!

 

[Miss Lydia]

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How old are her chicks now? mama will eventually take them on the roost with her, and they do get under her. It's cute.

 

[the1honeycomb]

the chicks are 6 days old, and she has been doing this for 3 days she shows them the way to hop to the lowest then work their way up and they don't seem to mind! the first time I saw her on the roost and I didn't see the babies 3 days old, I thought she had abandoned them! I picked her up to make her go find them and they fell out from under her!!!! she promptly got back up and they followed her! So I guess all is ok

 

[stonykill]

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thats great! The youngest I've had my Sumatra's bring their little ones to roost is just over 2 weeks old. And I thought that was young!

 

[LOST Chick Heather]

Joining this thread...

My Eloise (13 months old now) went broody in May and we ended up breaking her because we had a vacation planned for early July. Well wouldn't you know it as soon as we return-here she is broody again! So, we have decided to let her attempt to hatch some chicks. This is all new to me so I am hopping on this thread for support. She has been displaying broodiness for about 5 days now, sleeping and spending the.whole.day. in her nestbox. I had my kids keep an eye on her for a day or so and pull her off the nestbox whenever they caught her on it but-nope she was determined...she loves that nestbox.

So far what I have done is this...
1. ordered fertile eggs-we have no roo. But if this doesn't work out, next time I will find some neighbors with roos...
2. Tried to move her from her favorite nest last night. In the dark. Dark, dark. I had sectioned off a part of the girls run with a playpen, made her a nice nest with a large cat carrier, covered the area with a tarp. But nope, she got out this morning and went straight back to her favorite nest. I don't think at this point I am going to push it on her more. If this works, it works, if not it doesn't. I hope it does, but we'll see.

Eggs should arrive Thursday...backup plan is to make a homemade bator if she decides that she's not into it.

Here's hoping it works!