Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
She will moost likely be fine as most all flocks respect mama hens, Just watch for a couple of days to make sure she is taking good care of them 14 chicks is alot for a serama to hatch and be able to keep warm. The only problem you may have is most likely all your flock is going to want to eat the starter/ grower with is fine, My adult chickens loved it. just don't feed the chicks laying feed. Keep us updated on the hatch and congrats!!!

 

[Nigellas]

Question for you all - This is my first broody with fertile eggs, so I'm not sure how this works. She's a very stubborn sitter, so I've been having to take her off the next at least daily to make sure she is still eating. Now that hatch day is due on Friday, should I leave her on? I'm confused about incubator lock down versus broody.
Thanks

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Take her off Thursday if she doesn't come off on her own. Then leave her alone. She probably won't come off again till all chicks hatch and she's ready to bring them out. Good luck and let us know... make sure she can get feed and water with out leaving her nest.

 

[Fuffy]

Quote:
Take her off Thursday if she doesn't come off on her own. Then leave her alone. She probably won't come off again till all chicks hatch and she's ready to bring them out. Good luck and let us know... make sure she can get feed and water with out leaving her nest.

Yup! What Miss Lydia said

Good luck

and have fun!

PS We like lots of pictures!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Take her off Thursday if she doesn't come off on her own. Then leave her alone. She probably won't come off again till all chicks hatch and she's ready to bring them out. Good luck and let us know... make sure she can get feed and water with out leaving her nest.

Yup! What Miss Lydia said

Good luck

and have fun!

PS We like lots of pictures!

yep what Fuffy said...

 

[stonykill]

ok, broody # 13 of the year really snuck up on me. On Sunday, my wife and I were watching a hen who was acting broody. I watched her go into the THICK bushes. We both decided that there was nothing I could do, except surround the area with hav a hart traps. Well, 2 minutes ago, she is in the front garden with BABIES! I saw 4 black Sumatra chicks, and 1 Blue, and I think there were one or 2 more under her! So CUTE! I'll have to add them all up, but I must be into the 40's now with new this year broody chicks! Pushing 90 chickens with 70ish Sumatra's!

 

[dkcrumly]

Here's my second hatch of the year - two French Black Copper Marans, hatched by my two broody bantam Mille Fleur Cochins!

 

[TexGardenGirl]

Quote:
Update: Ok, I never found the info, so I just had to wing it. I wound up putting the chicken eggs in 4 days after the guinea eggs. After a few days I decided I shoud have waited one more day and worried the whole next 2 1/2 weeks. I candled them at (I think) guinea day 20/chicken 16, and all but 2 looked like they were coming along fine, I could see moving parts in most of the rest, and a few didn't see movement, but there had clearly been a lot of development. So I threw away the 2. The first chick hatched on chicken 20/guinea 24. Then 2 more chicks and a keet the next day, and then a keet each day! So out of 12 chicken eggs and 4 guinea, I have 3 chicks and 4 keets! And momma didn't even set much the last couple days (but it's been over 100 here and she slept on them at night). So my conclusion based on this small sample is that guineas are way tougher than chicks. And I probably could have waited another day to set the chicken eggs, but it didn't seem to harm anything since all the guineas hatched anyway.

I eggtopsied the remaining eggs. One was totally undeveloped, one had formed a little marble-sized embryo, but of the other 5, 4 looked fully formed but still had an enormous yolk remaining, and the last one had even absorbed its yolk and looked just like a perfectly just-hatched chickie. And it was a cute little black copper Naked Neck, whose mom is our favorite hen.

So since we had such a low hatch and have lost a couple older hens recently, we ordered some chicks, which will arrive tomorrow. I'm hoping she will accept them but am prepared in case she doesn't. I think she will, she's a pretty good broody (especially for a non-broody breed!) This is the one time I'm happy it's so darn hot here, only need supplemental heat at night...

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:

Congratulations [I think]

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Update: Ok, I never found the info, so I just had to wing it. I wound up putting the chicken eggs in 4 days after the guinea eggs. After a few days I decided I shoud have waited one more day and worried the whole next 2 1/2 weeks. I candled them at (I think) guinea day 20/chicken 16, and all but 2 looked like they were coming along fine, I could see moving parts in most of the rest, and a few didn't see movement, but there had clearly been a lot of development. So I threw away the 2. The first chick hatched on chicken 20/guinea 24. Then 2 more chicks and a keet the next day, and then a keet each day! So out of 12 chicken eggs and 4 guinea, I have 3 chicks and 4 keets! And momma didn't even set much the last couple days (but it's been over 100 here and she slept on them at night). So my conclusion based on this small sample is that guineas are way tougher than chicks. And I probably could have waited another day to set the chicken eggs, but it didn't seem to harm anything since all the guineas hatched anyway.

I eggtopsied the remaining eggs. One was totally undeveloped, one had formed a little marble-sized embryo, but of the other 5, 4 looked fully formed but still had an enormous yolk remaining, and the last one had even absorbed its yolk and looked just like a perfectly just-hatched chickie. And it was a cute little black copper Naked Neck, whose mom is our favorite hen.

So since we had such a low hatch and have lost a couple older hens recently, we ordered some chicks, which will arrive tomorrow. I'm hoping she will accept them but am prepared in case she doesn't. I think she will, she's a pretty good broody (especially for a non-broody breed!) This is the one time I'm happy it's so darn hot here, only need supplemental heat at night...

Congrats!!! waiting for pics..