Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[BarnGoddess01]

Day 14 here. My red sex link is still sitting on 5 eggs. I got a chance to candle them today. At least 3 have chicks inside!!!

One week to go.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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great news keep us posted!!

 

[featherz]

Hmm. My broody mama (who was an excellent mother for her first brood) has two chicks out and one pip. I was checking the chicks under her and one was OK - the other looked like it had almost been scalped with one deep slash on each side of it's head, right under the eyes. Mama wasn't actively trying to hurt it at the time and it was tucked under her, but obviously I can't risk it. I removed both chicks and have them under my eco glow.

What would cause this? seems an odd place to peck - maybe she yanked it out of the egg with her beak? If she was trying to kill it and eat it she stopped without doing so.

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

Well I am rejoining this thread...for like the 3rd time this year...my silkie went broody for the 3rd time this year today....and my andalusian who "rarely goes broody" is doing so for the 2nd time this year.

 

[Miss Lydia]

BigDaddy'sGurl :

Well I am rejoining this thread...for like the 3rd time this year...my silkie went broody for the 3rd time this year today....and my andalusian who "rarely goes broody" is doing so for the 2nd time this year.

Well Congratulations and let us know when the big days arrive..

 

[Jloeffler]

My broody is on Day 5 with her shipped d'uccle eggs. I dontsee her get off the nest...ever. She did for a half hour or so the first day, but I've had to nudge Herod once since then to eat and drink. Should I be doing that or should I just leave her be? Will she come out to eat when she needs to?

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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We are on day 15 here. My broody didn't get off the nest last week from Sunday until Friday. Needless to say, a "haz-mat" suit was required for that broody poop!!!

(She does have food and water within reach but she barely touches the food. The water goes down ever so slightly. Likely why she doesn't need to poop!) I figure they'll do what they feel they need to do so I leave her alone and pray she survives the final week. (She did go out for a short frolic yesterday, finally.)

 

[Jloeffler]

Thanks BarnGoddess! Ill try not too worry too much about her then!

 

[dkcrumly]

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I'm not sure if you need to take her out to eat/drink, but that's what I did for my broody. I was just so worried about her since it was my first one

I went out every afternoon about the same time and picked her up and set her outside where she could take a dust bath, eat & drink. I stayed with her and gave her about 20 to 30 min and put her back in. She still lost a lot of weight though, even doing that! And her legs were wobbly for the first minute or so every day too. So, I figured she really needed the food and the exercise each day.

Here's a photo of my broody Myrtle:

 

[JP101010]

Houston we have a problem

for some reason mama Millie is trying to pull the newly sprouted wing feathers off of her chick. only the wings- to the point where she is flinging him (off the ground) I am afraid she will succeed in pulling a feather out and the poor chick would bleed then possibly causing her to keep pecking ..
I have one other broody Miesha(this chicks real mom)whos sitting on an egg that should hatch in a few days. I know she would accept a chick within a week old because she has in the past- my issue is that the mama millie is in the early stages of lice treatment. The little chick doesnt have any visable nits or lice adults...

should I bring the Miesha in from outside , set her up in a spare room with this little chick and her egg - assuming that if that happens i would have to treat miesha for lice as a precautionary.
OR
put the little chick in a brooder by itself and listen to it peep all day and all night

any thoughts??