Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Jloeffler]

Congratulations on the successful transfer! Good luck with your broody. I felt the same way about kicking mine off the nest so I have done it several times. She always goes back, usually after a half hour or less. However, we discovered she gets of every so often on her own so I have decided to just sit back and let the expert handle it!

As for humidity, I kept it lower in mine. In fact, I added no water until lockdown when I brought it up to 70%. both egg survived until power loss during the storm when one quit despite our efforts. The other hatched successfully and is currently cheeping away. Without adding water the humidity was around 40%. Hope that helps!

 

[kgdubois]

Quote:
Thanks! I'm very pleased that it went well, and am hoping things continue that way

I live in Far West TX, and it is very, very dry out here (our ranch is in the high Chihuahuan desert)...I am not sure what our outside humidity is, but I cannot imagine it is over around 5 - 15% -- do I need to take that into account when checking the humidity in the incubator? It is very hot and dry here this summer, and I am pretty confused about the humidity thing with the incubators in general...thanks for the feedback!

 

[BarnGoddess01]

perchie.girl :

Quote:
hey deb where ya been, when my last broody hatched out her 2 and being a game hen has nice tail feathers, well she lost everyone of them boy did she look funny nothing there but butt. I'd never seen her do that before, now they are back and she looks normal again

You know it also could be the stress of brooding come to think of it. Low food and water and low activity.... the body would want to shut down unnecessary functions while that was going on. At the expense of growing feathers. Then when the full diet resumes Voila.... new feathers start growing and push out the old....

Probably would be a good idea to boost the feed quality that a broody gets.... With scrambled or hardboiled eggs? maybe mixed with a little knox gelatine....? Gelatin is mostly protien.

Sigh I been battling predators. Out of forty keets I have seven left and one that is missing a leg. Shes resting comfortably in a nursery cage but I don't have the heart to cull her she still buckwheats very softly... so sad.

I wont be doing chickens at all until I get the new poultry house built and I wont be replenishing my guineas till then either.​

I was wondering about the broody stress forcing the moult. She was pretty hard on herself whilst sitting on those eggs! I had a poultry judge tell me they force a moult before a show by witholding food and water for 3 days. She pretty much did that to herself. I am giving her and the babies hard boiled egg yolk every day. At first I think she gave most of it to the kids but now she does seem to be consuming some herself. Perhaps I'll bump up the amount just to be sure.

Sorry to hear about the predators.

 

[Miss Lydia]

perchie.girl :

Quote:
hey deb where ya been, when my last broody hatched out her 2 and being a game hen has nice tail feathers, well she lost everyone of them boy did she look funny nothing there but butt. I'd never seen her do that before, now they are back and she looks normal again

You know it also could be the stress of brooding come to think of it. Low food and water and low activity.... the body would want to shut down unnecessary functions while that was going on. At the expense of growing feathers. Then when the full diet resumes Voila.... new feathers start growing and push out the old....

Probably would be a good idea to boost the feed quality that a broody gets.... With scrambled or hardboiled eggs? maybe mixed with a little knox gelatine....? Gelatin is mostly protien.

Sigh I been battling predators. Out of forty keets I have seven left and one that is missing a leg. Shes resting comfortably in a nursery cage but I don't have the heart to cull her she still buckwheats very softly... so sad.

I wont be doing chickens at all until I get the new poultry house built and I wont be replenishing my guineas till then either.​

Sorry to hear of your losses. I hope your guinea makes a full recovery minus her leg. It's amazing how they can adapt. Do you ever have a problem with illegals coming through your neck of the woods since your so close to the border?

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
You know it also could be the stress of brooding come to think of it. Low food and water and low activity.... the body would want to shut down unnecessary functions while that was going on. At the expense of growing feathers. Then when the full diet resumes Voila.... new feathers start growing and push out the old....

Probably would be a good idea to boost the feed quality that a broody gets.... With scrambled or hardboiled eggs? maybe mixed with a little knox gelatine....? Gelatin is mostly protien.

Sigh I been battling predators. Out of forty keets I have seven left and one that is missing a leg. Shes resting comfortably in a nursery cage but I don't have the heart to cull her she still buckwheats very softly... so sad.

I wont be doing chickens at all until I get the new poultry house built and I wont be replenishing my guineas till then either.

Sorry to hear of your losses. I hope your guinea makes a full recovery minus her leg. It's amazing how they can adapt. Do you ever have a problem with illegals coming through your neck of the woods since your so close to the border?

Actually no. The border fence does a very good job and this area is very well patroled. We do get them come through on occasion but the only evidence I have for it is the occasional water jug or back pack left behind. The road is lower than my house and easier traveling. Than my driveway. The Guineas were to be my burglar alarms.

When people ask me if Im afraid of the illegals and I say I am more afraid of the locals than the illegals.... LOL. The desert seems to be Wako Central on occasion.

 

[Miss Lydia]

perchie.girl :

Quote:
Sorry to hear of your losses. I hope your guinea makes a full recovery minus her leg. It's amazing how they can adapt. Do you ever have a problem with illegals coming through your neck of the woods since your so close to the border?

Actually no. The border fence does a very good job and this area is very well patroled. We do get them come through on occasion but the only evidence I have for it is the occasional water jug or back pack left behind. The road is lower than my house and easier traveling. Than my driveway. The Guineas were to be my burglar alarms.

When people ask me if Im afraid of the illegals and I say I am more afraid of the locals than the illegals.... LOL. The desert seems to be Wako Central on occasion.​

Is that Wako or Wacko? are you from this area? born. do you know what preds are getting your guineas?

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Actually no. The border fence does a very good job and this area is very well patroled. We do get them come through on occasion but the only evidence I have for it is the occasional water jug or back pack left behind. The road is lower than my house and easier traveling. Than my driveway. The Guineas were to be my burglar alarms.

When people ask me if Im afraid of the illegals and I say I am more afraid of the locals than the illegals.... LOL. The desert seems to be Wako Central on occasion.

Is that Wako or Wacko? are you from this area? born. do you know what preds are getting your guineas?

LOL Wacko.... sorry. Im a native Californian San Berdardino/Coton Been in San Diego area now 44 years. We have everything but Bears here in our desert.

I have narrowed it down to Raccoons. Killed birds only a few dined upon no heads or gizzards. No digging only peeling back of wire. I had all the ""Holes"" patched and blocked Each time I would patch one they would find another. This last attack was my fault..... i put a perch up high so they could perch higher. Unfortunately I didnt think about access through the chain-link .... hence the one legged bird. Now more fortifications and the perches are central to the coop.

 

[Miss Lydia]

perchie.girl :

Quote:
Is that Wako or Wacko? are you from this area? born. do you know what preds are getting your guineas?

LOL Wacko.... sorry. Im a native Californian San Berdardino/Coton Been in San Diego area now 44 years. We have everything but Bears here in our desert.

I have narrowed it down to Raccoons. Killed birds only a few dined upon no heads or gizzards. No digging only peeling back of wire. I had all the ""Holes"" patched and blocked Each time I would patch one they would find another. This last attack was my fault..... i put a perch up high so they could perch higher. Unfortunately I didnt think about access through the chain-link .... hence the one legged bird. Now more fortifications and the perches are central to the coop.​

Well I hope you can get them under lock and key so to speak so you don't loose any more. and stay tuned on here losts more hatching going on, I am living through everyone else now. my last chicks to hatch are now 11 weeks old. and my duckling is 3 mos. but I love to see the baby pics on here.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Moulting broody mama is doing very well. I can't believe how quickly these little guys are growing. 8 days old now. And the bantam frizzle - I've never seen a chick feather so fast. Just the barest hint of curling on the feathers at this point. I bet she (I'm desperately hoping for a she) will be curly within a week. (I think the black one is a boy. And he's a noisy little bugger.)

Can't help myself, I have to share these pictures. It's crazy hot here today. I can't believe they still want to be under mom. And they're all so friendly. Probably helps that I bring them treats several times a day! And I help them up and down the ladder that they still haven't quite figured out. In fact today, mama marches up and they all run to me for a lift!!!

Cutest thing I've ever seen

Mom is not keen on having them on top

Look at the full crop on that little piggie black boy!!!!

Peek-a-boo -- I see you

 

[perchie.girl]

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So cute .... and Soooo Busy....