Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Animalian]

I hear about people separating their broody hens/babies from the rest of the flock. But others just keep them all together.

My broody hen is lowest in the pecking order, and is nesting in everyone's favourite nest box. One still insists on pushing her way in to lay her egg next to the broody.

Will she get more 'spunk' once the chicks hatch? I only have three other hens. But I'm not sure if she'll be able to fend them off if they decide the chicks are intruders.

I tried once to move her into our rabbit cage (no rabbit in there), but she FREAKED and just kept trying to escape. I could close off an area in the coop but then she would only have 1m square, fine for brooding but what about when the chicks hatch? will she abandon them if I move them all?

 

[Jloeffler]

Good morning! Any new peeps today? Pictures maybe??

Animation, my last broody hen was at the bottom of the pecking order, but she discovered spunk in spades while brooding!! Maybe your girl will too. Sounds like she did a bit when you moved her. You could always move her and the chicks once the hatch to the rabbit hutch.

 

[chookhead]

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if i can i will defently post some pics its now day 21 and they shud be hatching anytime now and no there arent any chicks yet i cant hear any peeping which is worrying

if this is day 21 you might want to do some candling tomorrow or the next day if you don't hear any peeping, but hopefully you will.

is mama real laid back enough to let you check an egg to listen and look to see if any have pipped? some are some aren't.

hey dont worry 2 hatched but one got shrink wrapped in the membrane held a mini funeral and the other chick is super cute and very hyper so hopefully 11 remaining eggs are still good and she would have left the nest by now if they werent viable lol still very sad about shrink wrapped chick the other seems to be very healthy which is good

i am sittin there trying to listen to the peeps

 

[chookhead]

i am sorry to report but one chick got shrink wrapped

but there is on chick which seems very healthy also there are still 11 eggs left under my broody isa and they seem to be good because she is extremly defensive and she hasnt gotten up to teach the young one how to be a chicken so

there all still good lol

 

[chookhead]

hey does anyone noe how to prevent shrink wrapping under a broody ???? coz one of mine died to being shrink warpped and omg it was soooo cute

 

[Niss]

chookhead-- no, I don't. Sorry

Okay, I have a duck question: I have a mated pair of wild mallards. Mrs. had been going off on her own leaving Mister rather distraught. For two nights now I haven't seen her. He gives up and goes to bed with out her. Could she be brooding somewhere? I would assume she's dead, but she had stayed away for long parts of the day prior to going missing all together. Does the rule aply to ducks that broody season isn't over untill they stop laying? She had layed 4 eggs in the coop before coming up MIA.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Morning Niss, where are you? because it seems too late in the year for ducks to be brooding. But if your where it is still warm maybe she is.

I can't imagine her leaving her mate though. Why not clip wing when she comes home to help keep her grounded. I bet hes devasted. Do you have a body of water close by your home? have you been out looking for her? wonder why he didn't follow? did you take her other eggs? sorry so many questions but just trying to help you solve this. How old is she?

 

[Miss Lydia]

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I am so sorry to hear about your chick, you don't hear about chicks being shrink wrapped under a hen too often because usually they keep the humidity just right. is she first time mama? Don't lift her up too often to check on hatching because that can mess up the humidity she has going under there. Not that you did anything to make this happen, the egg could have been out of the nest too far if she has that many eggs still under her. What breed is she can she cover them all real good? I hope the rest hatch without problems, keep us updated. and CONGRATS on the 1 healthy one so far.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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congrats and keep us updated on you adventure.

 

[Niss]

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I live in PA...it's been cooling down for sure! We have a little stream that runs past the duck shack, across the street is a nasty red swamp--it's kind of dead from the mining activity in the 70's, then about a mile away we have a river. Yes, I took her eggs. She was hatched this spring. I haven't looked that hard, I've been sick...I plan to scour the area where I saw her last hopefully tonight...might be able to find a nest or enough feathers to know she was killed. Mister is really missing her; he walks around calling her and last night he slept in the chicken coop where they use to sleep while all the other ducks were in the duck shack.