Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

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Wow thats along time to keep the cord attached. I know of nothing but block the nest boxes and hopefully she'll get the hint. The longest one of mine stayed was 12 weeks. but she graduated from floor to roost without problems except she did run everyone away who was on the roost she chose. It's hard having an only child.

 

[Niss]

mstricer--I don't know how to help, but let me say I have two chicks hatched 7-26. One sleeps with mom and several other birds on a shelf half way up. The other had been sleeping there too, until Friday night when Ruby gave me a heart atack by disappearing! I looked all around the coop and was fairly worried when I discovered the little bugger had moved back down to the floor to sleep in the little nest with Fluffly Britches and her 4 4 week olds! I don't know what surprized me more, Ruby crawling under another mother or Fluffy putting up with it!

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Thats cute too bad you didn't get a pic of that.

 

[stonykill]

well my blue Sumatra "mama" finally kicked her not so little 11 week olds loose yesterday. The little ones have claimed my shed (where they were born) as their home. I'm good with that. "Mama" is back with head Roo Sammy and his harem. She is the only blue in his regular group.

 

[runsw/scissors]

I can beat that! I have banty hen nesting... her son hatched in early June... son broke his leg fighting with another roo (got tangled up in the fencing somehow. snapped it clean) 2 days ago. He has slept every night since then crawled in the nest attempting to sleep under his mama. well his head gets under her wing anyway. Can't believe mama lets him do this.

Both the saddest and cutest thing I've ever seen.

She didn't stop caring for them until they were about 10 weeks old. Hence her name mamasan.


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[Jloeffler]

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Could she be cold and sleeping down in the bedding for extra warmth? She hasn't been per hint for awhile and she is already used to having the extra insulation the bedding provided for her. I used to live in MI and it gets pretty cold at night this time of year up north. (I remember trick or treating some years in the snow!) I'm wondering if she just hasn't adjusted as well to the cooler temps because she's had to keep warmer for the chicks. Not sure, but thought I'd throw that idea out!

Okay, I promise I'll have pics of momma and baby today. I can't keep working through lunch!! Must do something more fun!

 

[Animalian]

if a hen just lets a chick get cold and nearly die does that mean she has rejected it? I found it half dead. warmed it up and it was acting like a normal chick, slipped it under the mum at night, went out to check on them 2hrs later and the chick was cold and peeping LOUDLY near its mum, she was ignoring it. Should I take the chick from her? She's fine with the other two chicks it's just the youngest one

 

[Fuffy]

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Seems like she's not looking after it for some reason. It's obviously not going to make it on it's own.

So I would say either take it away and look after it yourself, or cut your losses and do the deed.

Maybe someone else has other ideas?

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Gold Griffin Chicken Mom]

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Sometimes it seems like "no rhyme or reason" that hens reject chicks, but occasionally the hens know something is wrong with the chicks. If the chick in question is not obviously lame or sick, Mama Hen may have decided it isn't part of her brood because it is younger. You may have to set up a heat lamp in a box for a new roommate, lol.

If it were a puppy or kitten, I'd say "rub baby all over Mama to get her scent on it." I don't think that works for birds though.

 

[Animalian]

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Yeah one chick hatched sunday arvo, the other sunday overnight, then this one this (tuesday) morning. She was walking around with the other two but I think this one just couldn't keep up, it was still slightly damp when I found it.

@Fuffy I don't think I could 'do the deed" because I was amazed it even bounced back from the state I found it in. I don't know I feel like it's 'earned it' for me to support it in any way i can, it's a little trooper

edit: couldn't keep up because it was so new and stumbly, once I warmed/dried it it was climbing all over me