Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[upcdayz]

Several weeks ago I thought I had a hen (unknown type) going broody. There was an opossum attack in which she lost several feathers and has since refused to go back into the coop without force. All the eggs were eaten.

Now I have a Serama hen who has been sitting on six eggs for 5 days. I'm worried that she isn't eating since I never see her off the nest. I check on her multiple times per day, but she's always on the nest. How can I be sure she is eating?

 

[TrystInn]

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Feel her crop.

 

[upcdayz]

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Feel her crop.

I must have been having one of those "duh" moments.

I'll check her crop. Thank you for the suggestion.

 

[TrystInn]

Hey, no worries, we've all had our moments. Especially when we're anxious about our feathered folk.

 

[sager:)silkies]

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This is stupid question but what is crop

 

[sager:)silkies]

My broody hens chest is getting bigger is this bad

 

[TrystInn]

The crop is one of the most basic anatomical features one needs to be intimately familiar with for the care and well-being of our chickens. Since their digestive system is very primitive to those of a mammal, the basics may be learned easily.

Below the base of the neck, you'll notice a golf-ball or similarly sized bulge in your chickens - that's the crop. The chicken fills it with small stones and grit in order to break down their food. The state of the crop will tell you how they are doing - a big one tells you it has eaten a big meal, a small one might mean they aren't eating. A soft one might mean you need to check for sour crop. If its very hard, it might mean the crop has become impacted.

I tend to check my chickens crops each week, taking turns in the coop when I go in at night and my favorites daily.

 

[upcdayz]

The link below will describe chicken anatomy and has drawing of the internal parts of a chicken.

http://www.raising-chickens.org/chicken-anatomy.html

 

[Animalian]

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I put overlapping strips of fly screen over my hens doorway out of the coop, the push through it fine and it keeps the flys and mozzies out.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Well you'll know when they hatch cause you'll hear peeping, you don't have to do a thing but enjoy the moment and watch mama and chicks. It's so cool!