Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

Membrane? is it able to breathe? if so then all is probably okay but if it's not then make a slit in the membrane so it can get it's head out to breathe. If you can get a pic it would help greatly. Congrats !!!!

Just wanted to share that we have 2 babies that have hatched so far. Now we have 10 more to go. There is one chick that the shell is off and the white part (don't know the name) is still around the chick. Will it be okay? I will post picture when there are more. Mama is doing a great job so far.

 

[chick magnet]

Id like to get a few hens for hatching eggs also.What breeds have you all found to be the best broody mothers?and with the banty hens or full sized,is one better than the other?Thanks

 

[stonykill]

Id like to get a few hens for hatching eggs also.What breeds have you all found to be the best broody mothers?and with the banty hens or full sized,is one better than the other?Thanks

all of my broodys have been Sumatra's. They are outstanding broody's and outstanding moms. I have both bantam and large foul sumatra's. both are great moms. but there is only a 1 lb difference in Sumatra's between bantam and large foul. A large foul sumatra hen is 4 lbs max. None of my large breed girls have ever gone broody. I'm hoping an EE or 2 does.

 

[bloom chicks]

Thanks, I think it is already out I think Mama had put a slice down the membrane. When I checked there were 7 babies. WooHoo

I will try to get pictures up soon. I am trying to wait for them to be done hatching. LOL

Membrane? is it able to breathe? if so then all is probably okay but if it's not then make a slit in the membrane so it can get it's head out to breathe. If you can get a pic it would help greatly. Congrats !!!!

 

[bloom chicks]

Id like to get a few hens for hatching eggs also.What breeds have you all found to be the best broody mothers?and with the banty hens or full sized,is one better than the other?Thanks

I have had 2 broody hens so far. One was a red rock she was an awesome mom and BO her babies are hatching right now. Woohoo. She seems to be a good mama too. I had to take her off the nest once a day because she wouldn't leave the nest.

 

[bloom chicks]

I went to check that baby and it is still in the membrane. It's beak is sticking out. I am not sure if it is alive or not. How would I know without hurting it.

 

[lemuckley_flock]

I don't have enough time to read through all 600+ pages , but I've got ten eggs under a hen (Australorp, she goes broody every 5 months or so and this is the first time we've given her eggs), these are the first eggs we've attempted to hatch. I can hear the chicks peeping under her - last time I checked there were no pips but they're getting loud. We're on day 20. I'm a goofy mess....I just want to sit next to her box and listen. I'm really trying to restrain myself from lifting her to peek underneath to see what's going on - I have no idea what to expect? She's been shifting around the last hour or two when she'd been very still up to this point. Does she actually help the chicks hatch? Will she move off of them so they can breathe? I thought letting her do all of the work would make this worry-free for me....no dice.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

I don't have enough time to read through all 600+ pages , but I've got ten eggs under a hen (Australorp, she goes broody every 5 months or so and this is the first time we've given her eggs), these are the first eggs we've attempted to hatch. I can hear the chicks peeping under her - last time I checked there were no pips but they're getting loud. We're on day 20. I'm a goofy mess....I just want to sit next to her box and listen. I'm really trying to restrain myself from lifting her to peek underneath to see what's going on - I have no idea what to expect? She's been shifting around the last hour or two when she'd been very still up to this point. Does she actually help the chicks hatch? Will she move off of them so they can breathe? I thought letting her do all of the work would make this worry-free for me....no dice.

Congratulations - and good for you for letting her do her job. She'll share them eventually, and, of course, we expect LOTS of pictures here ....

 

[Emptywagon2]

as long as they have plenty of access to food and water, I've had them sit 60 days before hatching and she then went on to raise her brood. Check craigslist, local farms etc for fertile eggs.

I gave her some eggs from my other hens but she must have had enough...She quit setting. She is young..only 6 or 7 months so she will have plenty of more tries.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I went to check that baby and it is still in the membrane. It's beak is sticking out. I am not sure if it is alive or not. How would I know without hurting it.

try pulling off the membrane very slowly maybe using a little warm water to wet it. be careful because there could be bleeding. Hope it's okay.