Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

I've been fortunate and haven't lost power while brooding. We do have a small gas powered generator that I can see myself starting at 2am, just to keep the little ones warm. lol. but seriously, I just read yesterday, that 100 years ago if a hen wouldn't take care of a chick for whatever reason, people would put bottles of hot water in the brooder covered with foil. Not sure if it's true, but sounds like it would work.
Today BYC is driving me to drink,
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only kidding. it is so slow.... To keep busy scarlett I have been starting my spring cleaning of the duck side of the coop, and also trying to do a bit of cleaning inside my coop/house. I get more done outside especially if the weather is nice, cold front coming tomorrow after today high in the mid 60's. Today I bought 4 EEchicks from a fellow BYCer. all girls so I will enjoy watching them inside my living room for a while, have a question. we had alot of wind and storms the other night and lost power for close to 41/2 hrs. what do ya'll do if you loose power and don't have a way to keep the brooder warm. I am worried. more storms and wind coming in tonight.
 
Today BYC is driving me to drink,
wink.png
only kidding. it is so slow.... To keep busy scarlett I have been starting my spring cleaning of the duck side of the coop, and also trying to do a bit of cleaning inside my coop/house. I get more done outside especially if the weather is nice, cold front coming tomorrow after today high in the mid 60's. Today I bought 4 EEchicks from a fellow BYCer. all girls so I will enjoy watching them inside my living room for a while, have a question. we had alot of wind and storms the other night and lost power for close to 41/2 hrs. what do ya'll do if you loose power and don't have a way to keep the brooder warm. I am worried. more storms and wind coming in tonight.
We had that happen with the last hatch. My brooder is a plastic tub in my living room. what I did for the 3 hours our power was off was I moved the tub to the fireplace and cracked up the wood stove. Also wrapped the brooder with a blanket. I also put a hot water bottle in there. Someone recommended using those football seat heater packs, but I didn't have any.
 
Thanks for the info, I will have to get the wood stove going if we loose power. and wrap the plastic brooder in a quilt. I am hoping it won't happen again, we have a generator,but I have never started it up by myself, my dh is out of town. so
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all will be well. Alot of times the mountains will also breakup storms when they come towards us, that would be nice.
bobbieschicks, I have always heard 10 hens to 1 roo is a good ratio, I have only 6 hens to 1 roo right now not counting the 4 I just got. Best thing would be to evaluate all 3 as far a personality and choose the best of the 3 if you decide you want to keep one. Just heard thunder ya'll so i am off for the night with computer unplugged, our sons pump got struck by lightening last week and I don't want to loose my computer.. Good Night!
 
Thanks for the info, I will have to get the wood stove going if we loose power. and wrap the plastic brooder in a quilt. I am hoping it won't happen again, we have a generator,but I have never started it up by myself, my dh is out of town. so
fl.gif
all will be well. Alot of times the mountains will also breakup storms when they come towards us, that would be nice.
bobbieschicks, I have always heard 10 hens to 1 roo is a good ratio, I have only 6 hens to 1 roo right now not counting the 4 I just got. Best thing would be to evaluate all 3 as far a personality and choose the best of the 3 if you decide you want to keep one. Just heard thunder ya'll so i am off for the night with computer unplugged, our sons pump got struck by lightening last week and I don't want to loose my computer.. Good Night!

good night and be safe!
 
Thanks for the info, I will have to get the wood stove going if we loose power. and wrap the plastic brooder in a quilt. I am hoping it won't happen again, we have a generator,but I have never started it up by myself, my dh is out of town. so
fl.gif
all will be well. Alot of times the mountains will also breakup storms when they come towards us, that would be nice.
bobbieschicks, I have always heard 10 hens to 1 roo is a good ratio, I have only 6 hens to 1 roo right now not counting the 4 I just got. Best thing would be to evaluate all 3 as far a personality and choose the best of the 3 if you decide you want to keep one. Just heard thunder ya'll so i am off for the night with computer unplugged, our sons pump got struck by lightening last week and I don't want to loose my computer.. Good Night!
Stay safe. We are having thunder storms tonight too. I'm on my iPad so no worries here. I think I'll keep Daisy for now. He will step up to watch over the flock. He's a Silkie. And it will keep my daughter happy.
 


Hi everyone!! I'm chiming in to say that my lil red has two babies hatched and tucked under her. I am sooooo excited. Our first broody hen and she is just 7 months old hatching her own eggs. She has I think about ten more eggs under her and every egg I've candled has been alive. I'm excited to see what hatches out overnight. Yay!

So... I was wondering what to do with her and her chicks after the hatch is done. She can stay in my garage for as long as she needs, but that might get boring for her. When will it be safe to allow her back in the coop with the other birds (with her chicks, of course)?

Also, she does poop at times and we clean it up. A couple of times she has pooped on her eggs and I have cleaned up and washed them off and put them back. Tonight, she was eating the poop trying to get it off. Anything I can do about that? She is in a very large dog crate. She doesn't leave her nest for anything. Is she pooping on her eggs because she doesn't have to get up for anything else?
 


Hi everyone!! I'm chiming in to say that my lil red has two babies hatched and tucked under her. I am sooooo excited. Our first broody hen and she is just 7 months old hatching her own eggs. She has I think about ten more eggs under her and every egg I've candled has been alive. I'm excited to see what hatches out overnight. Yay!

So... I was wondering what to do with her and her chicks after the hatch is done. She can stay in my garage for as long as she needs, but that might get boring for her. When will it be safe to allow her back in the coop with the other birds (with her chicks, of course)?

Also, she does poop at times and we clean it up. A couple of times she has pooped on her eggs and I have cleaned up and washed them off and put them back. Tonight, she was eating the poop trying to get it off. Anything I can do about that? She is in a very large dog crate. She doesn't leave her nest for anything. Is she pooping on her eggs because she doesn't have to get up for anything else?
Yeah! Congrats on the new broody and chicks! Trying to reintegrate them is what I'm working on right now with my 1st time broody. It's apparently better to do it sooner then later. I think it boils down to flock dynamics. Look at who you have and your layout/run and decide if the momma will have a safe environment in which to to protect the babies. She is supposed to attack predators or chickens that threaten her babies. In theory that is true, but in practice you may find things differently. My Smokey stood by yesterday and watched as the lead rooster suddenly picked up her baby and flung it. Smokey went crazy squawking at the rooster and I tossed him out of her area. So clearly something went on with Foghorn. Possibly he thought the baby was a mouse since its brown. Maybe he knew it was a rooster and decided it had to go. He didn't get a chance to finish the job. Thankfully the little one was fine. I'll keep Foghorn away until he is rehomed next week (that was already in the plans and his actions confirmed it to be a good decision). However that has not been the experience of most and everything I read said roosters were easier on the chicks then the hens would be. And of course the most important part is trusting that the momma will do her job so you don't have to intervene. As far as poop goes, I didn't worry about it. She pooped in her nest and the babies weren't worse off because of it. I wouldn't wash the eggs as you wash off their bloom and I think that is what will protect them from poop germs. They will eat their own poop sometimes. It's gross, but normal. You can wipe the eggs with a dry cloth. The chicks need their shells uncovered to breathe at some point. I'd leave her alone to pick off the poop. She will do a fine job.
 

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