Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Tripp16]

Need advice.... So my 7 month old hen hatched out 9 eggs. The chicks are about 4 weeks old now. It seems she has stopped mothering them as far as I can tell over the last few days. I don't see her spending time with them. She used to stay with the chicks instead of going out to free range with the other birds. Now she goes out to free range. She is also now sleeping on the roost again, although not with the other birds. The chicks are mostly feathered out though not completely. I have been keeping a heat lamp in the coop to keep the temperature up just a bit, but it still gets into the 50s at night. I have been making sure there is chick food available for them (even though the bigger birds eat it, too). Noone picks on the chicks at all. In fact, the rooster protects them.

So... is she done mothering them now? I thought they stayed with the babies a little longer than four weeks. She has already started laying eggs again and is even laying them under my house where she laid her first clutch before we moved them so she could hatch them. Is she trying to go broody again? This is my first broody, so would love thoughts on this. Also, wonder if I should move the chicks to somewhere warmer since she seems to be done???

Thanks!!

Sounds to me that she knows its time for them to be out on their own. She knew what eggs were growing when they were with her she knew how to care for them without help so she knows when they are ready and it sounds like she is looking to hatch some more! Lucky! Haha Congrats!

Im sure someone with a bit more expert advice will chime in here.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I can't seem to find this anywhere... How cold is too cold for a broody to hatch eggs? It shouldn't get below the 40s until fall/winter comes back again. You see, my silkie is going broody often, so I think I could use her to hatch 6 silkie eggs and let her raise the chicks. Then I could move my silkie and two or three of her daughters (I can't have roosters) into a different coop I already have set up. I would then find homes for the rest.

I mainly want to move my silkie because she gets picked on... WAY too much. One of my hens was biting my silkie in the face because my silkie was broody in the favorite nesting box. And my head hen sometimes jumps on my silkie.



What temperature would I have the best hatch rate? With my lamp I have (similar to a brooder lamp, not so hot though) I can raise them temp about 20 degrees give or take a few degrees.

Listen it doesn't matter when you use a broody she takes care of everything, My hen hatched 3 chicks 2 weeks ago and we have temps in the 30's in the morning she brings them right out of the coop and they start their day when they get cold she just lets them get under her and warms them up. Your chicks will be hardier and healthier than bator raised. Let the fun begin and get your silkie away from the bullies.

 

[Peach2u]

WOOT my hen started hatching her eggs late afternoon yesterday. I set them under her on the 5th and they started piping on the 28th. So 23 days not 21. I guess a couple of days just to get them set lol. I don't know how many she wouldn't budge off the nest but I saw 3. The bad thing is my 4 year old was the first one to find out. She heard peeping and saw the egg had a little hole. So she broke it open.
The chick didn't survive

And she learned a lesson cause she was crying too. We can't change what happened but maybe now she will leave them alone.

 

[Glasshen]

My hen and her chicks are at the same stage. Yesterday Mom spent very little time with the chicks, and for the first time she didn't sleep with them in the nest box. The obviously wanted her to, though. They are five and a half weeks old, but they were incarcerated in the basement and then for a few days in the coop in a dog crate. When I let them out to mingle freely you could see Mama say, come on girls, I have so much to teach you, first, the dust bath....

I have been watching, and those two little tufty chicks are doing fine she must have taught them what they needed to know.

Keep an eye on them, and you can step in if you need.

One more thing, we had a huge warm spell when the babies went out to the coop, then the temp dropped. Mama would warm them when it was cold, but not when it was warmer, even though they had less feathers. I don't heat the coop, and it was probably high thirties or so last night. So, your coop is probably plenty warm for them.

Good luck!

 

[silkymom1986]

Cinderella brought her 3 day old chicks outside the coop for the first time yesterday, it was the cutest thing I've ever seen!!! Even Daddy was keeping a close eye on them and helping feed!

Proud Mommy!

Chowing down!

Whole family photo!

And I just love this one with all the fuzzy butts in the air, lol

 

[flitter]

What a sweet handful!

 

[stonykill]

Sounds to me that she knows its time for them to be out on their own. She knew what eggs were growing when they were with her she knew how to care for them without help so she knows when they are ready and it sounds like she is looking to hatch some more! Lucky! Haha Congrats!

Im sure someone with a bit more expert advice will chime in here.

x2 some stick with their babies 4 weeks, others longer. 4 weeks is old enough.

 

[stonykill]

Listen it doesn't matter when you use a broody she takes care of everything, My hen hatched 3 chicks 2 weeks ago and we have temps in the 30's in the morning she brings them right out of the coop and they start their day when they get cold she just lets them get under her and warms them up. Your chicks will be hardier and healthier than bator raised. Let the fun begin and get your silkie away from the bullies.

x2

 

[Miss Lydia]

Cinderella brought her 3 day old chicks outside the coop for the first time yesterday, it was the cutest thing I've ever seen!!! Even Daddy was keeping a close eye on them and helping feed!

Proud Mommy!

Chowing down!

Whole family photo!

And I just love this one with all the fuzzy butts in the air, lol

 

[Peach2u]

Some of my new babies. splash maran over ameraucanas, ee's and 1 cochin I have 50 EE olive eggers atm and 20 BCM. and Unknown under Buffy the broody

99%grey/blue 1 yellow with yellow legs!

Can you tell with one has the cochin mama! FUZZY feet love them.