Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

Quote:
You lucky thing you! Has she completely let her first babies go? Poor girl just wants to be a mom for the rest of her life!

If you ever need to find miss Smokey a home my coop doors (and nests

)are always open

No seriously I know its only going to be another 2 weeks and Gracie is going to let her kids out on the loose so I have been very nice to my Barred Rock who insists on sitting on the eggs screeching and putting the feathers around her eggs. She has 8 eggs and 3 golf balls! Ugh I wish she would hurry it up!

Well, either they forced her or she saw the folly of her ways, because tonight she is up on the roost with three babies snuggled close under her wings. It's pretty chilly tonight. I think it's in the low 40Fs and supposed to be upper 30s overnight. So she's not quite ready to give up on her babies. They are going to be 6 weeks old on Tuesday. Sounds like you will have chicks again soon!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Broody Mama took great care of her two chicks, keeping them warm and cozy at night, finally even on the roost with the big girls. Well, the big girls decided if the roost was going to have bossy Mama and the little ones, they would go over and sleep (and poop) on the top surface of the nest boxes. Then, after all that protection, Mama just cut them loose. It was when they were five weeks old. Then the other big girls started chasing them and trying to peck them.

I got them their own little coop, which I have to wrap with windproof and waterproof stuff due to weather, and they have a fenced in area within the larger chicken run. The big girls were disappointed not to be able to bother them anymore, but they and I can breathe easier. I think that by the time they are full grown things will be fine. But I only have four adult girls and the two six week olds. So I got three more baby barred rocks, in the brooder in the basement.

Just to make it interesting, Kinky Freebird has been hanging around in everyone's favorite nest box, screeching at me and the other girls for several hours every day. Today I found feathers, so she has been plucking...and so far, there are only three eggs today. I wonder...maybe she could raise the little barred rocks. But maybe not, she hasn't sat for real, and might notice too short a hatching time...

Someone else around here is fond of saying that chickens can't tell time. If you give her some day old chicks she will most likely mother them. You could try with one or two and see how she takes to them.

 

[stonykill]

Someone else around here is fond of saying that chickens can't tell time. If you give her some day old chicks she will most likely mother them. You could try with one or two and see how she takes to them.

that would be me

 

[bobbieschicks]

Quote: And before Smokey felt this was her lifes calling. lol. I am thinking about silkies but my folk free ranges and i am not sure how well they would do. I know I'd have to trim their feathers so they could see where they are going. I have 1 chick hatched so far. going to see if mama will let me take a picture. the other one is still working on it's shell. I love to hear of children interested in animals especially chickens is he in 4H?

Yes, I trim my silkies "hair" or they couldn't see a thing. Before I trimmed Davy he used to hide under the coop a lot. Then I trimmed his feathers and it was like "wow" and he started coming out into the yard more. He even took on the other two roosters with confidence. I noticed that he was no longer acting afraid. Made a huge difference. I also trimmed Topsy's topknot so she could see. She started moving out from under the coop more too. My kids just love animals. We don't do 4H just because they already swim competitively and that takes alot of time. My DS already informed me if we ever live somewhere and can have them he wants a goat. My DD wants a horse. Unfortunately we don't have the room and we aren't zoned for those animals. I'd love to see them raise up anImals.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Finally a sunny day for Henny-Penny and the chicks.

Adorable! And HennyPenny is gorgeous!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Quote:
that would be me

Yes! You! Did I quote you okay? I just couldn't remember your username. Lol!

 

[stonykill]

Yes! You! Did I quote you okay? I just couldn't remember your username. Lol!

quoted fine!

 

[QualityPolish]

Oh so cute ^^ HennyP is adorable and so are her chicks.

Well, broody update
Chip (polish) is doing fine, definitely broody. Been 3 days so far not extremely grumpy when petted, maybe it's just their breed.

Just once question, normally I separate the hen and her chicks from the roo. I was wondering is the the best route, do they have to be separated? After all they are his chicks lol. What should he care.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Oh so cute ^^ HennyP is adorable and so are her chicks.

Well, broody update
Chip (polish) is doing fine, definitely broody. Been 3 days so far not extremely grumpy when petted, maybe it's just their breed.

Just once question, normally I separate the hen and her chicks from the roo. I was wondering is the the best route, do they have to be separated? After all they are his chicks lol. What should he care.

I only had one broody so far. I had three roosters at the time so I separated the broody & her eggs. After they hatched I opened the door and the lead rooster waltzed in. Everything seemed fine until he grabbed a baby and flung it. The baby wasn't harmed, but my broody went berserk. I'm sure that wasn't the norm for roosters, but it is a possibility. I waited a few more days before trying again. The second time everything went fine without incidence. Although my broody kept fending off the 2nd lead rooster from attacking the chicks.

 

[stonykill]

I have never separated them and always been fine. others have had different results. My main motto is to not interfere.

Oh so cute ^^ HennyP is adorable and so are her chicks.

Well, broody update
Chip (polish) is doing fine, definitely broody. Been 3 days so far not extremely grumpy when petted, maybe it's just their breed.

Just once question, normally I separate the hen and her chicks from the roo. I was wondering is the the best route, do they have to be separated? After all they are his chicks lol. What should he care.