Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[This_chicks_place]

Hi, I have a first time broody who has been sitting on eggs for one week now. I did candle one egg this afternoon and did see the black (eye?) spot, so something is developing. She is in a nest that sits up about a foot off the floor. I tried moving her before we gave her the eggs, but she would have nothing to do with it! So I have a few questions. I know she needs to be moved before the eggs hatch when would be the best time to do that? Should we wait until right before they hatch or try now? We have a place in the coop under the poop board that we can use. Should I cage her in under there with the eggs? She still likes to get out for a stretch once or twice a day. I was thinking they would be ok in the coop with the others once they hatch since momma is top of the pecking order. Good idea? What is lock down?

I just want to make sure everything goes ok. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[stonykill]

congrats!

I have had many broody's a foot to 18 inches off the floor. Some I moved after the hatch (got up early the 2nd day after I knew the 1st one hatched) and others coaxed their little ones down the 12 to 18 inches without incident.
I never seperate a broody. Never had an issue. Others have had issues and had to separate. Depends on your birds I suppose.

Lockdown for a broody is from 1st pip until either the hatch is over, or they need to feed their little ones. Mama will take care of it all. You get to watch and enjoy and only interfere if absolutely needed.

congrats and enjoy!

Hi, I have a first time broody who has been sitting on eggs for one week now. I did candle one egg this afternoon and did see the black (eye?) spot, so something is developing. She is in a nest that sits up about a foot off the floor. I tried moving her before we gave her the eggs, but she would have nothing to do with it! So I have a few questions. I know she needs to be moved before the eggs hatch when would be the best time to do that? Should we wait until right before they hatch or try now? We have a place in the coop under the poop board that we can use. Should I cage her in under there with the eggs? She still likes to get out for a stretch once or twice a day. I was thinking they would be ok in the coop with the others once they hatch since momma is top of the pecking order. Good idea? What is lock down?

I just want to make sure everything goes ok. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[luvmyEs]

I've been following this thread closely. This is my first time! My pullet silkie went broody last week and its her first time too. She has one of her eggs and one of my speckled sussex's eggs. I just got done candling them and I'm excited to say both eggs are developing!! I even got to see the black spot inside the silkie egg "dance"! The roo is an Easter egger, so I'm interested to see how these chicks turn out!

Just curious: If the chicks are female do they have the potential of laying colored eggs?

 

[This_chicks_place]

congrats!

I have had many broody's a foot to 18 inches off the floor. Some I moved after the hatch (got up early the 2nd day after I knew the 1st one hatched) and others coaxed their little ones down the 12 to 18 inches without incident.
I never seperate a broody. Never had an issue. Others have had issues and had to separate. Depends on your birds I suppose.

Lockdown for a broody is from 1st pip until either the hatch is over, or they need to feed their little ones. Mama will take care of it all. You get to watch and enjoy and only interfere if absolutely needed.

congrats and enjoy!

Thank you! Our nests just have one step up into it. They all just hop up in. I don't think that will work for the chicks. Maybe if we build a little ramp? And as I understand you, lockdown is something mamma will do? Or do we need to "lock" her down? I'm trying very hard to let nature take it's course, but I want to make sure it doesn't go bad because of something we didn't do.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Hi, I have a first time broody who has been sitting on eggs for one week now. I did candle one egg this afternoon and did see the black (eye?) spot, so something is developing. She is in a nest that sits up about a foot off the floor. I tried moving her before we gave her the eggs, but she would have nothing to do with it! So I have a few questions. I know she needs to be moved before the eggs hatch when would be the best time to do that? Should we wait until right before they hatch or try now? We have a place in the coop under the poop board that we can use. Should I cage her in under there with the eggs? She still likes to get out for a stretch once or twice a day. I was thinking they would be ok in the coop with the others once they hatch since momma is top of the pecking order. Good idea? What is lock down?

I just want to make sure everything goes ok. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

You can leave her where she is, put up some sort of wire to keep her in the nestbox the day before the chicks hatch and then wait until the chicks have hatched to let her and the babies out together. The tricky part is knowing when they will hatch. That method has a lot of variables and I'm not sure I would try it. She would protect the babies, but have a difficult time getting them back into the nest unless there is some sort of ramp into it. The babies will usually stay close to her, but if they fall out of the nest box she can't protect them from curious and possibly vicious attacks by others. Another option is to prepare an area that's secluded within the coop, maybe a wired off area or dog cage, put food & water in there for her and let her out to poop & run around each day for a bit. That will be her nest area where you put her and the eggs and the nest is inside of something like a box there for security/safety of eggs & broody/chicks. I like this method only because I feel it's safer for the chicks and broody. When she's released on day 3 after they hatch she will be ground level in the coop. She will make a new nest on the floor for the babies and herself to sleep at night for a couple of weeks. Moving a reluctant mover is definitely a challenge. You could try doing it under cover of darkness at night so as to keep her calmer. You need to prepare her area first and probably lock her in for a few days with food & water until she feels it's safe there. If she abandons the nest you will need a backup plan, like a bator. Lockdown for a broody is basically that they won't leave the nest from about day 18 till hatch. They will hunker down until the deed is done. She can hear their cheeps inside the eggs and will help them hatch if necessary. It's really cool! Let us know how things work out! And post pics after they hatch!

 

[stonykill]

mama will do lockdown.

When I had hens nest above the ground. Everyone after bringing her little ones down, made a new nest on the floor the 1st night.

Thank you! Our nests just have one step up into it. They all just hop up in. I don't think that will work for the chicks. Maybe if we build a little ramp? And as I understand you, lockdown is something mamma will do? Or do we need to "lock" her down? I'm trying very hard to let nature take it's course, but I want to make sure it doesn't go bad because of something we didn't do.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I've been following this thread closely. This is my first time! My pullet silkie went broody last week and its her first time too. She has one of her eggs and one of my speckled sussex's eggs. I just got done candling them and I'm excited to say both eggs are developing!! I even got to see the black spot inside the silkie egg "dance"! The roo is an Easter egger, so I'm interested to see how these chicks turn out!

Just curious: If the chicks are female do they have the potential of laying colored eggs?

Congrats on your broody! A silkie and EE could make a colored egg as long as the EE has the blue egg gene and passes it on. At least it will make for an interesting chick! Keep us posted!

 

[This_chicks_place]

Ok, Thank You again. At this point I will let her handle it all. Still alittle worried about the chicks getting down from the nest but I guess we will wait and see. Only 14 more days!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Ok, Thank You again. At this point I will let her handle it all. Still alittle worried about the chicks getting down from the nest but I guess we will wait and see. Only 14 more days!

You can always tack up some wire over the entry the night they are due to hatch if you're worried about them falling out. She will teach them how to fly down out of the nest area within a few days of being born. it's really cool to watch all she will do for them.

 

[stonykill]

Ok, Thank You again. At this point I will let her handle it all. Still alittle worried about the chicks getting down from the nest but I guess we will wait and see. Only 14 more days!

I once watched my best broody "mama" coax 9 chicks down from a height of 18 to 20 inches. She flew down and called them. one by one they came down, wings flapping. The oldest was 2 days old. Her brood before that last year (broody 3 times last year) she was on a shelf 10 inches or so off the floor. I got up in the morning to mama and chicks on the floor eating and scratching.