Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

Quote:
I have read many of Beekissed posts and his advice is taken to heart by me. If it were me, I'd follow his advice to the letter. Next time i try to move a broody this is what I'll try. As I've only ever moved 1 sucessfully

Well hopefully I didn't blow it by taking the towels away a day early. The coop is still pretty dark on that side. I won't open the doors today like I usually do. I'll just open the windows for ventilation. I'll know shortly whether it worked.

 

[AnnieBLix]

So glad to hear little 'Squashy' is doing well.

Goood news!

 

[bobbieschicks]

I've not done enough hatching to answer this question. Which method is better? Raising a broody with feathered legs in a completly comfined area with shavings or a coop in which she can go outside where the grass is long and wet and her feathered legs also get wet.

I don't really pamper my silkies so they get what the rest of the flock gets, a coop with shavings and when broody, they have the same. But they also get to go out into the grass once a day to TCB. She doesn't leave her nest much though so either way would work for me.

 

[bobbieschicks]

So glad to hear little 'Squashy' is doing well.

Goood news!

xs2!

 

[AnnieBLix]

Hi All!

I found this thread yesterday! Been stuck on it since!

My Pekin, Florence, went broody very quickly over the Easter holidays, so because we have no cock I sourced 6 fertile eggs and put them under her and she's been a great little sitter ever since!

Today is day 20! I'm so nervous/apprehensive/excited! It's funny the impact these little creature can have on you!

So, when we put chick can on this morning (my husband being a gadget freak rigged up a video camera feed that allows our daughters to have a peek at Florence in her nest box! It's brill!) I thought I could hear cheeping - but I quickly came to the conclusion that it was the wild birds and wishful thinking.

When I went to check on Florence later on this morning, I was chatting to her and she was cluck, clucking back and low and behold the cheep, cheep again! I'm 95% positive the hatch has started but she won't let me see and chick cam isn't detecting any little chicks, either, as I'm sure they're safely tucked up under Mummy!

I'm just hoping she get's 'something' for all her hard work and a few friends for her something would be brilliant too

Just an update on my previous post (above)

Yesterday at 4pm she got up for a bite to eat etc and I checked the nest and low and behold a beautiful little yellow ball of fluff was sitting there cheeping loudly.

I came down first thing this morning to check her and decided to lift and get a look and the little yellow ball of fluff had been joined by 3 other balls of fluff, all safely tucked up under Mummy. The remaining 2 eggs are yet to hatch, although one had started to pip and the other one may well have had pips but I couldn't see... too much to take in!

So far, so good on our first hatch. Florence the Pekin has done marvellously! I'm delighted with her.

Hopefully the last two hatch with no problems.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Topsy was stuck like glue to her new nest this morning. I'll check later. Hoping she stays that way!

 

[AnnieBLix]

Just an update on my previous post (above)

Yesterday at 4pm she got up for a bite to eat etc and I checked the nest and low and behold a beautiful little yellow ball of fluff was sitting there cheeping loudly.

I came down first thing this morning to check her and decided to lift and get a look and the little yellow ball of fluff had been joined by 3 other balls of fluff, all safely tucked up under Mummy. The remaining 2 eggs are yet to hatch, although one had started to pip and the other one may well have had pips but I couldn't see... too much to take in!

So far, so good on our first hatch. Florence the Pekin has done marvellously! I'm delighted with her.

Hopefully the last two hatch with no problems.

Another update:

Number 5 has hatched! So one more to go and that one has pipped! The older of the chicks have been nibbling on chick crumb - Mummy doing a great job showing them how it's done.

Hopefully all goes well with the remaining egg....

 

[stonykill]

Topsy was stuck like glue to her new nest this morning. I'll check later. Hoping she stays that way!

 

[perchie.girl]

Pic to follow later, but little squashy (a favorelle) is doing wonderfully!! it's sitting up, eyes open and walking around in the incubator. Still a bit splay legged, but with the huge improvement since yesterday will wait to hobble. Waiting to see what else hatches - hopefully the little one will improve enough to be able to go under momma.

One of my guinea friends here PeepsCA uses a little paper cup for her weak uns she puts them in there with some tissue so they can be upright and get strong and fixes it so they can get food and water. She says it works wonders for them and helps them recover quicker when she has to tape up the little legs. The time in the cup is when they arent exercising to get stronger. and when she cant supervise.

 

[stone_family3]

Why oh why can't I seem to move my broodies?

I wait till dark, I keep it dark in the coop. I pick them up and put them in the cage on top of the eggs and then they refuse to sit. I really want them to hatch some eggs, but they keep moving to different boxes. Broodies are frustrating.