Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Henicillin]

Last weekend my broody was off her eggs for over two hours, and they were cool to the touch when I put her back on them so I thought for sure they were goners. Three of them hatched yesterday/today and the other two have pipped so should hatch tonight or tomorrow.

These little things are pretty tough! I accidentally collected one of my broody's eggs last Friday evening (I had made the "X" I'd marked it with pretty small). It sat overnight in the egg basket in the cool garage. My husband found it the next morning and went out and stuck it back under the hen. We figured it would be dead, but thought we'd give it a shot. It hatched right on schedule despite its misadventure, and the chick is perfectly healthy.

I have another broody on seven eggs at the moment. Hers have big red Sharpie hearts drawn on them so I won't make that mistake again!

 

[kara_leigh]

It could be 2 weeks until I get them. Would she sit for those 2 weeks plus the 3 weeks to hatch??

My hen has been broody for 2 months, b/c we attempted to break her of it first and didn't get eggs on her until 3 weeks ago. Her chicks just started hatching yesterday.

 

[kara_leigh]

These little things are pretty tough! I accidentally collected one of my broody's eggs last Friday evening (I had made the "X" I'd marked it with pretty small). It sat overnight in the egg basket in the cool garage. My husband found it the next morning and went out and stuck it back under the hen. We figured it would be dead, but thought we'd give it a shot. It hatched right on schedule despite its misadventure, and the chick is perfectly healthy.

I have another broody on seven eggs at the moment. Hers have big red Sharpie hearts drawn on them so I won't make that mistake again!

Mine have big thin Sharpie x's on them. What's funny is that every day I have to take eggs away from her b/c other hens lay next to her (some refuse to lay in the nests, they lay on the floor instead) and she STEALS their eggs!! LMAO She started with 7 eggs, and two of them weren't fertile so she kicked them out. She was determined to hatch 7 eggs, though, so every day she would steal two. LMAO Too bad I don't have a rooster so none of her stolen eggs would ever hatch anything.

 

[bobbieschicks]

This isn't broody related but maybe ya'll can answer it. Yesterday i went and adopted 2 white bantam cochins. about 5-6 months old, well 2 of them a friend got one i got the other that had all their tail feathers plucked out, it was said so the roo could mate with them, well it looks like a chicken that has been plucked on the lower back and bottom, pitiful, her and her sister who wasn't plucked are being kept away from the rest of my flock for now and i cleaned them up and sprayed blue kote on the naked skin of the one, they are eating good and seem healthy,    for being kept in a small rabbit cage with a rooster that had just about stripped all the fathers off their heads, what i want to know has any of ya'll ever seen anything like this and will her tail feathers grow back?  I have clipped the fluff from around the vent of some of my cochins but this is very extreme. They are very sweet i can just walk right up and pick them up, which i can't do to some of my hens that were from last years hatch. :/

Poor girls. I suppose when she molts the feathers will come back in. I know my Snow White lost a lot of her back feathers due to rooster mating, but I haven't clipped tail or rear feathers before.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Buffy has hatched 2 baby chicks (that we know of).  One of the chicks dodged back under Momma before I could get my camera...But I got pictures of one of the babies.  Buffy is still sitting on the eggs, so maybe the other 3 will hatch tonight.

I have another question: 
We bought a little Welsummer chick at the feed store which is maybe 2 or 3 days older than Buffy's babies.  It is already eating and drinking (Buffy's are not).  When is the soonest you would add the foster-chick to your broody hen?  Should I wait until Buffy gets up and leads her babies to eat and drink OR could I add it tonight when it's dark?

Here's a picture of Buffy and one baby:


And, here is a picture of a very lonely baby in need of a Momma:

Adorable! Glad it went well for you.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I'm interested in the answer to this as well.  My Cochin/Ameraucana hen hatched 3 chicks yesterday/today, and tonight we went out and bought 8 more for her at the feed store.  Before it got dark out I went out and stuck them under her (she isn't aggressive with me, just growls, so I didn't need gloves), and the babies immediately took to her, and she to them.  I just hope they are all still alive in the morning.  She has been broody for almost two months, so she is beyond thrilled to have a whole bunch of babies now.
 

The chicks I got at the feed store are a mix of bantams and standard breeds.  Will that matter?  I got two blue Ameraucanas, two buff Cochins, and four unnamed bantams, two white and two brown/black.  The chicks that she hatched are Ameraucana/Production Red crosses, and so far they are really pale yellow with black circles on their backs, and spots of pale red, with puffy cheeks. 

This is the first one she hatched. 

So cute! I'm sure she will take good care of them.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Last weekend my broody was off her eggs for over two hours, and they were cool to the touch when I put her back on them so I thought for sure they were goners.  Three of them hatched yesterday/today and the other two have pipped so should hatch tonight or tomorrow. 

There you go, living proof that eggs can get cool and still hatch. Thanks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you, Miss Lydia.
I took the baby out to the coop about 8pm before it got too dark to see. I doned my right hand with a leather glove and held the chick with my left hand. I sort of lifted Buffys chest with my right "protected" hand and set the baby in front of her. I was hoping the baby would crawl right under....but she just sat there. When I moved my hands away, Buffy looked at the chick and then started to prod her underneath. YEAH! It worked. The baby crawled out of sight and enjoyed being wanted for the first time.

It was precious!

Can I assume, that once Buffy and Ginger (the pullet) have met like this that they will stay bonded? Do hens ever decide to UN-adopt a baby? I'm almost afraid to find the chick dead and neglected in the morning...but that probably isn't likely, right.

I'm interested in the answer to this as well. My Cochin/Ameraucana hen hatched 3 chicks yesterday/today, and tonight we went out and bought 8 more for her at the feed store. Before it got dark out I went out and stuck them under her (she isn't aggressive with me, just growls, so I didn't need gloves), and the babies immediately took to her, and she to them. I just hope they are all still alive in the morning. She has been broody for almost two months, so she is beyond thrilled to have a whole bunch of babies now.

The chicks I got at the feed store are a mix of bantams and standard breeds. Will that matter? I got two blue Ameraucanas, two buff Cochins, and four unnamed bantams, two white and two brown/black. The chicks that she hatched are Ameraucana/Production Red crosses, and so far they are really pale yellow with black circles on their backs, and spots of pale red, with puffy cheeks.

This is the first one she hatched.

They should be fine, and Congrats to you both. let us know how everything is this morning!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

There you go, living proof that eggs can get cool and still hatch. Thanks!

Great news CONGRATS>>>

 

[mstricer]

My Marans hen is hatching this morning. I can't wait. Nothing like watching a mommy hen taking care of her babies.