Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[aaggjg]

When is she due?

She's been sitting for 3 weeks.... But the eggs aren't due to hatch until next Friday

 

[stone_family3]

Yay candled all the eggs and they look great chicken eggs due the 17th and and 21st. Duck eggs due 28th.

 

[mstricer]

Here's my hen and her babies,

 

[mstricer]

Quote: Just leave her. I find if you want to move them into a brooder spot, to be alone, it's far more easier to do it after the chicks have hatched. You can grab all of them or a few and she will follow you. I was just trying to help my hen because her baby slip under the fence and you would have thought I just was about to eat it MEAN I tell you, just nasty and mean

 

[chooniecat]

BIG concern as suzettes nest(my broody suzette) is an 18"x24" milk crate and I realize now(always too late) that it won't allow any younguns to get too far. NOW I see that ya'll use open ended, on floor, nests so big concern.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Here's my hen and her babies,

Sweet.

 

[Miss Lydia]

BIG concern as suzettes nest(my broody suzette) is an 18"x24" milk crate and I realize now(always too late) that it won't allow any younguns to get too far. NOW I see that ya'll use open ended, on floor, nests so big concern.

We usually don't start out on the floor. LOl but realize somewhere down the line where they have chose to brood isn't going to work, either fav nest box and all the hens want in or too high off the ground and chicks could fall out or not be able to get back in etc. I have a broody that I'll be moving next week to her hatching space because she is too far off the ground for it to be safe to hatch her chicks. I have a small coop that i use for this purpose I've separated it down the middle so each broody has her own door and privacy. It is closed up except for about 30 mins a day in the afternoon when i open it up and give her a chance to come out. She has food and water in there. Now when chicks hatch she will stay closed up until she lets me know she's ready to bring them out. This coop has a ramp on both sides and so far have not had a problem with chicks navigating them. My last broody still had her chicks in this small hatching coop till this evening and the chicks are now 6 weeks old. I closed the door today so they would go in the main coop and it went with out any problems, Now i can get the one side ready to move my broody in there next week. I don't think hens especially like to brood on the floor because maybe they feel vunerable? not sure, but mine sure don't ever pick an on the floor broody space.

 

[stonykill]

Well now I am stomping my feet. It seems like everyone that seems to know their stuff have listened for peeps but maybe its because they didn't have actual other chickens around(incubator?) making noise so they could actually hear. I do pretty much leave her alone but have gone out 2x today trying to hear peeps. they're not technically due until tomorrow night and I know it can vary but.... but.... Don't have any sound on computer or would listen on youtube. And bless poor suzettes heart if one DOES hatch when I discover it. Will wait until the end of hatch to take pics. IF any hatch. sorry.

if there is peeping you will hear it, and you will hear mama make a noise you never heard before. She is "shushing" the egg!

 

[chooniecat]

Its roosting time and suns almost down so am going out. won't hold my breath.

 

[Miss Lydia]

if there is peeping you will hear it, and you will hear mama make a noise you never heard before. She is "shushing" the egg!

Is she telling them to use their inside voice?