Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Leahs Mom]

Of course must have back up, hopefully she'll take mothering seriously. what breed are we talking about? sorry my memory just left me.

Momma is a RIR. Eggs are BCM & Swedish Flower.

 

[cracked egg]

Leahs mom, I use a brood lamp. I'm not really using it as I would to brood chicks without a mom, it is used to supply just enough heat so if one of the little guys gets separated he won't freeze. the hen supplies the warmth they really need. Our temps are in the 20's at night and 30's in the day. The big threat is our wind that never ceases. I had two hens in Nov. that lost their chicks to the weather,that's why I put them in a 8x8 brooding room with the lamp. Still cold enough to freeze the water in there though.
in our experience it seems that the hens lose some chicks in the first two weeks,after that the only time loss occurs is by predation.

 

[Leahs Mom]

in our experience it seems that the hens lose some chicks in the first two weeks,after that the only time loss occurs is by predation.

That is very helpful to know about that window of time.

Also helpful to know that the brooding room is still below freezing. That gives me a better picture of what I'm looking at.

These eggs are due to hatch around the 28th of Dec. Temperatures here are unpredictable. Could be anywhere from the upper 40's to the lower teens. We get "lake effect" snow off Lake MI and that kind-of changes the game a little. Kind of like that proverbial "box of chocolates" on weather. I can remember being outside at Christmas in bare feet some years and other years being so cold I didn't want to go out of the house for 2 weeks at a time.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Not sure how many of you remember when I asked about my Bantam Wyandotte, but I put a golf ball in the nesting box to encourage her to go broody.

You may want to put 3-4 more in just one isn't going to get her broody.

 

[bobbieschicks]

So, I have a Bantam Wyandotte. Every night, I find her snuggling with my newest edition to my Bantam flock- Almost like a broody would. Normally, if the Wyandotte was lower ranking on the pecking order, this wouldn't be a weird. She's second- And the one she snuggles with is last. The Serama is probably about half her sizes and still chirps like a chick.
I'm wondering that if I left some eggs in the nest would she go broody? As far as I know, she never has. I got her from a show in August.

My Silky Topsy's then 15 week old silky/WL mix chick started hanging out in the nest box with Topsy when her hatchmate was killed by a hawk. The two of them sat on Topsy's eggs until they hatched. Vanilla Ice has been helping Topsy to raise the chicks. It's adorable to see them both mothering them - the chicks will be 6 weeks old on Thursday and at night Topsy has two under her and Vanilla Ice has two under her to keep them warm. Vanilla Ice was never broody - she just hung out there and helped out.

Here they are in the nest box...



Here they are with the chicks in the run...

 

[bobbieschicks]

Looking forward to Spring with my first flock that is now about 9 months old. (New Hamp. Barred Rock and Speckled Sussex) Planning on building a new coop to use as a brooding area in hopes of getting a broody hen, probably would be the New Hamp or S. Sussex. Even though I will separate the broodie, I would like to reintroduce the brood back to the flock as early as possible following the hatch, may be after just a few days. What are the odds that the hen will do a good job of protecting her chicks from the rest of the flock? I have read that game breeds are good at this, but I don't have any of those. From a managment perspective, keeping the brood separate from the flock for a month or more would be inconvienent. Of course feeding them separtely so the chicks get the starter feed will be challenge as well. Any thoughts?

My two cents: keep the broodies with the flock - just make a removable crate for inside the coop. Or at least have her area right there next to the other flock so they are integrated from day one after hatch. It will help the babies become part of the flock easier. The pecking order will still be worked out - just the momma will take care of most of the introductions. If you separate the hen she will have added stress of getting herself back into the flock and her babies in as well. Plus I like the ease of letting her do her thing and not having to interfere.

The first 5 clutches I removed the broodies from the nest box and put them in a wired off area in the coop. They had a little issue with reintroducing themselves and the chicks, but not as much as they might have had if I would have removed them from the coop entirely. The last clutch (Topsy's recent) I left alone - she hatched those 4 eggs right there in the nestbox and by Day One she had them down out of the nest box (24" off the floor) and pecking around in the coop to get food. I provided some chick feed for them to eat - and they all ate it - including the rest of the flock that wasn't newly hatched! By Day Three she had them outside pecking around on the ground - they wouldn't eat the provided food but instead scratched up stuff in the yard. By the end of the week I no longer had to pick them up to put them in the coop - they had figured out how to go up the ramp to go inside.

Each broody is different in their mothering styles - keep an eye on them at first and make sure they are protecting and providing for the chicks. They will keep them safe, warm and fed & teach them all the chick things they need to know.

I was concerend about separate feeding areas - but never needed to worry about it. I gave chick starter to chicks and they and the rest of the flock would eat it. I provide layer crumbles for the layers - everyone eats it - the babies included - they will taste it occassionally, but not eat much. Most of them will just forage for their food instead of eating the store bought food. In the spring I will be going back to fermented feed and everyone will get the same food then as well.

My broodies (Smokey and Topsy) are very protective of their babies - both in their own way. Smokey (Araucana) is high in the pecking order and she will attack you for looking sideways at her or her babies. I was worried about her since she was my first broody. The alpha roo picked up one of the chicks and flung it on Day 2 and Smokey when absolutely crazy on him and all the rest of the flock for a time. Nobody went near her or her babies for fear of their lives. Topsy (Silky) has a different approach - having been lowest in pecking order earlier she knows what it is to move out of the way of the others - so she guides her babies out of harms way if someone is headed toward her she manuevers them to safety. She won't allow anyone to hurt the chicks and has attacked some of the now lower pecking order pullets if they bother her babies. But her style is less aggressive than Smokey's.

 

[bobbieschicks]

No extra heat needed. but when first hatched until at least 4-5 days old even 4-5 " maybe a bit much to maneuver when trying to get back to mama, I usually remove the nest box completely And just let them have the nice pine bedding on the floor because almost lost a chick once when it fell out of the nest box which was sitting on the floor and couldn't get back into get warm. and mom didn't leave the rest of her brood to help it,. this was just a simple box with a 2" lip to hold the bedding inside.

They will huddle under momma and it's good to let her pick the nesting area. My broodies have been on the floor of the coop for 5 of their times - both of them moved their nests from the hatching area to another part of the coop floor once the chicks hatched. The broodies have prefered to make the new brooding area in the back of the coop in the corner. Topsy hatched her babies in the nest box and didn't return to it once the babies were out of the nest box on Day One. Instead she sat up her brooding area in the back corner of the coop. Eventually she will move them to the roost - but since they are silkies it will take some time for her to move them there.

 

[Fentress]

thanks for your help. At least I know that this is doable. I hope I get some broodies!

 

[Fentress]

This is great stuff, thanks alot. One more question if you don't mind. My flock is 9 months old. I know it varies, but when should I expect some of the hens to go broody. At what point do I give up and order a different breed that I know will brood? June?

 

[Miss Lydia]

This is great stuff, thanks alot. One more question if you don't mind. My flock is 9 months old. I know it varies, but when should I expect some of the hens to go broody. At what point do I give up and order a different breed that I know will brood? June?

Mine usually start acting broody in the spring, once the days get longer.