Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Johnn]

Thought I would post some updated pictures..mom and chicks are all doing well even in this bitter cold weather. We have had some -12 days and I expected frozen chicks, but, they were all nice and active.

Looks like they are keeping mama busy!

 

[Johnn]

I was wondering, can hens just get on a nest and be like "i want to be broody" then are broody or is it more of a thing they kind of catch??

 

[delisha]

John..they don't *catch* it. It is hormonal and natural. Just like all breed of animals they have a need to reproduce. They lay eggs..if they were in the wild the eggs would gather in a hiding spot and when enough eggs were in it, they would set that nest. We domestacated the chicken and started to take the eggs so they would continue to lay. Some were bred just for laying eggs and broodiness bred right out of them. Some, fortunatly still have the iinstinct to set a nest. Just gather the eggs daily and replace it with a golf ball. When you have about 7or 8 golf balls, you might have enough. Eventually someone will go native and set the nest. Remove the golf balls and replace with the freshest eggs you want to hatch out.

 

[Johnn]

John..they don't *catch* it. It is hormonal and natural. Just like all breed of animals they have a need to reproduce. They lay eggs..if they were in the wild the eggs would gather in a hiding spot and when enough eggs were in it, they would set that nest. We domestacated the chicken and started to take the eggs so they would continue to lay. Some were bred just for laying eggs and broodiness bred right out of them. Some, fortunatly still have the iinstinct to set a nest. Just gather the eggs daily and replace it with a golf ball. When you have about 7or 8 golf balls, you might have enough. Eventually someone will go native and set the nest. Remove the golf balls and replace with the freshest eggs you want to hatch out.

I need to get some golf balls!

 

[jojomojo]

I could use some advice about what to do for my broody silkie. I'm thinking of going with "mama knows best", but feel better asking.

She's a first time broody (my first time hatching too!). She's done pretty good except for pooping in the nest. I put 4 eggs under her, candling never really worked for me (not powerful enough light I guess? probably a little inexperience too lol), so I don't know how each one was progressing. On 2/10 (day 20) the first one hatched, 2/11 the second one hatched. The remaining two may be duds, they felt lighter than the other two, no pips, no peeping by day 22.

So this is day 3 for chick #1 and mama has not left the nest (she even pooped two massive poops right in there with the chicks & eggs - scooped those out the best I could). Should I intervene to make sure everyone starts drinking & eating? Safe to assume the two remaining eggs are duds and dispose of them?

I should also mention its only 18° out right now (they are sectioned off in a corner of the coop). I'm not sure how long I can have them out of nest while I clean it up & show them food/water.

 

[Johnn]

I could use some advice about what to do for my broody silkie. I'm thinking of going with "mama knows best", but feel better asking.

She's a first time broody (my first time hatching too!). She's done pretty good except for pooping in the nest. I put 4 eggs under her, candling never really worked for me (not powerful enough light I guess? probably a little inexperience too lol), so I don't know how each one was progressing. On 2/10 (day 20) the first one hatched, 2/11 the second one hatched. The remaining two may be duds, they felt lighter than the other two, no pips, no peeping by day 22.

So this is day 3 for chick #1 and mama has not left the nest (she even pooped two massive poops right in there with the chicks & eggs - scooped those out the best I could). Should I intervene to make sure everyone starts drinking & eating? Safe to assume the two remaining eggs are duds and dispose of them?

I should also mention its only 18° out right now (they are sectioned off in a corner of the coop). I'm not sure how long I can have them out of nest while I clean it up & show them food/water.

If i was you i would give the remaining eggs till day 25 then dispose of them. If you leave the food and water were she can take the chicks to get it she will. My friends hen took the hatched chicks for food and water then went back to the nest, Good luck, i hope they hatch!

 

[3riverschick]

If i was you i would give the remaining eggs till day 25 then dispose of them. If you leave the food and water were she can take the chicks to get it she will. My friends hen took the hatched chicks for food and water then went back to the nest, Good luck, i hope they hatch!

Hum, this is going to be a problem.

My nest box is 6 inches above the floor of the coop, which is floored with hardwood shavings. Last Fall, I installed a small platform for the girls to jump up on to get to the box. It's about 8" x8". This means the newly hatched chicks will tumble out of the nestbox or off the platform about 6 inches to the floor of the coop. Then they have to find the food and water. What do I do about this?

I never expected anyone to go broodie, so only set up my nestbox for egg laying and retrival. Once the chicks fall out of the box, they will never be able to get in again.

I can open the pop door and sequester male in the run. Then unscrew the platform and move the hens and eggs into a new nextbox at floor level where the platform was. This is what happens when one sets up the coop with strictly one plan of action(egglaying with incubator hatching) and the birds decide to do it their own way.

Nuts,
Karen

 

[jojomojo]

Hum, this is going to be a problem.

My nest box is 6 inches above the floor of the coop, which is floored with hardwood shavings. Last Fall, I installed a small platform for the girls to jump up on to get to the box. It's about 8" x8". This means the newly hatched chicks will tumble out of the nestbox or off the platform about 6 inches to the floor of the coop. Then they have to find the food and water. What do I do about this?

I never expected anyone to go broodie, so only set up my nestbox for egg laying and retrival. Once the chicks fall out of the box, they will never be able to get in again.

I can open the pop door and sequester male in the run. Then unscrew the platform and move the hens and eggs into a new nextbox at floor level where the platform was. This is what happens when one sets up the coop with strictly one plan of action(egglaying with incubator hatching) and the birds decide to do it their own way.

Nuts,
Karen

I'd have had a similar problem (actually worse) with our nest box set up. I used some scrap 2x2, hardware cloth & hinges and made a "baby gate" (L-shape) to fit into the corner of the coop. We use a poop board so that served as the top. It has a door for easy access. The nest box is a just a cardboard box nestled down in the bedding. They have their own water & chick starter in there too. The sides are just hardware cloth so the rest of the flock can can get to know them, but not get access to them.

 

[Johnn]

Hum, this is going to be a problem.

My nest box is 6 inches above the floor of the coop, which is floored with hardwood shavings. Last Fall, I installed a small platform for the girls to jump up on to get to the box. It's about 8" x8". This means the newly hatched chicks will tumble out of the nestbox or off the platform about 6 inches to the floor of the coop. Then they have to find the food and water. What do I do about this?

I never expected anyone to go broodie, so only set up my nestbox for egg laying and retrival. Once the chicks fall out of the box, they will never be able to get in again.

I can open the pop door and sequester male in the run. Then unscrew the platform and move the hens and eggs into a new nextbox at floor level where the platform was. This is what happens when one sets up the coop with strictly one plan of action(egglaying with incubator hatching) and the birds decide to do it their own way.

Nuts,
Karen

Is there no way you could move the nest to the floor??

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
LOL.... Six inches off the floor is really nothing to a fuzzball that has NO weight at first. Put some bedding down for them to land in. The only danger is if mamma doesn't come out as well to keep her chicks warm. I think Stony has said that his hens have hatched chicks as high up as four feet.... Besides once the hen takes the chicks out of the nest she usually doesn't return to the nest with them. She will choose to brood them on the floor of the coop. And mamma will show them where food and water is.

The deal is you really dont have to do anything. Hens have been raising chicks for a very long time without help. Our job is to keep them safe from our own "stuff" and predators, and get out of the way of the hen

deb