Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

I would propose to those who are waiting for chicks to hatch...that it's far more likely your hen will hatch chicks, but in the off chance absolutely no chicks hatch.

Your options are (1) get another set of hatching eggs and quickly put them under her if she's healthy enough to sit another 21 days, or (2) get a couple of day old chicks from any source you find to slip under her at night, I've contacted egg sellers and asked if they had any chicks to be brooder mates for single chicks, or (3) do nothing except remove the eggs that didn't hatch and let your broody get on with her return to her pre-broody days.

While the first two options might seem like the only logical and kind hearted choices, option 3 has some merit. I did that the last time with Topsy and she was absolutely fine. She didn't wander around aimlessly searching for her chicks or act oddly. She just returned to the business of laying eggs within a few short weeks. I think I was more hung up on the idea that she didn't hatch any chicks than she was since she didn't act like she was missing out on anything. Just an option to consider, if you must.

 

[bobbieschicks]

i'm tentatively excited, as i think Eleanor my basque hen might just be broody! she spent a lot more time than usual this weekend in one particular nesting box, while everyone else was out free-ranging -- and this morning she was in the same box, and when i got home from campus this afternoon she was the last one out of the coop, and the eggs in that particular nest were nice and warm. she stayed out for about 20 minutes, eating and drinking very fast -- since the others all ran off to free-range, and she kept hanging close to the coop, i was able to sneak her some extra treats, a good handful of black oil sunflower seeds (are there any foods in particular one should try to feed a broody?) -- and when one of the cats ambled by near the coop, she chased it with an intense vitriol i haven't seen before. she then snacked a bit more on some oyster shell and went right back in to her nest.

so excited! will have to check if she stays in the nest tonight...

Congrats!

 

[gg706]

I would propose to those who are waiting for chicks to hatch...that it's far more likely your hen will hatch chicks, but in the off chance absolutely no chicks hatch.

Your options are (1) get another set of hatching eggs and quickly put them under her if she's healthy enough to sit another 21 days, or (2) get a couple of day old chicks from any source you find to slip under her at night, I've contacted egg sellers and asked if they had any chicks to be brooder mates for single chicks, or (3) do nothing except remove the eggs that didn't hatch and let your broody get on with her return to her pre-broody days.

While the first two options might seem like the only logical and kind hearted choices, option 3 has some merit. I did that the last time with Topsy and she was absolutely fine. She didn't wander around aimlessly searching for her chicks or act oddly. She just returned to the business of laying eggs within a few short weeks. I think I was more hung up on the idea that she didn't hatch any chicks than she was since she didn't act like she was missing out on anything. Just an option to consider, if you must.

Thank You for the info. I thought she would be very distraught at no chicks appearing. If mine does not hatch any chicks I think I will probably dispose of the eggs and attempt to get her to just go back to normal. My broody has lost so much weight. That is one of the big reasons I want the eggs to hatch already! ........... That and my own selfish curiousity!
She has gotten so thin. I have been worried about her health the last week or so.

 

[Debs55]

Hey guys! My co broodies are beginning to worry me. One is obviously more dedicated than the other but the problem is the more dedicated one will "loan" the other an egg or two. Then she will get off the nest! This has happened twice already. And I don't mean get off as in stretching, eating, etc. I mean she leaves till the eggs are cold. When I see it I put them back under my dedicated broody. Will this cause problems?

 

[6littlechicks]

I would propose to those who are waiting for chicks to hatch...that it's far more likely your hen will hatch chicks, but in the off chance absolutely no chicks hatch.

Your options are (1) get another set of hatching eggs and quickly put them under her if she's healthy enough to sit another 21 days, or (2) get a couple of day old chicks from any source you find to slip under her at night, I've contacted egg sellers and asked if they had any chicks to be brooder mates for single chicks, or (3) do nothing except remove the eggs that didn't hatch and let your broody get on with her return to her pre-broody days.

While the first two options might seem like the only logical and kind hearted choices, option 3 has some merit. I did that the last time with Topsy and she was absolutely fine. She didn't wander around aimlessly searching for her chicks or act oddly. She just returned to the business of laying eggs within a few short weeks. I think I was more hung up on the idea that she didn't hatch any chicks than she was since she didn't act like she was missing out on anything. Just an option to consider, if you must.

Thanks for your help I have 2 australorp chicks that are almost a week old and a tiny bantam chick with them in a Brooder, I was thinking of putting them in with her on Friday night if nothing hatched by then. Do you think that would work,? I might be very nervous about her not caring for them or will she just mother them right away?

 

[6littlechicks]

Hey guys! My co broodies are beginning to worry me. One is obviously more dedicated than the other but the problem is the more dedicated one will "loan" the other an egg or two. Then she will get off the nest! This has happened twice already. And I don't mean get off as in stretching, eating, etc. I mean she leaves till the eggs are cold. When I see it I put them back under my dedicated broody. Will this cause problems?

aww, I'd probably just leave them be and when the eggs do hatch maybe they'll co parent together.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Thanks for your help I have 2 australorp chicks that are almost a week old and a tiny bantam chick with them in a Brooder, I was thinking of putting them in with her on Friday night if nothing hatched by then. Do you think that would work,? I might be very nervous about her not caring for them or will she just mother them right away?

You can try to put them under her at night and then come check on them early the next morning to see how they're getting along. These chicks might be too old to try to graft them to this hen, but you never know unless you try. The issue isn't just if the hen will want to mother the chicks, but also if the chicks will respond to her when she does. It should be apparant right away if they will take to each other, if they don't just move them out.

 

[bobbieschicks]

You can try to put them under her at night and then come check on them early the next morning to see how they're getting along.  These chicks might be too old to try to graft them to this hen, but you never know unless you try.  The issue isn't just if the hen will want to mother the chicks, but also if the chicks will respond to her when she does.  It should be apparant right away if they will take to each other, if they don't just move them out.

Xs2. Usually it's that the older chicks won't listen to the momma. But sometimes they will move right under her and stay without issue. Keep an eye on them. Move them under her at night without light and check on them early and a few times to make sure they are okay. Be sure to remove the unhatched eggs.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Thank You for the info. I thought she would be very distraught at no chicks appearing. If mine does not hatch any chicks I think I will probably dispose of the eggs and attempt to get her to just go back to normal. My broody has lost so much weight. That is one of the big reasons I want the eggs to hatch already! ........... That and my own selfish curiousity!    
She has gotten so thin. I have been worried about her health the last week or so.

Scramble some eggs and feed them to her. My broodies get a treat of mealies and scrambled eggs when they have been sitting so long. Not mixed together though.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Hey guys! My co broodies are beginning to worry me. One is obviously more dedicated than the other but the problem is the more dedicated one will "loan" the other an egg or two. Then she will get off the nest! This has happened twice already. And I don't mean get off as in stretching, eating, etc. I mean she leaves till the eggs are cold. When I see it I put them back under my dedicated broody. Will this cause problems?

Are you sure she's not just kicking out the duds and the other is taking them and sitting on them? Maybe one silky is broody and the other is just pretending? I would put the ones you find back under her if they aren't smelly or cracked. And I wouldn't worry about it.

The only other thing you could do is move them and confine them to a smaller nesting area, but that creates its own set of problems with potential for broken eggs and possible abandonment of the nest entirely. I'd just tuck and not worry.