Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[6littlechicks]

What a beautiful girl! I've never seen or heard of that one before

 

[Johnn]

What a beautiful girl! I've never seen or heard of that one before

They are a Light Sussex x Silkie

 

[Johnn]

I was thinking what could have influenced the chicks to be bad and I kind of blame the mother because she always protected the chicks from the other hens and the chicks watched as she beat the other hens up for no reason, this could have lead to Bella (her daughter) being chicken aggressive and the Orpington has started egg eating, now Bella has started even though the Orpington has stopped. As for the cockerel, when I picked him and Bella up to take them over the stream before they fell in he watched his mother attack me. Is it wrong for me to blame her mothering or is it down to the chicks themselves?

 

[countryhen]

Hi everyone! I let my buff orpington sit eggs last year for the 1st time she went broody, i found her sitting 6 eggs so I let her it was great I got to watch as they hatched out under her. I let em stay week with her then took them wasn't sure about letting her raise them thought the other chickens would get chicks. Now I have a silkie broody she has 3 eggs but this morning she had 5 (she stole 2 from the other hens) I will candle eggs & let her keep the fertile ones. I would like to let this hen raise the chicks need some info on this. Will other chickens harm the chicks??

Here's pics of hatching chicks from last year






Honey with her first chick

 

[Johnn]

Hi everyone! I let my buff orpington sit eggs last year for the 1st time she went broody, i found her sitting 6 eggs so I let her it was great I got to watch as they hatched out under her. I let em stay week with her then took them wasn't sure about letting her raise them thought the other chickens would get chicks. Now I have a silkie broody she has 3 eggs but this morning she had 5 (she stole 2 from the other hens) I will candle eggs & let her keep the fertile ones. I would like to let this hen raise the chicks need some info on this. Will other chickens harm the chicks??

Here's pics of hatching chicks from last year






Honey with her first chick

 

[gg706]

Amazing pictures! Cant help with any info.

 

[Debs55]

will they also raise and teach the chicks?
karen

Absolutely! My silkies have been excellent mothers so far. I have one mothering 3 barred rock chicks and two more sitting on eggs. She really does a good job with the babies

 

[lawatt]

hi all -- apologies for reposting, but this question got a bit lost in the shuffle today:

any suggestions on how many eggs to put under a first-time broody? she's a basque hen, definitely LF but not a gigantic breed, my marans and silver-penciled plymouth rocks are all a bit bigger than her. don't want to overwhelm her with too many, but also want to try as many as i can in case some don't hatch!

thanks in advance!

 

[6littlechicks]

I'd start with 3. I read that hens like an odd number to sit on, something about how they are arranged under her. That way if it doesn't work is not a big loss.

 

[Debs55]

For my first broody which was a silkie I put 4 LF eggs and she did well. I agree with the poster above. Between 3 and 5 depending how many she can easily cover