Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[karlamaria]

Lesson I learned? That she will never brood a clutch of eggs again in her life time. She is a serial killer mom . She is my best egg layer, I will break her broods from here on out !

 

[Pyxis]

when my first broody. Had eggs she was back and fourth, I finally locked her up and only let her out to poop and eat, drink. Then I took her right back in. I put food in the crate and water and shut her up. She hatched out all her eggs. I locked up my next broody because she kept getting off the eggs and sitting on the other infertile eggs laid that day. It's cold here still and the eggs were super cold every time I came home and found er in another nest box. I finally had enough and locked her up, all but four hatched
Now this last broody was great but the mama of the last babies wanted to sit on these eggs every time broody mama wanted to go eat. All but 6 eggs were destroyed. Now with each hatch mama kills the chick. Only one is alive under her now and dry and ok..2 eggs to go, praying she allows them to lie

I may try that. I think I got an egg from her today though so I'm not optimistic. Maybe my little silkie will help me out. She doesn't lay anymore and I keep her just so she'll hatch for me. I think I'm also going to leave a bunch of store eggs in a nesting box to see if I can tempt her and my brahma.

And so sorry to hear about your chicks

 

[myby]

Johnn, if i were you i will wait until 26 to open them. I learn that the hen gives up on day 25th, and my hen has hatched on day 23 or 24 cant remember exactly, and i was sure nothing will came out. only one chick hatched that time it was 4 of july, and now she is broody.

 

[myby]

i had given baby chicks in the morning to a hen, but i dont recommend. the baby chicks get pecked a lot by their new mother.

 

[melissaG]

My broodie refuses to go into the pen where she hatched her chicks.

She now sleeps in one of the nesting boxes with all 8 chicks!!

zomgoodness, too cute!!!

 

[CherokeeFlats]

I gots babies!!

As of an hour ago, I had 4 with more pipping. I'm gonna go check again and see if I can get some pics.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Johnn, if i were you i will wait until 26 to open them. I learn that the hen gives up on day 25th, and my hen has hatched on day 23 or 24 cant remember exactly, and i was sure nothing will came out. only one chick hatched that time it was 4 of july, and now she is broody.

Bunny is on Day 46 and hasn't given up yet. She's sitting on ping pong balls.

I'm hoping she hangs on until tomorrow, but if she gives up tonight that's fine - her 6 RIR chicks are due to arrive tomorrow morning at the feed store. If she gives up I would just cancel the order since we didn't pay a deposit or anything - judging by the amount of people asking for chicks I think the shop owner would be okay with that.

I don't need any more chickens. As it is I have to get rid of some roosters - I'm just working on the courage to do it. I'm the kind of person who wouldn't dissect the frog in biology - so I vascilate between the two worlds of chicken farmer and pet owner.

 

[bobbieschicks]

i had given baby chicks in the morning to a hen, but i dont recommend. the baby chicks get pecked a lot by their new mother.

I think this was for me? I had asked about adding the chicks in the day/morning. Okay I'll just keep them warm until evening and move them under her at dusk since she's in the main coop with the others.

 

[Johnn]

Day 22-nothing. Went down in hope of some babies but I didn't get the babies I wanted!, a rat has decided to give birth in my nest box :/. I will be cracking my eggs open tomorrow and starting fresh.

 

[Johnn]

Oh wait!, they could be baby rabbits!