Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[OHfarmerswife]

I hear peeping under my broody today!  Only saw one empty green shell!  We had 6 cochin eggs under her.  Can't wait to get a view of the new babies.  Do you guys move the mom to remove all the empty shells? 

I have only had 2 broody hens. I reached under each to temove the shells & count babies.

 

[Moni]

My Winnie is pretty close to the same.  She's lightened up a bit in the past week (mine are 18 days old now).  Of course, as soon as she lightened up a cat got one of the chicks.  Now she just brrrrrrs at me when I get too close, but if I keep going she'll get all puffed up.  No pecking and kicking anymore though.

I guess i can't complain about her behavior because she is being a great mother. I had my doubts about her when I decided to let her hatch because she was so skittish. I bought her and 6 other hens at the same time and they are all very skittish. They were not handled the way I have always handled mine. They will get better with time tho. They get alot closer to me now when i hand out treats. They see the others eat out of my hand so they are starting to trust me more. They will come around eventually!

 

[uphilljill]

I know this thread isn't about who can post the cutest pictures but I can't resist. These 2 went broody at the same time so I stuck 8 eggs under each. Now they share the mothering duties and they huddle together all the time. She has her wing over the other one!!!

So sweet

 

[Johnn]

I know this thread isn't about who can post the cutest pictures but I can't resist. These 2 went broody at the same time so I stuck 8 eggs under each. Now they share the mothering duties and they huddle together all the time. She has her wing over the other one!!!

So cute!

 

[Flowerbh]

I have baby chicks this morning! I know there are 4, but don't know about the other two yet. I haven't moved her to get the shells yet so I don't know if the other 2 eggs have hatched or not! Am really excited about these as they are my first "broody" hatch. The black chicks are cochin and the yellow ones are cochin mixes, but they both have feathered legs like their dad!

 

[elsfieldchickens]

I know this thread isn't about who can post the cutest pictures but I can't resist. These 2 went broody at the same time so I stuck 8 eggs under each. Now they share the mothering duties and they huddle together all the time. She has her wing over the other one!!!

how many babys have they got?

 

[lawatt]

two two hens co-parenting are so wonderful!!



I have a more distressing problem: one of Speedy's four two-day-old babies (living inside a wire exclosure pen with her) has been scalped -- the whole top of its head is completely bare and a bit bloody. i have no idea if Speedy did this, or if another chicken outside the exclosure tried to attack the baby through the wire -- quite upsetting. the chick itself seems a bit subdued but otherwise undistressed, pecking at bits of food -- but i'm not sure what i should do. leave it alone? bring it inside the house under a heat lamp? is it likely to heal?

and since i don't know who attacked it, and have at least five additional baby chicks under another broody and more soon to hatch under a third, i'm not sure how to avoid further chick-attacks...?

 

[Johnn]

I have baby chicks this morning! I know there are 4, but don't know about the other two yet. I haven't moved her to get the shells yet so I don't know if the other 2 eggs have hatched or not! Am really excited about these as they are my first "broody" hatch. The black chicks are cochin and the yellow ones are cochin mixes, but they both have feathered legs like their dad!

 

[OHfarmerswife]

I have baby chicks this morning! I know there are 4, but don't know about the other two yet. I haven't moved her to get the shells yet so I don't know if the other 2 eggs have hatched or not! Am really excited about these as they are my first "broody" hatch. The black chicks are cochin and the yellow ones are cochin mixes, but they both have feathered legs like their dad!

congrats

 

[coyotesmommy]

I am super excited

I have a Mother's day hatching this Sunday. I have 8 out of 12 eggs left under my hen Ling Ling. I have been candleing about every 3 or 4 day and have been watching the progess. I have 3 green / blue eggs that have slight movement and 2 brown eggs with slight movement, then 2 more brown eggs that definately have LIVE chicks so I hope that does not mean I only have 2 strong contestants for hatching.