Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Bikerschick]

Good morning.
Being a newbie here, I'm not certain if I'm supposed to (or encouraged to) post any updates. Especially not the very next day... but I'm just so dang excited!
This morning, there were three little fluffball babies under her, and two new "pips" (little holes?). I'm still figuring out the right words for things, sorry. lol.
Anyway, the move last night went off without a hitch! Yay! She seems to be really happy in her new digs. I had seen someone else mention feeding their mama a little scratch while she was sitting, I think that lady said she does it every day? So... After I disturbed her to satisfy my curiosity about the baby-count... I offered her a small palmful of scratch. Boy, she was eager to have it! But 2 of her little ones started peeping a lot and worked their way out from under her breast. She stopped eating, tucked them right back in, and looked at me like, "See what you did?" LOL
I'm loving this!!! Here's this morning's not-so-hot phone pics.

 

[Johnn]

Good morning.
Being a newbie here, I'm not certain if I'm supposed to (or encouraged to) post any updates. Especially not the very next day... but I'm just so dang excited!
This morning, there were three little fluffball babies under her, and two new "pips" (little holes?). I'm still figuring out the right words for things, sorry. lol.
Anyway, the move last night went off without a hitch! Yay! She seems to be really happy in her new digs. I had seen someone else mention feeding their mama a little scratch while she was sitting, I think that lady said she does it every day? So... After I disturbed her to satisfy my curiosity about the baby-count... I offered her a small palmful of scratch. Boy, she was eager to have it! But 2 of her little ones started peeping a lot and worked their way out from under her breast. She stopped eating, tucked them right back in, and looked at me like, "See what you did?" LOL
I'm loving this!!! Here's this morning's not-so-hot phone pics.

Cute mama and a lovely set up!

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Good morning. Being a newbie here, I'm not certain if I'm supposed to (or encouraged to) post any updates. Especially not the very next day... but I'm just so dang excited! This morning, there were three little fluffball babies under her, and two new "pips" (little holes?). I'm still figuring out the right words for things, sorry. lol. Anyway, the move last night went off without a hitch! Yay! She seems to be really happy in her new digs. I had seen someone else mention feeding their mama a little scratch while she was sitting, I think that lady said she does it every day? So... After I disturbed her to satisfy my curiosity about the baby-count... I offered her a small palmful of scratch. Boy, she was eager to have it! But 2 of her little ones started peeping a lot and worked their way out from under her breast. She stopped eating, tucked them right back in, and looked at me like, "See what you did?" LOL I'm loving this!!! Here's this morning's not-so-hot phone pics.

How exciting, please keep us updated!!

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Good morning. Being a newbie here, I'm not certain if I'm supposed to (or encouraged to) post any updates. Especially not the very next day... but I'm just so dang excited! This morning, there were three little fluffball babies under her, and two new "pips" (little holes?). I'm still figuring out the right words for things, sorry. lol. Anyway, the move last night went off without a hitch! Yay! She seems to be really happy in her new digs. I had seen someone else mention feeding their mama a little scratch while she was sitting, I think that lady said she does it every day? So... After I disturbed her to satisfy my curiosity about the baby-count... I offered her a small palmful of scratch. Boy, she was eager to have it! But 2 of her little ones started peeping a lot and worked their way out from under her breast. She stopped eating, tucked them right back in, and looked at me like, "See what you did?" LOL I'm loving this!!! Here's this morning's not-so-hot phone pics.

How exciting, please keep us updated!!

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Good morning. Being a newbie here, I'm not certain if I'm supposed to (or encouraged to) post any updates. Especially not the very next day... but I'm just so dang excited! This morning, there were three little fluffball babies under her, and two new "pips" (little holes?). I'm still figuring out the right words for things, sorry. lol. Anyway, the move last night went off without a hitch! Yay! She seems to be really happy in her new digs. I had seen someone else mention feeding their mama a little scratch while she was sitting, I think that lady said she does it every day? So... After I disturbed her to satisfy my curiosity about the baby-count... I offered her a small palmful of scratch. Boy, she was eager to have it! But 2 of her little ones started peeping a lot and worked their way out from under her breast. She stopped eating, tucked them right back in, and looked at me like, "See what you did?" LOL I'm loving this!!! Here's this morning's not-so-hot phone pics.

How exciting, please keep us updated!!

 

[bobbieschicks]

UGH! I kicked them both off their respective nests and they keep returning to this corner spot. Shirley Jones on the left, Vanilla Ice on the right. Both are attempting to hatch ping pong balls.

 

[Johnn]

UGH! I kicked them both off their respective nests and they keep returning to this corner spot. Shirley Jones on the left, Vanilla Ice on the right. Both are attempting to hatch ping pong balls.

If you let one f them hatch, make sure its Vanilla Ice!

 

[Johnn]

Hi . I hope I can get some help from all of you on this thread. I have a few broody hens, 2 of them are large girls especially the Dixie rainbow. I have not seen either of these two girls off of their nest in over a week. The Dixie Rainbow is finished hatching but Just now I tried to get her to take a break and she is having problems standing. As her chicks were hatching I noticed she would keep her right leg stretched out to keep some of her weight up off of the chicks(for 3-4days). Now she cant seem to stand on her own at all. I am thinking I should remove her a couple times a day to help her exercise but I do not want to chance her not taking care of her chicks. The second hen is still sitting a few eggs that i think are not due for a couple more days because of 1 week into her sitting her flock mates addad to her nest. I should of moved her prior to that happening(or marked her eggs) but she sit one other time then quit after a week so I was sorta waiting it out to see if she was in it for the duration this time. She is a speckles Sussex and I am sure she has not went to the bathroom well over a week. For the health of the hens, should I get these two girls up and out for a few minutes? They are both in their own broody pens about (4x4) blocked off so no other hen could disturb them or add more eggs. They have been in the pens now for about two weeks. I do hope someone has some good advice as to what I should do. I am leaving town in a few days so I really can't take a chance of them abanding their babies.

If you haven't seen the one with eggs get off her nest then I would probably kick her off, she will return if she is serious! As for the mama hen, I am not really sure. My broody stuck one of her legs out too but she managed to stand/walk fine after she got chicks. Its probably best you do make her move, I don't think she will abandon the chicks. Hopefully someone more experienced can give you a better answer.

 

[FeatheredFreind]

Hi . I hope I can get some help from all of you on this thread. I have a few broody hens, 2 of them are large girls especially the Dixie rainbow. I have not seen either of these two girls off of their nest in over a week. The Dixie Rainbow is finished hatching but Just now I tried to get her to take a break and she is having problems standing. As her chicks were hatching I noticed she would keep her right leg stretched out to keep some of her weight up off of the chicks(for 3-4days). Now she cant seem to stand on her own at all. I am thinking I should remove her a couple times a day to help her exercise but I do not want to chance her not taking care of her chicks. The second hen is still sitting a few eggs that i think are not due for a couple more days because of 1 week into her sitting her flock mates addad to her nest. I should of moved her prior to that happening(or marked her eggs) but she sit one other time then quit after a week so I was sorta waiting it out to see if she was in it for the duration this time. She is a speckles Sussex and I am sure she has not went to the bathroom well over a week. For the health of the hens, should I get these two girls up and out for a few minutes? They are both in their own broody pens about (4x4) blocked off so no other hen could disturb them or add more eggs. They have been in the pens now for about two weeks. I do hope someone has some good advice as to what I should do. I am leaving town in a few days so I really can't take a chance of them abanding their babies.

If you haven't seen the one with eggs get off her nest then I would probably kick her off, she will return if she is serious! As for the mama hen, I am not really sure. My broody stuck one of her legs out too but she managed to stand/walk fine after she got chicks. Its probably best you do make her move, I don't think she will abandon the chicks. Hopefully someone more experienced can give you a better answer.

Thank you for responding. I think I'll go ahead and kick the SS off for a break(with babies in sight) hopefully she releases then put her back then work with the Dixie Rainbow. I hope this all goes well.

 

[Fentress]

I did not think that any of my breeds would brood., so my new larger coop is still under construction, with chicks ordered, to arrive on 5/23. However, I now have two broody Speckled Sussex hens in a 8 by 9 A-frame coop that does not allow me to isolate the broody. Total Chaos so far. These are not the dominate hens and they get bumped from nest box to nest box or they just change boxes on their own. I don't know, I think they get bumped. A couple of questions. I tried to set some eggs under the broody, via the back door to the nest box, at night and she started to peck my hand, didnot draw blood, but I have to admit I did not like it. I know she is defending her nest which is good, but is this common? Do most people put up with this and carry on? I wish she was as aggressive with the other hens at defending her nest as she was with me.

Does anyone use portable nest boxes, so if you wanted to move a broody you could just move the whole box, with her inside, to an isolation area? You would still have to set the eggs, of course.

Thanks,

mark