Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[JoyfulPromise]

Hi everyone, I have a question -

I have two bantam hens that are sharing the same nest box/clutch of eggs. Nina, the first hen to go broody, is a small English game looking mix who is on the bottom of the pecking order in my 5 hen/1 rooster bantam flock and is usually chased and pecked by the other hens. Patti, the second broody decided to join Nina on the eggs several days after I gave Nina a clutch of 8 bantam eggs to hatch. The problem is that Patti is a larger Golden Seabright hen who is normally one of Nina's biggest tormenters!

Strangely, they are sharing the nest box peacefully for now, but the eggs are due to hatch next week and I am worried that once the chicks hatch the hens will fight and maybe hurt the chicks! Should I try to separate them and give them each half of the eggs? Or should I leave them together and keep an eye on them and hope for the best?

Any help or suggestions appreciated!

 

[Flowerbh]

I was thinking I need to sell our baby chicks since the brooding silkie mom dominates the whole coop and runs everyone out. Egg laying is all messed up with all the other hens. I have another nest area, but it still seems like now that silkie has her babies, they all are want babies! Ugg.. I miss my eggs to eat and give away to neighbors! My Welsummer is even sitting on 8 eggs and they are listed as "seldom goes broody"!

What do you guys do with all your chicks!? We will have a bunch to sell! I have 42 eggs in the incubator, too! But, don't I love it!!!!! I guess this will be my last hatch until my own rooster is old enough and I can have my own combinations. (Been hatching my neighbors chicks and bought ones)

 

[Skipspin]

So, my best broody is sitting on 3 duck eggs and 3 Aracana eggs. (The chicken eggs were put under her after the duck eggs had been there a week. We took 2 not-developing duck eggs away at the same time) Is she going to flip out when she has ducks under her or will she not know the difference and love them all the same till they start swimming pooping in her water bowl?

They should all be hatching between Sunday-Tuesday.

 

[3 NH reds]

hugs, so sorry

Thanks

Ahhh sorry, they can be little so&so's sometimes!

That they can be. I wish my orps would go back to being broody

Could something have gotten into her nest and done this to the eggs? Just had a 3 foot-long black snake come through a 3/4 inch opening between two wooden boards and drop into my brooder.....managed to get it out and kill it.....no casualties, thankfully.

If not a predator, could her size be an issue in terms of crushing the eggs, since she is a Giant?

I doubt a predator because of the solar fence and this coop and run are elevated, it was a Turkey coop. We are focused on chickens this year. It is possible she may have been to big and the box was small for her size and she pulled out all the hay.

Now on day 18 in our incubator I go down to remove the turner and I hear peeps and its an chick 90% out of the shell. I quickly removed the eggs and turner to add water and turn it back on for the heat and the chick fell into my hands as I put the egg back in. Not sure what problems it might have with heat coming back up and the low humidity as it hatched 26% but time will tell

 

[BCMaraniac]

Day 21 with my broody hen.....two peeps so far!! They are mutts of my layers and a lavender orpington roo. Four of them are Black Copper Marans....one of the peeps is black and the other is yellow. The black one must be a little roo.....he is causing Mama all sorts of trouble already. She had him all tucked up under her wing, and he ducked out the back. She retrieved him, and got him pulled in tight near the base of her wing, and he popped right out in front of her. He must have decided it was too cold to be outside, so he dove right back under after about 45 seconds. I am hoping I find more tomorrow morning!

 

[Nike]

Four days late and one chick finally hatched!!!! I'm so relieved!!!! Hopefully more will hatch overnight but I'm just grateful even one hatched!

 

[BCMaraniac]

Four days late and one chick finally hatched!!!! I'm so relieved!!!! Hopefully more will hatch overnight but I'm just grateful even one hatched!

Congrats! Maybe now that they've gotten started you will see more. My two are now three, so hopefully we both will have more overnight.

 

[SalinasChicken]

Well I put some BLRW eggs under my broody today! I'm very excited! Boy did she look confused! I've been taking her eggs away for the last week (the eggs my other hens have been laying in her box) and then today I gave her some! She was all angry and hissing at me when I opened the coop and then when I started shoving them under her she got real quiet and looked at me like "What?! Are you for real?!". She sat a little prouder too I think! Hahaha! I also closed off her half of the coop so the other hens stop laying in her box. Now I just wait I guess. . . . . . . This is going to be a loooong 21 days!

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

I was thinking I need to sell our baby chicks since the brooding silkie mom dominates the whole coop and runs everyone out. Egg laying is all messed up with all the other hens. I have another nest area, but it still seems like now that silkie has her babies, they all are want babies! Ugg.. I miss my eggs to eat and give away to neighbors! My Welsummer is even sitting on 8 eggs and they are listed as "seldom goes broody"!

What do you guys do with all your chicks!? We will have a bunch to sell! I have 42 eggs in the incubator, too! But, don't I love it!!!!! I guess this will be my last hatch until my own rooster is old enough and I can have my own combinations. (Been hatching my neighbors chicks and bought ones)

Luckily my broody is just calm and collective. So far. I might have a couple BO that want to get lazy but not sure yet. And what do I do with extra chicks..... ummm good question haven't got an answer yet. Well I do have a partial. I have 5 BA pullets sold when I can tell sexes. Most pullets will go into a layer flock and males into a meat flock. Guineas I have at least 3 people wanting them and they don't hatch for awhile yet, the 10th or 11th. Not counting the broody hen.
Some males will also go back into my breeding since I had to cull 1 roo yesterday and most like will cull my other BA closer to end of summer. Great birds but way to old for my liking for breeding purposes. 4-5 years old at least for them. Still run 90%+ fertility and chicks are all healthy so far.
Some males will also be kept for flock protection/contentment. As well as back up breeders. But I think in long term never buy another bird after this year..... yeah right I should know better.

I have 1 batch on CL but only response was for guineas I don't have hatched yet

 

[Nike]

Congrats! Maybe now that they've gotten started you will see more. My two are now three, so hopefully we both will have more overnight.

Congrats!!! Did you get any more?
I went out there but I didn't look under the hen yet