Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Johnn]

I have a mama with 4 chicks hatched and 8 eggs left... I really don't want to mess with her, but she's in an upper nesting box, and I'm worried about the babies needing food and water.. Should I move her and chicks and unhatched eggs to a low box? How long before chicks need food and water?

They will need food and water 24 hours after hatching, you could put food and water in the nest. You can put them on the floor if you are willing to take the risk, I think she probably will stay put as she wont want to be up with the chicks yet anyways.

 

[chiqita]

I'd reach out at night unless you find her off the nest. Easier to candle them anyway.

 

[shakerchick]

Well - we found 4 that appear to have been unfertilized and two with dead chicks that were feathered so pretty far along. Now we are looking into getting some Maran or EE chicks.

 

[lawatt]

4 weeks old now!

looking good!

my various broodies' chicks are 6 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 weeks, and 11 days old today -- the oldest one still follows his mom around, but she's back to laying eggs and tries to ditch him periodically. all of the others still hanging out with their broody-moms, so wonderful to watch them all free-ranging around! here are a few pictures:



6 week old max jr with his (increasingly distant) mom eleanor



4-week old araucanas free-ranging with their mom frances



daisy with one of her five 3-week old chicks, this one is a blue isbar



and bella wth her two 10-day old birchen marans chicks

 

[Jharper]

Hey guys so I generally don't candle the eggs my Broodies are on but in this heat I want to check them so I can hopefully get any before they explode. How do you do this without the broody totally freaking out? I can't decide if I should take her off the nest or just reach under her and take them out one by one and mark the ones I checked? Do you have any preferences?

Do it at night.

 

[Johnn]

looking good!

my various broodies' chicks are 6 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 weeks, and 11 days old today -- the oldest one still follows his mom around, but she's back to laying eggs and tries to ditch him periodically. all of the others still hanging out with their broody-moms, so wonderful to watch them all free-ranging around! here are a few pictures:



6 week old max jr with his (increasingly distant) mom eleanor



4-week old araucanas free-ranging with their mom frances



daisy with one of her five 3-week old chicks, this one is a blue isbar



and bella wth her two 10-day old birchen marans chicks

Thanks, you too!

 

[Nina101]

These are my 5 newly hatched chicks with their mum only 1 egg didn't hatch.

 

[Jharper]

She is so pretty. What is she?barnvelder? These are my 5 newly hatched chicks with their mum only 1 egg didn't hatch.

 

[squirlbait]

hi!

I hate to bust in here, but I have a question and hoped you all could help.

I have a broody hen and no rooster. I wanted to buy hatching eggs to give to her to hatch, but when I called the farm where I got her, he said that I can't do that because I would be exposing her to different bacteria.

Has anyone had this happen? I don't want to risk my little lady's health, but I think she'd love to have babies

(I posted this on another thread, too, but I'm looking for as much insight as possible)

Thanks!

 

[hotrodflash]

hi! I hate to bust in here, but I have a question and hoped you all could help. I have a broody hen and no rooster. I wanted to buy hatching eggs to give to her to hatch, but when I called the farm where I got her, he said that I can't do that because I would be exposing her to different bacteria. Has anyone had this happen? I don't want to risk my little lady's health, but I think she'd love to have babies (I posted this on another thread, too, but I'm looking for as much insight as possible) Thanks!

Lots of people get hatching eggs for their hens to hatch. I have never heard of eggs giving a hen a bacterial infection. My understanding is that very few diseases pass through the egg.