Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[CGinJCMO]

My broody was up and off the nest today and I glanced in her nest. There was an egg missing! It was totally gone - not even shell bits. I even moved the box around wondering if she pushed it out but I couldn't find anything of it. Don't know what happened to it.

CG

 

[Jharper]

My RIR's eggs have started to internally pip!!!!!! They are SQ buff silkie eggs.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Okay, so it sounds like the consensus is that if I get hatching eggs there is a chance, even if it's small, that my girls would be exposed to something.

Also, if I get hatching eggs and they hatch successfully, I'll need to keep them separated from my other hen. (I only have two hens- it's a long story. We're accidental chicken owners)

Hmm, not sure if that would be good to keep her alone if Becky had chicks. Maybe I could keep them in the same area. Is keeping the newly hatched chicks separated mainly for protection from other adult birds and germs?

Thanks!

I've added day old chicks and hatching eggs to my flock without negative consequences. There is risk in everything.

 

[bobbieschicks]

So I have a Broody Marans.  She set on some fertile eggs to no avail for 25 days.  I had a hatch going so I placed five new chicks under her two nights ago.  I came home and she was still in the nestbox with the chicks, an elevated nestbox and I did not want the chicks to fall out.  I removed her and placed her on the coop floor and placed the chicks around her.  She immediately sat down and clucked worriedly about the chicks who were running around her pecking around for food.  She seems to have adopted the chicks.  They go under her for warmth and she clucks at them should they get too far from her.  However as of this morning she is still setting in the same location as if she is still setting on eggs.  The chicks move about the coop but she will not move to protect them when I or another hen approaches or.  It's as if she is paralyzed by indecision.  She continues to allow them to forage and I have placed a creep feeder in the coop.  So far though she has not moved from her location.  

My question is should I take the chicks back or take a wait and see approach.  

I'd leave her and the chicks alone, she will move about with them when the time is right. My Maran did a similar thing and stayed in the nest box longer than I thought she should. Her healthy RIR chicks are five weeks old now.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Ive been incubating eggs for a year...had a Buff orp go broody recently and let her set ...yesterday checked her and had  2 baby chicks
Its so very adorable to see them with Mom, I put food and water in  I hadnt checkd for 2 days so they were hungry im sure peeping loudly
She drank and ate showing them how cluck clucking lowly  to them all the time ..it was totally beautiful so much nicer than the sterile incubator environment I have had all my eggs in so far. Think I will use the broodys as much as I can from now on.

Anyone know how much time you should have between  a broody hatching and her next batch of eggs  or do they decide themself?
Im clueless  

My broodies usually start laying again around 6 weeks after their chicks have hatched. So it could be as soon as a week after that. My broodies last year each took about two weeks to lay eggs and then started right back up being broody again.

 

[CoopChick719]

I'm so sorry I haven't been on here for awhile. You probably already figured out a plan. I'll read the next several pages and if I don't see it I will chime in.

No problem bobbie! You were so helpful on my last broody!! We found some newly hatched chicks--4 BCM's & 2 Partridge Chantecler/Faverolle cross. We lost the littlest BCM to overheating.

I slipped everyone under the 2 Mamas at night. The next morning, Mama #1 decided to peck any chick she saw--this was my very first broody you helped me with back in February. I tried her a couple times w/the chicks---no dice. Mama #2 accepted everyone. So Mama #1 was locked out of the coop while I built a small pen within the coop for Mama #2 & the babies. Here's a pic of Blue & her babies. Everyone is doing well!

 

[EmSteele]

This is driving me crazy! My chickens are not even close to having an egg laying hen so a broody is even further away!!!

 

[Johnn]

I was so busy with my battery hens yesterday that I forgot it was Bella&Asparagus's first birthday!:

 

[wescottwomen]

Ok so I found a nest in the yard under some wood but my hens are put up every night so not a good nesting spot so I'm putting those eggs in one of the none used nesting boxes to try to get one of my hens to turn broody I dated the eggs so I will know if they sit to long here's hoping something happens in this nest!

 

[groverlvchx]

This is Peaches, my newest broody. Last night I set six eggs around her and watched as she tucked them all under. That makes a nest of seven, due in 21 days!

Here is Knothead, one of the adopted chicks, staying warm under mama's wing on a 45*F morning. They scurry around and eat, then snuggle under to warm up.


And lastly, poor Hollywood is looking for an open nesting box to lay her egg. She's getting Eggstipated!


No worries, one of the two boxes without a broody in it was soon vacated for her.