Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bigT88]

Wow! That's pretty high up. I wouldn't mess with her too much now if possible. She will be getting down to eat, drink and poo unless you have her caged up there? If she's loose with eggs, the chicks usually stay right under momma until about the third day. That's when my girls usually take their babies out of the nest to the floor.

If you can provide a ramp, a ladder, or some way for the chicks to navigate down she will probably bring them down without intervention. Or of course you could lower the nesting area to around two feet and not worry about it. My silky chicks have jumped at a day old from the 24" height without problems.

ok i will lower it around day 20 then. thank you

 

[yogabbagirl]

hi, i am new to chickens hatching eggs. i have 2 wheaton ams. one went broody. got her some fertile eggs, maran, am, olive egger, and one serama. hatching date around july 24. i cant wait. i have a pair of seramas. hen just started laying. dont know if her egg is fertile but soon find out. she is only 5 mos. going to move am's
nest under the pool deck where i build their run after hatching. i read that after other hens hear chicks for a few days, they should be alright but momma determines when flock can come around. do you think that these two inseparable hens can raise chicks together? they have been inseparable since 2 weeks old.

 

[yogabbagirl]

or let nature take its course as you mentioned above.

 

[fshinggrl]

My Columbian Wyandotte and a Porceline d'uccle mix are broody. This is the Wyandotte's second time. The mix is actually one of the chicks she hatched last year. My 21 days are marked.

 

[bumpercarr]

posted this in the broody hen thread. but seems like this is a more lively thread.


so first time using a broody hen. put 18 eggs under her (black australorp). She covers them all nicely. She is sitting on these eggs in a nesting box (10) nest box. It is about 4 or 5 feet off the ground. Obviously this wont work for the chicks when they hatch. Should i move her and the nest to a pen, very tricky. Or just lower the whole nesting shelf after they hatch?

My house is about 3 1/2 feet off the ground. The chicks just follow momma down the ramp. However, they can't usually get back up until they are about a week old. So, I put a cardboard box with straw and paper towels on the ground so they have somewhere to go at night if they can't get up the ramp. Momma won't stay in the house if her chicks aren't with her, she'll take them into the box.

 

[bumpercarr]

I don't know if they will co-raise the chicks. Some will and some won't. I don't separate my broody from the flock, she takes care of the chicks just fine without being separated. She generally won't let anyone near them, puffing up and growling at the rest of the flock if they come too close. The chicks will hide under her wings when they feel threatened. Even my roo knows to leave the babies alone, but he will make sure that they make it under mom when he sounds an alarm.

 

[CarolinaHen]

I

ok i will lower it around day 20 then. thank you

We tried moving ours before the eggs hatched, and mom went back to the old nest. We tried again just after they hatched, and they have all been content with the lower one.

 

[bobbieschicks]

ok i will lower it around day 20 then. thank you

I wouldn't lower it until after everyone hatches or she may abandon the nest.

 

[bobbieschicks]

My house is about 3 1/2 feet off the ground.  The chicks just follow momma down the ramp.  However, they can't usually get back up until they are about a week old.  So, I put a cardboard box with straw and paper towels on the ground so they have somewhere to go at night if they can't get up the ramp.  Momma won't stay in the house if her chicks aren't with her, she'll take them into the box.

I've never had a broody return to the same nest she hatched out of once the babies were finished hatching. Generally they find a new safe place on the ground or floor of the coop for about a week or two. Sometimes at that point she will move them up to the nest boxes at night for safe keeping if there is a lot of activity on the ground.

 

[bobbieschicks]

hi, i am new to chickens hatching eggs. i have 2 wheaton ams. one went broody. got her some fertile eggs, maran, am, olive egger, and one serama. hatching date around july 24. i cant wait. i have a pair of seramas. hen just started laying. dont know if her egg is fertile but soon find out. she is only 5 mos. going to move am's
nest under the pool deck where i build their run after hatching. i read that after other hens hear chicks for a few days, they should be alright but momma determines when flock can come around. do you think that these two inseparable hens can raise chicks together? they have been inseparable since 2 weeks old.

 

If they want to co hatch I usually let them. I figure they know better than I do. Also I've not had a problem with chick stealing broodies or broodies attacking other chicks. I suppose it could happen, but most of my breeds are docile, Maran, Lav Orps, EE, Silky & silky mixes, WL and WL mixes. Of course the broodies are still a force to be reckoned with if you go near them, but they don't lash out irrationally, only protect when in danger.