Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[sharol]

Oh, Campines. They are adorable. My favorite hen is a Campine. I was so hoping one of her eggs would hatch when I was incubating eggs last month, but they both quit on me. They are such characters.

just chiming in here, my two broodies (a cuckoo marans and a light sussex) are each in the process of hatching up to five eggs, all silver campines -- they started yesterday, and so far each has two hatched, three unhatched -- will keep watching today to see if any more eggs get into action! in the meantime, here are some pictures:


the two in the cuckoo marans nest -- i love how they already seem to be sharing secrets


jane the light sussex & one of her two hatchlings

and in the meantime, two MORE girls have gone broody -- one, an SPPR, is a repeat from earlier this spring. this means, that of my original flock of 2 (all just a year old this summer), 8 have gone broody, only four have not (yet?). *phew*!

 

[sharol]

Thank you so much for the encouragement. That settles it. I'm going to try introducing them this afternoon. The breeder I got the eggs from said the same thing you did.

Chickens can't count Sharol! My mama hen hatched 4 of her own and I added 6 from the incubator, 2 at a time over a day, she took them really well. Just do it at a time when you can watch just in case she does reject them.

 

[sharol]

Well, that went very poorly. Hen was napping with chicks in the coop. I put the babies from the incubator down about a foot from her. They started peeping and she tried to peck one (it ducked) and then she went after another one. In the meantime, the third chick had joined her other chicks. She tracked him/her down and trapped him in a corner. I just got to it in time. I guess they will be brooding in the house. Now my 4 week olds are living in half the space they had an hour ago, but everyone is safe. I really thought she would hear them cheep and take them. Oh well, maybe the ones in the house will be a bit tamer and easier to handle? Looking for a bright side to all of this.

I am concerned that she already has 3 chicks and I'll be adding (as it turns out) 3 more. They hatched through the day yesterday, and I put them in a temp brooder to learn to eat and drink (and check for pasty butt) through the day today. I think I'll try to give them to her tomorrow morning before the sun comes up. I can't leave them out there all night because if she rejects them, they would get too cold (yeah, in August in Kansas -- talk about weird weather).

Marlena had her 3 out bright and early (68 degrees), but took them back in after a few minutes. Last night I couldn't see them anywhere, and when I was petting her, I found them up high under her wings. Ahhh. Cute.

I'll post back how it goes.

Oh, yes, and added to the chaos -- I have 2, 4 week old EE crosses that I desperately need to get outside. I'm going to try to introduce them to the little family, too. Maybe next week if all goes well. They really need more room.

 

[Johnn]

I love this little chick more than I have loved any other chicks. It just sits on my hand! Daisy's other egg still hasn't shown any sign of hatching, so tomorrow I will move daisy to the floor so her and the chick can eat and drink and I will put the eggs down too and let her decide what happens. I will only leave her in the nest if the chick starts hatching.

 

[chickydee64]

Johhn, I can see why . that is the cutest chick ever...................
I ended up with 9 chicks out of 24 eggs. bad hatch for broodys setting them. (shipped)
But they are healthy and the Mom's are content.
I'll try to post pictures later today..................
So I have three happy hens with chicks and one due in less than two weeks.
The rooster is making me crazy.I do not understand his behavior..........
Today, one hen had her chicks out of the nest eating and drinking................that big old Roo
was setting in the nest..............just watching them
I shooed him out, checked later and he was setting on the broody's eggs. She was upset pacing back and forth and he looked content..........
He did this the other day and did not want to give her the eggs back.. Silly rooster..........
I have had banty roo's active in hatching clutches, but never a big 15 lb. English Orp.................
Any one else had a rooster do this???????????

 

[Johnn]

Johhn, I can see why . that is the cutest chick ever...................
I ended up with 9 chicks out of 24 eggs. bad hatch for broodys setting them. (shipped)
But they are healthy and the Mom's are content.
I'll try to post pictures later today..................
So I have three happy hens with chicks and one due in less than two weeks.
The rooster is making me crazy.I do not understand his behavior..........
Today, one hen had her chicks out of the nest eating and drinking................that big old Roo
was setting in the nest..............just watching them
I shooed him out, checked later and he was setting on the broody's eggs. She was upset pacing back and forth and he looked content..........
He did this the other day and did not want to give her the eggs back.. Silly rooster..........
I have had banty roo's active in hatching clutches, but never a big 15 lb. English Orp.................
Any one else had a rooster do this???????????

Thanks! and congrats on your chicks!

 

[bboyd1]

Well, my broody has been sitting since Monday and seems to be the perfect broody so far! She stays on the nest all day except to get off once or twice for a max of 10 minutes each time in which she scarfs down food and water, takes a dust bath and lets out a huge glob of poo. Thats it. She dosn't like being messed with, but hasn't snipped me yet when I pet her while she was on her nest, which I only did because I wanted to see how skiddish she would be (no point in letting her sit if she was gonna abandon the nest so easily) Im excited to see how many good eggs are under her, but am still considering pros and cons of candling. Pro-- I'll be able to keep a bad eggs from busting. Con-- I may be wrong and remove a good egg.. blah.

Guess those eggs would be due to hatch around Aug. 12th and I'd be happy if half of the 10 eggs hatched out, even if they are all roos (more meat for my freezer!) Anyone else have eggs due about that time?

 

[bboyd1]

Also anyone else use backyard herds and having trouble with login? I've got a question about my pregnant goat but can't get in there...

 

[OHfarmerswife]

I have a wellsummer that went broody. My hen must have injured her foot. I wrapped her leg & foot with very wrap. Wednesday chicks that I had ordered came in the mail, after being lost by the PO. Needless to say 1chick didn't make it, another one died yesterday, &I was able to save one....have named her Miracle! Ok back to my broody, I gave her 8 chicks,she accepted them & is a great mom. Today I decided to take off the wrap on her leg & let her it fir a few minutes. She us now dragging her leg, no weight on it at all. Well she be able to raise these chicks?

 

[Jharper]

Is it normal for my PRIR hen to stop brooding her chicks at 1 1/2 months old while my Cochin bantam is still raising hers at 3 months?