Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Shellz]

As an added bonus, my production broodies are excellent foragers. They've barely touched the chick starter offered.

 

[Johnn]

Daisy is being such a good mother!Her baby is doing great and is feathering out really quick!

Remember the two day old I bought a while ago for my broody Orpington? Well they are getting big now! Their sister, Bella (she was the same hens chick from last year) is still looking after them! I know the Welsummer is a girl but I'm sill not sure about the SS

 

[MumsyII]

Judy The Broody has a pen to herself and stayed on the nest for two days to hatch out four and today she called them out and fed them scrambled eggs.Then she went back onto the nest with them.


This is the third time she has gone broody since March. All her chicks grow up successfully.



Miss Posey just hatched out two yesterday and one today in her flower pot nest.


The pot has no bottom. When she has finished, I will remove the pot so they can all move around to eat and drink.

That makes seven White Silkies so far from the two broody's and eleven in the brooder in the house I hatched in the Genesis. One more broody to go on a nest next to Posey. Bonney is due to hatch any day. All chicks out of eggs from my breeding foursome of White Silkies.

 

[Pyxis]

Here's Lemon and her chicks! I really love the first picture with one of the naked necks and one dark brahma.

Lemon may be getting a duckling overnight too if I can't get the broody duck to take her.



And just for fun, Penny with her older five on the move:

 

[jyurina]

Thanks for the reassurances. I think I will leave her alone and check around for some fertile eggs. One a different note. I am LOVING having a mama hen take care of babies. Not only do I not have the all day long cheeping(which is cute but gets SO loud) in the house but man these chickies are a week old and already scratching and foraging with mama. They also seem to be sturdier than the week olds I brooded in the house. I'm convinced, broody hens are the way to go!

 

[chickydee64]

Ok everyone...................you got me going................the pictures are so great.
I am going to take some and will post this afternoon.
My broodies that are sharing 8 chicks just keep me so busy.. WATCHING THEM............

I am not getting anything else done.................
The broody with the 8 week old chick, returned to the flock about 2 weeks ago.
but still protects her chicks during day time free range...
One first time broody has two chicks and pretty much keeps them separate from the flock.
Acts like she is worried she will lose them. She waited so long for a chick about 50 days.
Thought she was going to starve but she took good care of herself.

One more broody to go...next week end...............

 

[ihavechickens]

Hi everyone
I have 5 buff Orpington eggs under a broody light Sussex due to hatch on the 13th
Love the pics thx

 

[elliechooks]

I have hatched with an incubator/brooder in the house and with a broody hen out with the rest of the flock. My indoor babies are now 9 weeks old, my outdoor babies are 6 weeks and their mum has just left them to sleep with the adults at night and started laying again this week. Of the two groups the younger ones (the outdoor chicks) are much more confident around the older hens. They seem to have been accepted as part of the flock (although there is the occasional telling off!), while the indoor chicks are still very much a minority group. They wait till the adults have finished at the feeder before approaching and move away if an adult hen approaches them.
Much as I love watching the hatches in the incubator I will be using broodies as much as possible in future!

 

[3 NH reds]

OK I am sure this has been covered but this thread is so long. I have a broody Jersey Giant. I wasn't 100% until I went out to give her some ceramic eggs to sit on and she attacked me. My problem is that she or her sister did this before and she just broke all the eggs. Big bird in a small tractor supply nesting box and she kicks out all the hay. I have some day old chicks from the incubator but they are in another coop. I think even if I left her in the nesting box and moved her she would break or even kill the chicks. How long do they need to be on the nest before taking chicks? Or should I save some eggs for a week incubate them and give them to her?

 

[McCaskill]

Had 12 eggs under my broody but one busted and killed the others might get some day olds but not sure yet