Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[sacramento]

Thanks for the help! Tomorrow is day 19! Getting excited!

 

[lindz8504]

My first chicks ever were hatched under a broody! They are now almost 5 weeks old! The mama (Clarabelle) is a bantam buff Cochin who is TINY! The chicks are BB Cochins (her hatch) and FBC Marans(same hatch day, bought them at 3 days old and she adopted!)


The jar is a quart jar, so you can see how little she is.

 

[sacramento]

My hen is super tiny too! Shes a little bantam silkie and im so worried she isnt going to be warm enough for her and 2 chicks! I have a super super sweet silkie roo.. poor guy has crossed toes... :-( I am hoping he will help with keeping that baby warm in the winter. Any tips on that? When did your bantam cochin let her chicks be dependent on themselves?

 

[lindz8504]

My hen is super tiny too! Shes a little bantam silkie and im so worried she isnt going to be warm enough for her and 2 chicks! I have a super super sweet silkie roo.. poor guy has crossed toes... :-( I am hoping he will help with keeping that baby warm in the winter. Any tips on that? When did your bantam cochin let her chicks be dependent on themselves?

They are 4 1/2 weeks old and still all cram into the nesting box under her! There are heads sticking out all over the place! LOL.... They are in their own little coop at the moment, but I am hoping to let them out for a little bit tomorrow or Saturday!

 

[MzPlacedHippie]

Cuteness overload!

 

[sacramento]

Haha! That sounds so cute! Definetly looking towards that cuteness from my chicks!

 

[bumpercarr]

My black orpington decided to go broody exactly 21 days ago today, She started sitting on 1 lonely egg so of course I added a few others under her.

The first egg is starting to hatch!
I have never had a broody hatch eggs. I am wondering if I should put medicated chick feed out, because I want to protect my chicks. Will the medicated feed hurt my adult chicks or ducks? (I've heard ducks shouldn't have medicated feed) If medicated feed isn't the way to go, then what are some other recommendations to protect my chicks?

As of right now I am planning on keeping the chicks with mom, and the few other chickens and 2 ducks that are in the pen along w/ them. I think mom will do best keeping the chicks, and I just enjoy seeing a mother do her thing! But if I have to separate I will. Anyone have any advise on raising chicks with their moms? Most all the info I see is on hatching chicks w/ an incubator and raising them separate.
Thanks!

I don't give my broody hatched chicks anything other than chick starter, I don't use medicated feed. If the momma and the rest of the flock is healthy, your chicks should be fine. I've never lost one to illness...mostly lose them to cats, dogs and other varmints that manage to catch them away from their mother.

 

[citychicken0981]

...

I just had my BO go Broody, I waited two weeks to make sure she was "all in". Well... she is, just put three French black cooper marans and three silver penciled rocks. I'm pretty excited! I plan on vaccinating a few days after they hatch, I need to do more research on that. I got the eggs from a farm right down the street. I really was surprised to see some beautiful show quality birds.
Sad day when to coop this morning and she threw out 4 of 6 eggs not sure if I did something wrong.

 

[sharol]

Sad day when to coop this morning and she threw out 4 of 6 eggs not sure if I did something wrong.

 

[MEMama3]

Sad day when to coop this morning and she threw out 4 of 6 eggs not sure if I did something wrong.

Mama hens are pretty good at weeding out unhealthy or non thriving eggs. I doubt it was anything you did.