Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[swirler]

I did the "lockdown" check on Pretty Girl's eggs last night - all nine still alive and kicking (with one runty-looking but active one), and most of them showing internal pipping. Hoorah!

She's sitting intensely, very Zen. It's going to be 37 degrees today, so I'll have to work hard to keep her reasonably cool.

 

[fisherlady]

I did the "lockdown" check on Pretty Girl's eggs last night - all nine still alive and kicking (with one runty-looking but active one), and most of them showing internal pipping. Hoorah!

She's sitting intensely, very Zen. It's going to be 37 degrees today, so I'll have to work hard to keep her reasonably cool.

Good luck! Hope the little ones show soon.... get lots of pics!

 

[Happy Flock]

Hello everyone! I have two broody hens with hatching expected to be in 4 days... on 19th or 20th of this month. They are both Orpingtons. I separated them from the flock the day I placed fertile eggs under them. They are in separate cardboard boxes in my house. The smaller one (Penelope, a blue Orpington) is sitting on 5 eggs. The bigger one (Milly, a buff Orpington) is sitting on 8 eggs.

I've been picking them up and taking them out into the garden for water/food/poop breaks twice a day, for around 10 minutes each time.
Penelope is quite good. She eats, drinks and poops during her twice-a-day break. Milly was eating well until about 2 days ago. She won't eat at all when I put her in the garden. I've tried offering muesli, her normal seeds, etc. Should I be worried? Is she going to be ok if she doesn't eat until the chicks hatch? She also refuses to drink, so my partner suggested we feed her water through a syringe when she is on the nest.

 

[pmcatnip]

Are the cardboard boxes big enough to put some food & water in the corner? I wouldn't force feed or force drink into her if she doesn't want it.

 

[Happy Flock]

I will try putting some food and water inside the box for her. Thanks for your suggestion.

 

[swirler]

Good luck! Hope the little ones show soon.... get lots of pics!

In the heat today she was standing over the eggs rather than pancaking right down on them, letting a little air in. Frozen apple slices were accepted with joy, and she did get up for a drink and a little food.

It'll be much cooler tomorrow, and humid. Holding my breath for hatch...

 

[LisaLouHoo]

The other day I updated on my broody leaving her babies at 11 wks and letting them fend for themselves. Last night I went out to the coop at dark because I've been trying to get the babies to NOT roost in the nesting boxes....yuck! So I moved them to the roost where only 3 hens (one was mama) were roosting and there was plenty of room for them since the rest of the flock were in a really high roost. Anyway, I witnessed the 3 hens pecking at the babies and not wanting them near. One chick went to the mama and was screeching and trying to get under her wing and under her body for protection and she started pecking it away!! It was so sad to witness. I went out there again later and some babies were roosting as far away as possible and a couple went back to the nesting boxes, so I had to move them again close to their sibs. I may have to do this every night until everyone gets along, but I absolutely don't want them near the nest boxes. I set up another roost near the rest, but they don't want this one. Anyone have similar problems?

 

[fisherlady]

The other day I updated on my broody leaving her babies at 11 wks and letting them fend for themselves. Last night I went out to the coop at dark because I've been trying to get the babies to NOT roost in the nesting boxes....yuck! So I moved them to the roost where only 3 hens (one was mama) were roosting and there was plenty of room for them since the rest of the flock were in a really high roost. Anyway, I witnessed the 3 hens pecking at the babies and not wanting them near. One chick went to the mama and was screeching and trying to get under her wing and under her body for protection and she started pecking it away!! It was so sad to witness. I went out there again later and some babies were roosting as far away as possible and a couple went back to the nesting boxes, so I had to move them again close to their sibs. I may have to do this every night until everyone gets along, but I absolutely don't want them near the nest boxes. I set up another roost near the rest, but they don't want this one. Anyone have similar problems?

Yes, I have seen this, and it's very hard to watch but is part of the integration process and 'pecking order' establishment.... seems that in the chicken world roosting on the same level of other birds is a status indictors, and the older birds often don't give youngsters an easy 'pass' to earning the right. Sometimes the little ones are OK with an offered alternative, but much of the time they will continue to try to achieve a higher 'status' so to speak, by roosting like the big birds. We set up additional roosts at a 90 degree angle to the first at the same level, with the roosts actually crossing at the corner and it did help, but there are still some 'lower level' birds who haven't achieved 'upper roost' rights yet. With our latest group we just set a sawhorses up in a quiet corner of the coop to give them a temporary perch till they can fight their way to the big bird roost. It will happen in time, it is just very hard as a caring human to wait for the little ones to be included.

 

[swirler]

We have new babies! A day early, compared to incubator batches. Four live so far, and one dead.

 

[fisherlady]

We have new babies! A day early, compared to incubator batches. Four live so far, and one dead.

Sorry to hear one didn't make it but glad you had 4 others that did!! Mama is beautiful... looking forward to more pics of the family.