Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[MEMama3]

The new babies that hatched yesterday/last night! All 7/7 eggs hatched! black colour, and 3 white/yellow colour. All Pekin Bantoms with such adorable fluffy feet!! ^_^

jealous! One more week until hatch day for us. I can't wait for little fluff balls :-D

 

[LisaLouHoo]

The new babies that hatched yesterday/last night! All 7/7 eggs hatched! black colour, and 3 white/yellow colour. All Pekin Bantoms with such adorable fluffy feet!! ^_^

Those little babies are adorable. And you're right, those feet are soooo cute!! Congrats on a successful broody hatch!!!

 

[Gen9]

Mine will be one year in March but she hasn't laid eggs one!!!
Yeah, the computer thing sounds like everything else in our disposable society: too expensive to fix stuff, just get a new one.
I got a warning peck from a leghorn that was just laying; I hope she doesn't go broody. Lol

Leghorn broody? That would be cool! My friend has a broody black sex link & broody production red. Lol anything's possible!
Some hens don't lay eggs until 10 months. Maybe any day now?
I think hatch day is coming up. My broody is being extra protective right now

 

[Gen9]

The new babies that hatched yesterday/last night! All 7/7 eggs hatched! black colour, and 3 white/yellow colour. All Pekin Bantoms with such adorable fluffy feet!! ^_^

Great shot! Looks like they modeled just for you!

 

[Gen9]

Ok here we go, we hear chirping!! Can't wait to see what they look like

 

[kmollyhughes]

Mama silkie hatching bantam salmon Faverolles today.

 

[Dook]

Mama silkie hatching bantam salmon Faverolles today.

CUTE! ^_^

 

[Peep-Chicken]

I was collecting eggs today and Luna a bantam cochin made a nest near them and started to sit on them. She pecked my hand when I tried to grab them.

I came back later and she had left.

Then later, when everyone was roosting, she was covering two golf balls in the nesting box, although wasn't pecking or otherwise having signs of broodiness.

And there is seriously massive chicken poop out there.

Hmmm...

ETA: there where maybe a dozen eggs, way more then she could cover. Maybe is this why she got off?

 

[fisherlady]

I was collecting eggs today and Luna a bantam cochin made a nest near them and started to sit on them. She pecked my hand when I tried to grab them.

I came back later and she had left.

Then later, when everyone was roosting, she was covering two golf balls in the nesting box, although wasn't pecking or otherwise having signs of broodiness.

And there is seriously massive chicken poop out there.

Hmmm...

ETA: there where maybe a dozen eggs, way more then she could cover. Maybe is this why she got off?

She may not be showing what many of us see as 'classic broody signs' but I would say she is working on it. Many folks have hens who just disappear one day and show up 3 weeks or so later with a dozen chicks in tow... there is no way she gathered the dozen or so eggs in a day or two, so process of elimination says the hen was stashing eggs until she had enough to make her happy to sit on, and meanwhile acting rather normal around the barnyard to avoid attracting attention (maybe a survival instinct?). Your girl may be trying her version of the same thing... if your eggs are fertile and you want some chicks then give her a day or two to make up her mind with them and see what happens. Just remember to mark the eggs you want her to hatch and pull any extra she collects to avoid a staggered hatch.

Let us know what she decides to do!

 

[MEMama3]

My broody is 6 days from hatching. She has not been getting off the nest to poo. The eggs are clean, but the edges of the nest are gross. I was thinking of kicking everyone except her out of the coop, remove her from the nest so I can change the bedding, then put her and the eggs back before letting everyone back in (she's in a fenced off nest box). Will this possibly disrupt her so she ditches the eggs? How close to hatch day should I do it? Is there a better option I'm not thinking of?