Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Rnbwbrite1207]

Today is so exciting! My very first broody ever has six peeping little chicks under her! She has been so mild tempered, always letting me take extra eggs out from under her. But tonight she has become a fierce little beast! She pecked me like crazy while I was checking out her chicks. I hope that means she will be a great momma. I closed off her double box so the other chickens will leave them alone for a few days. (They have just been laying eggs on her, since she picked the favorite nest box.) I wish it wasn't so cold.

 

[LisaLouHoo]

Today is so exciting! My very first broody ever has six peeping little chicks under her! She has been so mild tempered, always letting me take extra eggs out from under her. But tonight she has become a fierce little beast! She pecked me like crazy while I was checking out her chicks. I hope that means she will be a great momma. I closed off her double box so the other chickens will leave them alone for a few days. (They have just been laying eggs on her, since she picked the favorite nest box.) I wish it wasn't so cold.

That is so cool. Congrats! Try to get some pics to post.

 

[momofthehouse]

I also posted this over on the Broody Hen thread... but thought I'd share here to show that broody raised chicks can be pretty winter hardy... Central Pennsylvania has been pretty cold recently (with the exception of last Saturday, with a beautiful 42* day) Our broody has been bringing the babies (now 2 weeks old) into the main coop area to mix with the flock. Mindy's fluffy tail is a favorite play and scratching spot for the babies (and often mama hen also) one of our roosters, Gabby, loves hanging out with the babies.... he has helped raise 4 or 5 clutches this past year. He calls he babies over to share goodies he finds... (his comb has blu-kot on it from frostbite, that is why it looks black) Rosie with 5 of her 6 chicks lined up, Mindy is watching #6 who is busy scratching behind the baby gate area... Once again we find the babies hanging out with Mindy, mama hen has no problem with her, so the chicks act like she is just part of the coop. We had the main door open this day while I was cleaning the coop, it was 42*F outside (though the sun was nice) and the chicks are 15 days old and running all over the place without a care in the world.

How cute that your dog interacts like that!

 

[LisaLouHoo]

Fisherlady, those pictures were so adorable. Your dog, Mindy is so attentive and doting to those babies. I'm pretty sure I couldn't trust my lab. I can't wait for a broody so I can get some hatching eggs. I'm in Michigan, and it is minus zero so I'm in no rush. Thanks for sharing the pictures they speak volumes to what is happening at your place. Looking forward to warm weather.

 

[lbrykowski2011]

I'm in Mi also, just sooo tired of the cold here. So far I have 8 hens and 1 rooster and no signs of 1 of my hens going broody. I'm really hoping for at least 1.

 

[fisherlady]

Thank you all for the nice comments on the pics... we do have fun with our crew...

and to take your mind off of the miserable weather... allow me to provide a little cuteness to brighten the morning.

One of our roosters spending time with the little ones... watch how the one keeps grabbing his waddles...

Mindy is busy watching another broody in nearby box, babies are having a fine time exploring.

Just a bit more of the little ones learning how to act like proper little chickens

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Joining too...thank you fisherlady for alerting me to this thread.

Fisherlady...LOVE your photos, thanks for sharing...pappa letting junior nibble his wattles is hysterical...and I LOVE your dog...she is so patient. My dogs run from the chickens...ha ha...although my Sheltie has helped me herd once or twice, but mostly he is afraid and NEVER would sit there in the coop and let them crawl over him.

I'll introduce myself on this thread...I've been a member on the Broody Hen Thread for some time. I've naturally brooded with hens for the last year...year and half??? Maybe make that going on 2, if you count how much time I've been studying it and working toward it and my current production.

I was motivated to go "natural" when we burned a coop down with a fire and lost all birds...that was a few years back. Apparently one of the birds had knocked down the flood lamp we had on for the unusual cold snap we were having...the coop caught fire and burned the whole thing to the ground. (I cried buckets).

We rebuilt the main coop, and I brooded with heat lamp in the garage for another couple of seasons, but was terrified of burning the house down. (I thought how dumb is this??? In the house in the garage is WAY better than across the yard by the wood pile.)

So I arranged for the purchase of known broody Silkie at a local chicken swap (which I found through BYC). I observed her behavior through a couple of brood seasons with dummy eggs as we weren't ready to expand the flock yet (still slowly rebuilding...and improving...adding a dedicated broody hutch). By February 2013, we were ready and put eggs under her for our first hatch..and pretty much have been putting eggs or fosters under her every 3 to 4 months since, or under any volunteer broody from the main flock... refreshing my flock 2 and 3 birds at a time for the breeds I want and to keep my percentage of layers optimal (we keep chickens for the eggs we need due to dietary restrictions---gluten free means you need a good binder to cook--- and to sell eggs to help offset those feed costs.)

I've got a friend on a large farm who loves the larger eggs from older layers, so my older hens go to her "happy hen retirement farm" when they are beyond the 2 or 3 years of age and optimal laying So, I'm pretty much in constant broody chick production now, small batches at a time.

Oma-San is my faithful Silkie broody. Flan, a mixed Welsummer, is a seasonal broody. You can see them in my byline photos and their projects.

...and I have a Black Star that started for me last year, but quit. Not sure if I'll use her again or not as she jumped the fence and left the clutch...learned that competitive brooding does NOT mean hens stay on nests...added partition to broody hutch...another thing that is in constant progress here...the rebuilding and perfecting the brooding and grow out hutch/pen.

My current project is Black Copper Marans...I got 3 out of 6 hatch rate (3 failed to hatch although fully formed). Looks like I've got 1 roo and 2 girls...yeah...those dark eggs

My next project up, come April-ish, will be Buckeyes.

Here's a photo of my current Marans with momma Silkie.

Lady of McCamley


The 3 BCM's, current project




Fostering 2 EE's....they sort of out grew mom

They are all grown up now, and just recently started laying green eggs! Yippee, I can have green eggs with my ham now.

Photos of my very first hatch...successes and failures...great hatch of 3 of 5 eggs (2 infertile)...failure at fostering at the same time...lost all fosters from the feedstore...didn't bond quickly enough in cold and got trounced by the very healthy and robust hatclings.





and more photos below in my byline.

Happy brooding.

 

[fisherlady]

Glad you came over Lady

I often grab short videos through the day to show DH so he doesn't miss out on the fun... the birds sure seem to cooperate for it and Mindy doesn't care as long as I let her stay in with the chickens.
She is pretty exceptional with the birds, I have to give her credit... she kills any rat, possum or other creature that could be a threat to her birds and then trots to the coop to get some chick TV time in .... she makes having chickens so much easier.

I am constantly amazed at how well the broody hens are with her... apparently they have some pretty strong instincts and Mindy passes the test.

 

[kimmerjo]

Does a broody hen leave the nest in the last few days before they hatch?

 

[fisherlady]

Does a broody hen leave the nest in the last few days before they hatch?

I have one hen who sits tight the last 48 hrs or so, most of my others get up to broody poo once or twice in the last 3 days....I had one hen who messed the nest on hatch day when it was 5*F outside and she wouldn't get up from the new chicks. We were able to pull the dirtied bedding and replace it (we are able to access the nest areas pretty well, so it wasn't too hard)
So it depends on the temperatures and the broody herself... we do check the nest daily if we don't see where a hen has gotten up to broody poo, but we don't make them get up.