Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[OHfarmerswife]

The sooner you do it the better, so the babies will be used to the broody rather than a brooder light.... Make sure her nest area is quiet (block out any nosey flock members who may be bothering you while you do the exchange)
Take out the 'fake eggs' if she is setting on any and cup the chick in your hand and gently slide them under her, don't even show them to the hen. Then you will have to commit to staying close by for a good deal of time.  Brooder babies don't understand that mama is a source of heat rather than a bright light... so when they pop out from under her shortly, they won't understand that they need to go back under her to get warm, so you may need to intervene a few times till they get the idea.  And you will need to monitor mama to make sure she doesn't freak and attack the chicks, some hens just don't get it, others will adopt anything with feathers....
Lady of McCamley has grafted more chicks than I have, so she may be able to answer any other questions you may have.

Thanks fisherlady
The broody hen is on a coop all by herself as of last night & she is still sitting tight!
I have the Brinsea brooder so the chicks are already acclumated to getting their heat from uner the brooder.
I am going out shortly to free range the layers & will have a few hours to keep my eye on Beatrice with the chicks.

Wish me luck & thanks again

 

[fisherlady]

The sooner you do it the better, so the babies will be used to the broody rather than a brooder light.... Make sure her nest area is quiet (block out any nosey flock members who may be bothering you while you do the exchange)
Take out the 'fake eggs' if she is setting on any and cup the chick in your hand and gently slide them under her, don't even show them to the hen. Then you will have to commit to staying close by for a good deal of time.  Brooder babies don't understand that mama is a source of heat rather than a bright light... so when they pop out from under her shortly, they won't understand that they need to go back under her to get warm, so you may need to intervene a few times till they get the idea.  And you will need to monitor mama to make sure she doesn't freak and attack the chicks, some hens just don't get it, others will adopt anything with feathers....
Lady of McCamley has grafted more chicks than I have, so she may be able to answer any other questions you may have.

Thanks fisherlady
The broody hen is on a coop all by herself as of last night & she is still sitting tight!
I have the Brinsea brooder so the chicks are already acclumated to getting their heat from uner the brooder.
I am going out shortly to free range the layers & will have a few hours to keep my eye on Beatrice with the chicks.

Wish me luck & thanks again

looking forward to pics!

 

[Amy Foster]

My sugar settled in after an hourof carrying on but no pics yet had my ultrasound today and am expecting on october tenth my bunnies are two and a half weeks old my ducklings are two weeks old and my incubator is ten days away so i have sooo much going on! have two children also so i am trying to get all my animals grown off before baby three arrives! after this i will probably take a year off from breeding chickens ate the rooster that attacked me everyday and will be ready to slow down soon but just for a while...i am the type of person who has to stay busy!!! ready to see some chick pics...they brighten my day!

 

[OHfarmerswife]

looking forward to pics!

Sucess!!!!
Beatrice heard the peeping & got off the nest, she was sooooo excited.
The chicks had already become a bit independent so took a bit of coaxing.
Beatrice was chatting to them onstantly.
When I left they were all snuggled under here & Bea was happily purring.
Love those broody hens.
Pics tomorrow.

 

[Sydney Acres]

My sugar settled in after an hourof carrying on but no pics yet had my ultrasound today and am expecting on october tenth my bunnies are two and a half weeks old my ducklings are two weeks old and my incubator is ten days away so i have sooo much going on! have two children also so i am trying to get all my animals grown off before baby three arrives! after this i will probably take a year off from breeding chickens ate the rooster that attacked me everyday and will be ready to slow down soon but just for a while...i am the type of person who has to stay busy!!! ready to see some chick pics...they brighten my day!

WOW, you're staying busy alright! Hope everything coordinates the way it's supposed to, and no one arrives early or late. Good luck.

 

[bumpercarr]

Sucess!!!!
Beatrice heard the peeping & got off the nest, she was sooooo excited.
The chicks had already become a bit independent so took a bit of coaxing.
Beatrice was chatting to them onstantly.
When I left they were all snuggled under here & Bea was happily purring.
Love those broody hens.
Pics tomorrow.

Congrats! Right now, I'm dealing with some sort of illness...suspect cocci. I hope not..........

 

[Sydney Acres]

Quote:
Oooohhhhh, that's so sweet. She'd been working hard for a month and she deserved to have her payoff. Can't wait for the pictures.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Congrats!  Right now, I'm dealing with some sort of illness...suspect cocci.  I hope not..........

Sorry to hear bumpercarr....hope you get rid of it!

 

[bumpercarr]

Sorry to hear bumpercarr....hope you get rid of it!

Me too. Working as hard as possible at it. No signs of problems in the adults, only the chicks. I'll keep you posted.

 

[olgreenie]

OK...my chickens are a little over a year old now. I have a buff orpington that seems to be broody. I thought she was going to sit tight when i would catch her in the same box all puffed up for a few days straight. Then yesterday i went to water them and she was not in the box anymore. While i was down there she jumped up in another box that had a few eggs in it from the day. She immediately laid down on them. Is it possible for her to stop being broody? I am really hoping that she was going to hatch some on her own as I just had a bad hatch in an incubator. Can anyone relate to this?