Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[momofLC]

can you tell pullets from Roo's in Cochin Bantams when they are a few weeks old?

 

[jc12551]

Wow, that is a tough question. I guess if I thought she'd abandon the nest, I'd just leave her. Often, they know better where they are safe than we do, but with spring here and all of the critters coming out of their dens, I'd be worried too. So, I guess I don't know how to answer that question. I think I'd vote for leaving her alone, but that solution wouldn't be for everyone.

My biggest worry right now is snakes and possums.

I second the leaving her... though you understand the risks. Even though it is your neighbor's shed, can you talk to them and figure out a way to reduce access points to her? Just leave her one in and out and block that off at night? I don't know how the shed is set up, but you may be able to greatly increase her security if you can block her in, even if it is only at night...

My neighbor would be willing to allow me to do whatever, however it is a very large shed and I don't have that much wire or the funds to buy that much wire.

First, do you want her to hatch out the eggs? Seems obvious, but not everyone has the room or desire for more birds.

Assuming that you want the chicks, can you make her current nest safe? Will your neighbor let you put an electronetting fence around the shed? Or if you don't have electronetting, then some other type of fencing that you can make somewhat dig-proof and climb proof with fence floor extensions and fence top extensions, both pointed towards the outside? If you do this, be sure that she has food and water available inside the enclosure.

If that's not an option, do you have an incubator to finish incubating the eggs if she does abandon the nest when moved? Or can you borrow one? Or would you want to buy one? If it comes to that, be sure that the incubator is all set up and running at full temp before risking the move.

If you can't make the current nest safe, and you want the chicks, and you have an incubator available, then I would move her. If you don't have an incubator available, then you have to decide what's more important to you. Is she more important, or is the potential for chicks more important? It's only the potential for chicks, since if she gets killed and you don't have an incubator, the embryos still die, even if the eggs don't get crushed during the attack. Plus there's no guarantee that the eggs will hatch, even if everything goes well.

If you do decide to move her, be sure to read back on this thread over the last 3-4 weeks for information on moving a broody, and calming a nervous broody after she's been moved.

All of my chicks, both those that I keep and those that I sell, are hatched and raised by my bantam cochins. So I am ok with more chicks. My neighbor and I looked and talked about enclosing the shed somehow. I don't have enough wire, but we might come up with something else. I don't have an incubator and won't buy one. The end of your fourth paragraph sums up my dilemma! All of my broody boxes are filled so I would have to build something asap if I was to move her. I have another young pullet going broody for the first time and I could try the eggs under her if she sticks to the couple I have given her. But she is too small to cover all the eggs.

I agree with leaving her (unless you know of some relatively specific danger she's in where she is). If it were me, (for one, I wouldn't be able to sleep and) I would try to figure out a way that I could make the area a bit safer for her w/o disturbing her at all. For instance, if there's a way to put a chicken wire hoop around her, I might try to something like that. But it seems most important not to disturb her in light of your prior experience with her abandoning a nest b/c of you candling.

She is such a flighty bird. Her mom disappeared a couple years ago and came back with chicks four weeks later. No matter what I do that hen and her two daughters from that hatch disappear on a regular basis and come back with eggs. A possum tore into a broody box last fall and killed two other sisters and the 30 eggs they were on. So there is no guarantee that what I do will result in no deaths!!!!! ahhh!!!!

 

[bumpercarr]

My biggest worry right now is snakes and possums.

My neighbor would be willing to allow me to do whatever, however it is a very large shed and I don't have that much wire or the funds to buy that much wire.


All of my chicks, both those that I keep and those that I sell, are hatched and raised by my bantam cochins. So I am ok with more chicks. My neighbor and I looked and talked about enclosing the shed somehow. I don't have enough wire, but we might come up with something else. I don't have an incubator and won't buy one. The end of your fourth paragraph sums up my dilemma! All of my broody boxes are filled so I would have to build something asap if I was to move her. I have another young pullet going broody for the first time and I could try the eggs under her if she sticks to the couple I have given her. But she is too small to cover all the eggs.

She is such a flighty bird. Her mom disappeared a couple years ago and came back with chicks four weeks later. No matter what I do that hen and her two daughters from that hatch disappear on a regular basis and come back with eggs. A possum tore into a broody box last fall and killed two other sisters and the 30 eggs they were on. So there is no guarantee that what I do will result in no deaths!!!!! ahhh!!!!

I think I just wouldn't worry about her then. Being that it is spring, the possums probably have enough to eat without raiding your coop. If you can find a way to enclose her, that would be great. Otherwise, I'd probably just leave her alone. Try to imagine that she's just disappeared and you don't know where she is like the other one (of course, that is easier said than done!).

I'd put water and food close by, but not so close that the possums or whatever will find her without looking for her.

 

[fisherlady]

I would say she is working on getting her clutch. She will probably be parked soon.

Snoodle, my Bantam Cochin Frizzle, said that she doesn't want me to look at her and she really doesn't want me to touch her eggs.
She's sitting on her nest and only got up three times yesterday (morning, midday, evening) to eat, drink, and make an egg-sized poo.
But she did lay yesterday.  She's up to nine eggs in there now.
Is she broody b/c she's sitting and screeching at me (whom she usually speaks to so nicely and converses with so sweetly, really I'm not just being dramatic)
or is she not broody b/c she laid yesterday (and maybe today, but I she hasn't been off for me to check this afternoon)?

 

[chicknnugget]

I everyone,

I have not read this whole thing so the question could have been asked before, but here it goes. I have had a broody cochin sitting on non-fertile eggs now for just under 2 weeks. I am expecting some day old chicks to come in the 1st or 2nd of May. Is this too long to have this bird sitting on eggs? I have heard of exploding eggs. When does this start happening? I could switch her eggs out I guess. She does not seem to mind me messing with her eggs to much. I thought org. that I had received some fertile eggs.( I have no rooster) However, after several candling attempts, that does not seem to be the case. As for the second part of my question, I was wondering when she will just give up and get off the nest. I hope my chicks don't come too late to slip under her! Does anyone out there have any answers for this beginner? Thanks in advance for any insight.

 

[fisherlady]

I everyone,

I have not read this whole thing so the question could have been asked before, but here it goes. I have had a broody cochin sitting on non-fertile eggs now for just under 2 weeks. I am expecting some day old chicks to come in the 1st or 2nd of May. Is this too long to have this bird sitting on eggs? I have heard of exploding eggs. When does this start happening? I could switch her eggs out I guess. She does not seem to mind me messing with her eggs to much. I thought org. that I had received some fertile eggs.( I have no rooster) However, after several candling attempts, that does not seem to be the case. As for the second part of my question, I was wondering when she will just give up and get off the nest. I hope my chicks don't come too late to slip under her! Does anyone out there have any answers for this beginner? Thanks in advance for any insight.

When I have a hen sitting on 'duds' or 'sacrificial' eggs which aren't the intended hatching eggs I just swap them out every 3 days or so with new ones and make scrambled eggs up out of the old ones and feed them back to the flock. This ensures that the hen remains content on eggs and the eggs don't go to waste and no 'exploding eggs' issues. I would pull and pitch the ones currently under her and then just go to an 'every 3 day' swap schedule.

Setting for 4 or 5 weeks should be fine for your broody, just keep track of her body condition and give her good quality food with some high protein treats to keep up her body weight and condition and make sure she has fresh water close by. I have often had broodies sit for up to 6 or 7 weeks before hatch happened, so unless she gives up for some unusual reason she should last 5 weeks.

For a list of foods (if needed) just use the 'search this thread' below and use the word 'protein' and my user name and it should bring up a number of posts with a list of treats I regularly offer our broodies.

 

[NCChickchick]

Can I jump in to the broody hen hatch-a-long? I have 2 hens sitting on 6 fertile Serama eggs (from my own chickens). They are a huge heritage Buff Orpington (Freckles) and the mother of most of the eggs, my tiny little Serama (Helena). I started the eggs in my Brinsea but put them under Helena after she went broody. Then Freckles decides she wants to be a mom too. At this point they are Both on the nest and that is quite a feat as Freckles is a tremendous puff ball.

Hope the photo download worked. Helena is not on the nest here, she's just trying to figure out how to do it. When she gets in there, you can't see her!!!

 

[fisherlady]

Can I jump in to the broody hen hatch-a-long? I have 2 hens sitting on 6 fertile Serama eggs (from my own chickens). They are a huge heritage Buff Orpington (Freckles) and the mother of most of the eggs, my tiny little Serama (Helena). I started the eggs in my Brinsea but put them under Helena after she went broody. Then Freckles decides she wants to be a mom too. At this point they are Both on the nest and that is quite a feat as Freckles is a tremendous puff ball.
Hope the photo download worked. Helena is not on the nest here, she's just trying to figure out how to do it. When she gets in there, you can't see her!!!

Welcome aboard!!! The girls are adorable! I am looking forward to seeing more pics of them! Especially after they hatch!!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I everyone,

I have not read this whole thing so the question could have been asked before, but here it goes. I have had a broody cochin sitting on non-fertile eggs now for just under 2 weeks. I am expecting some day old chicks to come in the 1st or 2nd of May. Is this too long to have this bird sitting on eggs? I have heard of exploding eggs. When does this start happening? I could switch her eggs out I guess. She does not seem to mind me messing with her eggs to much. I thought org. that I had received some fertile eggs.( I have no rooster) However, after several candling attempts, that does not seem to be the case. As for the second part of my question, I was wondering when she will just give up and get off the nest. I hope my chicks don't come too late to slip under her! Does anyone out there have any answers for this beginner? Thanks in advance for any insight.

Fisherlady gives excellent advice...I'd only add that if you are only having her sit for 2 weeks on infertile eggs, chances are they are fine in cooler weather. I've not had issues with rotting eggs that quickly except in the summer time. You can tell if the egg is going bad...if there is any weeping or smell definitely remove it...or simply swap them out every few days and scramble them for the dogs or chickens to be on the safe side.

I agree that 4 to 5 weeks isn't too long for mom if you keep her supported with electrolytes in the water and special high protein/energy treats.

I would also load the shipped chicks up with electrolytes (Chick Saver) from an eye dropper and place them with the hen immediately. They will be used to the dark shipping crate which simulates the dark hen...they will also be very exhausted...so the electrolytes will be important...but you will want to avoid double transitions...from shipping to heat lamp to hen/environment.
I've not done shipped chicks, but I have done fostering from feed store chicks that arrived the day before, went to my house, then went to the hen that night and it was too much transition. When I went from feed store to hen I got better results.

Good luck

 

[chicknnugget]

When I have a hen sitting on 'duds' or 'sacrificial' eggs which aren't the intended hatching eggs I just swap them out every 3 days or so with new ones and make scrambled eggs up out of the old ones and feed them back to the flock. This ensures that the hen remains content on eggs and the eggs don't go to waste and no 'exploding eggs' issues. I would pull and pitch the ones currently under her and then just go to an 'every 3 day' swap schedule.

Setting for 4 or 5 weeks should be fine for your broody, just keep track of her body condition and give her good quality food with some high protein treats to keep up her body weight and condition and make sure she has fresh water close by. I have often had broodies sit for up to 6 or 7 weeks before hatch happened, so unless she gives up for some unusual reason she should last 5 weeks.

For a list of foods (if needed) just use the 'search this thread' below and use the word 'protein' and my user name and it should bring up a number of posts with a list of treats I regularly offer our broodies.

Thanks Fisherlady!

she is on something like 8 eggs now. I will start swapping those out ASAP. Could I feed these current eggs to the others or are they too old now? Will she except room temp eggs I wonder? I do give my broody gals live mealworms that I raise, or scrambled eggs everyday. Some times I wonder if I'm giving too many mealworms, (10 to 12 a day) is that too many? Beats me. They would eat them all day right out of my hands if I let them! Any way you have a great plan and I will follow it. Thanks again!