Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Lady of McCamley]

Those that have broody hens on eggs now, what day are they due?
I have some due in about 9 days.

One hen is due today with 6...I checked on her last night and she was in lock down mode and there was peeping and pecking sounds so I should have Rhodebar chicks today.

My banty is on the best 6 shipped Buckeye eggs candeled at day 5 and developing. She is due in 2 weeks. I've got the final 4 of the set eggs from the purchased dozen in a mini incubator but they were the no go's or "maybes" that I'm giving every chance. If any of those look like they are going I've got a 3rd more fickle broody who may get those eggs...or the just hatched chicks if she ever settles enough....or someone else will if I have another of my hens go broody...keeping my fingers double crossed on those final 4.

Lady of McCamley

 

[Sydney Acres]

Hope this isn't too off topic for this thread, but it does involve a chick raised by a broody... And I figure you all have good chick experience

I picked up my 2 week old EE chick and noticed her upper beak looks longer than the other chicks of the same age



Could it be the beginnings of a cross beak? the bottom part may be off the teeniest bit sometimes when I look at it (like in the pic from below) but then other times I look and it seems centered. Would you all be concerned?
Should I start trimming it? or see if learns to hone it down on her own soon?? I did add a piece of a cinder block in their pen so they have something to rub their beaks on.

I should add she is broody raised, her 4 same-age siblings are in a brooder with no mama hen. She seems to be leaps and bounds ahead of them-she flies and eats better than the others and seems more feathered out than them also....

Even though the pictures are excellent, I'm not 100% sure I'm correct here. What I think I'm seeing on the side view is a top beak with only a normal amount of extra growth beyond the quick, so there might not be much to trim before it starts bleeding (and beak bleeding can be really hard to stop). Again on the side view,, and somewhat referenced from the bottom view, when I enlarge the picture it looks like the tip of the bottom beak ends only a short distance in front of the nostrils. So I think, and again I'm not sure, because even excellent pictures are not the same as seeing something in person, but I think the underlying problem is the chick has an underbite -- the bottom beak is too short, and the top beak is normal length. Because the two halves of the beak influence each other's development and actively control each other's shape by continuously applying the proper counterforces, when one half is the wrong shape or size, the other half will change also. So the primary problem appears to be the underbite, but the main thing that you first notice is the top beak is curved down at the tip, which it does to fit around the short bottom beak. Because it's curving, the wear pattern is a bit different, so it may need to be filed in the future, but it doesn't look like there's anything to take off now. Another secondary problem that may be occurring, or it may just be the camera angle or a visual artifact, is that the top beak has a very subtle clockwise rotational twist. If you enlarge the second picture, notice how the fit between the top and bottom halves on the right side of the screen is snug, but on the left side of the screen there is a gap. The gap appears to be due to a subtle flaring outward on that side of the top half. Then look at the tip of the top half and compare its left-to-right positioning to the midline of the bottom half of the beak. There's a definite shift of the top beak towards the left of the screen. That in itself could be just positioning, but combined with the gap between the top and bottom on the left side makes me think the rotation is real.

I'm not sure there is anything that can easily be done to correct this. If it doesn't get significantly worse with growth, then the bird will do fine. It's only a concern if it gets so misshapen that it becomes painful or difficult to eat. Hopefully that won't happen. There are a number of surgeries that can be tried by a board certified avian veterinarian if this bird becomes a beloved pet, but unfortunately the success rate is not high. Hopefully the changes will not become too severe as he/she grows.

Anyone else have any ideas? I'd love to be wrong on this one.

 

[boomchicken]

Those that have broody hens on eggs now, what day are they due?
I have some due in about 9 days.

I have 6 eggs under my first-time broody which are due this Friday 5/9!

 

[daniellea2912]

Even though the pictures are excellent, I'm not 100% sure I'm correct here.  What I think I'm seeing on the side view is a top beak with only a normal amount of extra growth beyond the quick, so there might not be much to trim before it starts bleeding (and beak bleeding can be really hard to stop).   Again on the side view,, and somewhat referenced from the bottom view, when I enlarge the picture it looks like the tip of the bottom beak ends only a short distance in front of the nostrils.   So I think, and again I'm not sure, because even excellent pictures are not the same as seeing something in person, but I think the underlying problem is the chick has an underbite -- the bottom beak is too short, and the top beak is normal length.  Because the two halves of the beak influence each other's development and actively control each other's shape by continuously applying the proper counterforces, when one half is the wrong shape or size, the other half will change also.  So the primary problem appears to be the underbite, but the main thing that you first notice is the top beak is curved down at the tip, which it does to fit around the short bottom beak.  Because it's curving, the wear pattern is a bit different, so it may need to be filed in the future, but it doesn't look like there's anything to take off now.  Another secondary problem that may be occurring, or it may just be the camera angle or a visual artifact, is that the top beak has a very subtle clockwise rotational twist.  If you enlarge the second picture, notice how the fit between the top and bottom halves on the right side of the screen is snug, but on the left side of the screen there is a gap.  The gap appears to be due to a subtle flaring outward on that side of the top half.  Then look at the tip of the top half and compare its left-to-right positioning to the midline of the bottom half of the beak.  There's a definite shift of the top beak towards the left of the screen.  That in itself could be just positioning, but combined with the gap between the top and bottom on the left side makes me think the rotation is real.

I'm not sure there is anything that can easily be done to correct this.  If it doesn't get significantly worse with growth, then the bird will do fine.  It's only a concern if it gets so misshapen that it becomes painful or difficult to eat.  Hopefully that won't happen.  There are a number of surgeries that can be tried by a board certified avian veterinarian if this bird becomes a beloved pet, but unfortunately the success rate is not high.  Hopefully the changes will not become too severe as he/she grows.

Anyone else have any ideas?  I'd love to be wrong on this one.

Thanks so much for your opinion. I knew something was 'off' but not sure what. I just went out and took a couple more pics (I edited my previous post to add a pic but I'll add it for you at the end here too) from underneath her chin and I think I see what you mean about the upper beak twisting off to her right.. Either the bottom beak isn't straight, the top beak is twisted or both
Hopefully it won't get worse. She will just be a layer (I have no rooster) so it's not a problem of passing to offspring, just a question of whether it will eventually affect her quality of life.

Please excuse my dirty fingernail
ETA -
would it be worthwhile to start now keeping the part of the beak that is curving to the left in the photo (the chicks right side) filed down and much as possible? I know keeping dog/cat/chicken/etc nails trimmed short from the start is important bc if you keep letting nails grow out too long the quick will grow which means the next time you trim you cant trim as short.... same thing for beaks? I was just wondering if this would make a difference in the severity later on or not.

 

[Sydney Acres]

Quote: It would be important to keep any extra length off the top part of the beak. Just be really careful with such a tiny bird that you don't put too much torque on the beak, as you could dislodge it from the base attachment. An emery board made for human toenails (available at beauty supply stores) might be a better choice than clippers. Try a couple of different levels of coarseness to find the one that works best, as I'm always surprised that sometimes a coarse board is best, and sometimes a smoother board is best, depending on the hardness of the beak/nail, and how much pressure you can apply. This bird is a bit too small for a dremmel, but I have used a power dremmel to keep a twisted beak functional on a rooster that was hit by a car. Just be careful not to get too close to the quick, and have some styptic powder available just in case. (Do not get styptic in the eye, as it will cause severe damage.) Ideally, leave at least 1-2 mm beyond the sensitive tissue, as beaks have lots of nerve endings, and too aggressive a trim, even without bleeding, can be quite painful. If the beak does start to twist more, you may also be able to file a bit off the side(s), if you think it would help. Also, if the gap in the beak becomes so wide that the tongue and inside of the mouth dries, non-medicated eye ointment makes an excellent moisturizer for the side of the mouth.

 

[daniellea2912]

It would be important to keep any extra length off the top part of the beak. Just be really careful with such a tiny bird that you don't put too much torque on the beak, as you could dislodge it from the base attachment. An emery board made for human toenails (available at beauty supply stores) might be a better choice than clippers. Try a couple of different levels of coarseness to find the one that works best, as I'm always surprised that sometimes a coarse board is best, and sometimes a smoother board is best, depending on the hardness of the beak/nail, and how much pressure you can apply. This bird is a bit too small for a dremmel, but I have used a power dremmel to keep a twisted beak functional on a rooster that was hit by a car. Just be careful not to get too close to the quick, and have some styptic powder available just in case. (Do not get styptic in the eye, as it will cause severe damage.) Ideally, leave at least 1-2 mm beyond the sensitive tissue, as beaks have lots of nerve endings, and too aggressive a trim, even without bleeding, can be quite painful. If the beak does start to twist more, you may also be able to file a bit off the side(s), if you think it would help. Also, if the gap in the beak becomes so wide that the tongue and inside of the mouth dries, non-medicated eye ointment makes an excellent moisturizer for the side of the mouth.

I will give it a go with the emery board this evening. I figure I will just try to file a tiny bit off each day bc shes pretty skittish and I don't wanna freak her out too much... I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for her it doesn't get much more severe with age

Time will tell.

 

[elsfieldchickens]

Blizzard and her babies

 

[winteree]

Blizzard and her babies

OMG that is sooo cute

what is she a australorp? she's so pretty!!

 

[winteree]

I have 6 eggs under my first-time broody which are due this Friday 5/9!

awesoem can't wait to see pics

 

[TeaChick]

how long did it take you to train mrs. broody to go into the coop at night? I have two test chicks about 10 weeks old that will try to sleep everywhere BUT the coop i had them since 7 weeks how uch longer will i have to chase chickens at night?

I had to figure out how to get mine to go into the coop on their own. I've tried feeding them in there at dusk, treats in there, going in there first, etc. What worked best was to figure out who the first chicken was to roost, b/c that's the one they all followed to roost where I didn't want them to roost. Once she was settled (in the wrong place), I picked her up and put her in the coop; she hopped up on the roost and I looked behind me to see the rest of the flock coming to check out Snoodle's new digs. I only had to do that two nights in a row; the third night, Snoodle went into the new coop on her own and the others followed. =D