Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Sydney Acres]

I have a rooster who takes good care of his ladys and usually is the nicest thing you would ever encounter the most he does is dance around when you bother his favorite girl well i just had a hen go broody yesterday and today i noticed him being a little protective of her mind you this is not his favorite girl either but he wont let the other girls by her and when im in or near the hen house he runs to her side is this normal behavior for roos when one of thier girls are sitting

Rooster behavior can sometimes be confusing during breeding season. Their testicles enlarge and they get testosterone poisoning sometimes. Even a sweet lap rooster can get protective or aggressive if he thinks his hens are threatened, and sometimes his ability to judge a true threat is completely off base.

But what your rooster is doing is very charming, completely normal (actually exceptional), and quite desirable. He's not being aggressive or difficult. He has enough judgment to know that this hen is more vulnerable than normal, and he's standing by to make sure that she's safe from all disturbances. What a good boy!!

 

[heatherschicks]

Thank you ive never hatched chickens before so this is a first for me she is older in age and i wanted a chick from her she ...her previous owners named her miracle becuase as an egg her mother was killed by a dog and they thought they lost her eggs than one day poped up this little chick from its nest she was the only survivor so i just think its fitting for her to have a chick before its to late

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

I have a broody hen crisis. My hen took her chicks out to play in the run on this warm afternoon, but when evening came, she left half her flock in the run, and returned to the coop with the other half of the chicks. I could hear the alarmed chirping of the chicks in the run getting cold as the sun went down from the house. I went out and tried to gather the abandoned chicks to return them to their mama, but as soon as I got near them, Magellan came running out of the coop, and straight up attacked me like a ninja! Of course I screamed like a sissy and ran away. She then settled to sit on the chicks in the run, leaving the chicks in the coop crying for her. I waited a few minutes to see if she would attempt to take her flock back to the coop to reunite them all, but she didn't move, and it got pretty dark, so I took the chicks from the coop and let them run to her. Now they're all tucked in under their mama, in a draft-free corner under a box in the run. I can't reach them where they are to put them back in the coop. I think they'll be ok for tonight. But how do I prevent this from happening tomorrow?

 

[winteree]

I have a broody hen crisis. My hen took her chicks out to play in the run on this warm afternoon, but when evening came, she left half her flock in the run, and returned to the coop with the other half of the chicks. I could hear the alarmed chirping of the chicks in the run getting cold as the sun went down from the house. I went out and tried to gather the abandoned chicks to return them to their mama, but as soon as I got near them, Magellan came running out of the coop, and straight up attacked me like a ninja! Of course I screamed like a sissy and ran away. She then settled to sit on the chicks in the run, leaving the chicks in the coop crying for her. I waited a few minutes to see if she would attempt to take her flock back to the coop to reunite them all, but she didn't move, and it got pretty dark, so I took the chicks from the coop and let them run to her. Now they're all tucked in under their mama, in a draft-free corner under a box in the run. I can't reach them where they are to put them back in the coop. I think they'll be ok for tonight. But how do I prevent this from happening tomorrow?

very strange Ive never seen a hen leave her chicks like that is she a first timer? she was most likey trying to show the chicks where they where supposed to sleep at night by going off to the coop how long did you wait after she left them before getting the chicks?

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

very strange Ive never seen a hen leave her chicks like that is she a first timer? she was most likey trying to show the chicks where they where supposed to sleep at night by going off to the coop how long did you wait after she left them before getting the chicks?

She is a first timer. I noticed she was having trouble this afternoon keeping them all together. They were out there chirping loudly for quite a while before I tried to move them...at least 30 minutes.

 

[fisherlady]

She is a first timer. I noticed she was having trouble this afternoon keeping them all together. They were out there chirping loudly for quite a while before I tried to move them...at least 30 minutes.

New hens can have some difficulty being overwhelmed with chicks, but what you describe isn't so uncommon when there is a ramp and very young chicks involved. The little ones want to follow mama, but frequently have trouble with ramps and the chicks themselves are overwhelmed with all of the new sights and sounds and it is easy for them to be distracted and mama is a few feet away (or even up the ramp) before they realize it. Their response is rarely to run to mama, rather they cheep and wait for mama to come back for them, which the mama hen can't easily do when she has other chicks in another location. I honestly don't know how good a chick's eyesight is at under a week, because they sure seem to get 'lost' easy, even when the mama isn't really too far away.

Solutions vary depending on the security of the run... if it is very secure you can provide the mama hen a cozy nest box on the lower level to use until the chicks are proficient at using the ramp... you can make a point to be out in the run before mama would normally take them in, gather them up one by one and place them into the coop, mama will not be happy but she will follow her chicks.

The broody's aggressive behavior towards you is to be expected (and even desired, actually) she heard her chicks in distress and most likely thought it was you who was causing that distress. I know you were the innocent one, but broody hens aren't very good at logic when they hear cheeping. She most likely will calm a bit as time goes on, most of ours react most extreme on their first brood, but do mellow (even if just a little) with time.

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

New hens can have some difficulty being overwhelmed with chicks, but what you describe isn't so uncommon when there is a ramp and very young chicks involved. The little ones want to follow mama, but frequently have trouble with ramps and the chicks themselves are overwhelmed with all of the new sights and sounds and it is easy for them to be distracted and mama is a few feet away (or even up the ramp) before they realize it. Their response is rarely to run to mama, rather they cheep and wait for mama to come back for them, which the mama hen can't easily do when she has other chicks in another location. I honestly don't know how good a chick's eyesight is at under a week, because they sure seem to get 'lost' easy, even when the mama isn't really too far away.

Solutions vary depending on the security of the run... if it is very secure you can provide the mama hen a cozy nest box on the lower level to use until the chicks are proficient at using the ramp... you can make a point to be out in the run before mama would normally take them in, gather them up one by one and place them into the coop, mama will not be happy but she will follow her chicks.

The broody's aggressive behavior towards you is to be expected (and even desired, actually) she heard her chicks in distress and most likely thought it was you who was causing that distress. I know you were the innocent one, but broody hens aren't very good at logic when they hear cheeping. She most likely will calm a bit as time goes on, most of ours react most extreme on their first brood, but do mellow (even if just a little) with time.

I definitely think the ramp is a contributing factor. I like the idea of putting a second box on the bottom. I figure the chicks will learn their way in and out of the coop soon enough.

I was actually glad she was so protective, even if it meant a few scratches to my face. I'm counting on her to integrate the chicks into the rest of the flock eventually.

 

[winteree]

New hens can have some difficulty being overwhelmed with chicks, but what you describe isn't so uncommon when there is a ramp and very young chicks involved. The little ones want to follow mama, but frequently have trouble with ramps and the chicks themselves are overwhelmed with all of the new sights and sounds and it is easy for them to be distracted and mama is a few feet away (or even up the ramp) before they realize it. Their response is rarely to run to mama, rather they cheep and wait for mama to come back for them, which the mama hen can't easily do when she has other chicks in another location. I honestly don't know how good a chick's eyesight is at under a week, because they sure seem to get 'lost' easy, even when the mama isn't really too far away.

Solutions vary depending on the security of the run... if it is very secure you can provide the mama hen a cozy nest box on the lower level to use until the chicks are proficient at using the ramp... you can make a point to be out in the run before mama would normally take them in, gather them up one by one and place them into the coop, mama will not be happy but she will follow her chicks.

The broody's aggressive behavior towards you is to be expected (and even desired, actually) she heard her chicks in distress and most likely thought it was you who was causing that distress. I know you were the innocent one, but broody hens aren't very good at logic when they hear cheeping. She most likely will calm a bit as time goes on, most of ours react most extreme on their first brood, but do mellow (even if just a little) with time.

Yeah what she said. my grams never let a new broody raise over 6 chicks (but their where so many birds that would got broody at once it didn't matter if one bird dropped the ball because they took care of each others chicks) and i never knew why but i guess that is the anwser they have a hard time keeping up with the babys.

 

[winteree]

I definitely think the ramp is a contributing factor. I like the idea of putting a second box on the bottom. I figure the chicks will learn their way in and out of the coop soon enough.

I was actually glad she was so protective, even if it meant a few scratches to my face. I'm counting on her to integrate the chicks into the rest of the flock eventually.

dude she actually got you? bummer!! but yeah that's why i put my brooder on the bottom of my hen house (i had nightmares of trying to clean the hen house and them jumping out of it and breaking legs) I'm not a Carpenter but it's better then nothing.
Original coop

bottom brooder in progress

bottom brooder finished

new wing addition

 

[mebberry4]

I also candled tonight (day 7) and it looks like only 5 out of the 10 have developing embryos. Two out of the other half have what I think is some veining and a "floating speck" so I am think these two might be quitters and one has some shadowy +/- veiny areas so I wasn't sure. The last two eggs have been puzzling me from the start, as the eggs are a different shape and color than all the other eggs. The lady I bought them from had ducks running around the property and the thought briefly crossed my mind wondering what the odds were of these two being ducks eggs. I think it is a bit of a reach, but I guess if they were ducks eggs they would be on a whole different schedule of development than the chick embryos. It is more likely that these two just failed to develop, but just a random thought on my part I guess. I'm sure this has happened to someone at one time or another.
I put all of the eggs back and was planning to candle again on day 14. My broody was so cute tucking them all back under her and setting right back down to work.
Should I candle again sooner so I don't get exploding rotten eggs or am I ok to wait until day 14 to check again?
Thanks!


Edited for typos