Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bumpercarr]

At what age do you all put your chicks in with your established flocks? For some reason I think I read 8 weeks was a good time to do it, but there are so many pages on the thread to look thru. My 7 chicks are 6-7 weeks old (6 are brooder raised, one is broody raised but momma hen is weaning her- she goes out with the flock about half the day and roosts with the flock). A few are starting to really try to get out of their grow out area of the coop to get up on the big girls roost at night... 2 are quite obsessed with trying to escape and about gave me a heart attack tonight when they succeeded and I couldn't find them with the rest of the chicks! They were up on the roosts but being pecked at until they found a good spot. Secondly- what do you feed when they are all together? Can I just mix chick and layer feed together half and half (they have oyster/eggshells and grit offered at all times) or do I have to switch to an all flock type feed?

I put mine (brooder raised) in a separate cage at 3 weeks old, let them loose with the flock at 4-5 weeks old (provided the weather is good). When I had a broody, I didn't separate and she usually rejoined the flock at 3 days old.

 

[Tabatha]

Is there a thread that teaches you how to do all the smilies, and signs, and chick hatching , and face to palm things? I love all those things you guys post. I wanna make them too :/

 

[Tabatha]

And not just that one...

 

[Dumb Kluck]

Is there a thread that teaches you how to do all the smilies, and signs, and chick hatching , and face to palm things? I love all those things you guys post. I wanna make them too

at the top of your post a reply box, in the far right is a smiley icon... click it and a menu will open

,

 

[mebberry4]

Is there a thread that teaches you how to do all the smilies, and signs, and chick hatching , and face to palm things? I love all those things you guys post. I wanna make them too :/

Besides all the great info and help on BYC these are my next favorite thing! Lol

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Now that you know, have fun with them!

 

[LisaLouHoo]

One of the marans eggs is out. This came from a lighter chocolate egg, so may be a splash. Still nothing on the other 4. Because so many eggs dissapeared and broke/rotted a lot of these eggs had yolk on them which dried. I would pick most of it off, but now wondering if they're compromised. Today is only day 21, so I'll keep hoping.

This hatch didn't go as well as I'd hoped, that's for sure. Can't really explain why I only hatched 2 out of 13 eggs from this last broody. Either it was the eggs, the broody eating them or cracking them open, or bacteria that was introduced when eggs rotted, or a combination of all. I candled the remaining 4 eggs and there was absolutely no movement. These were hard to see through, but I didn't see anything or hear anything. When I cracked them open, there were 3 that must have died about day 17-18 because there was still yolk but fully formed dead chicks. The other one was clear. The two that hatched are robust and healthy, so broody mama has some chicks to care for. I'm still waiting on one lone silkie egg that another broody is sitting on that is due June 12. So currently, I have 3 new silkies, 1 OE, 1 marans, and 3 yellow chicks of unknown origin. Now I get to watch them grown up. That's fun and hopefully less stressful, lol.

 

[bumpercarr]

What an adorable pair! I'm so sorry you lost them, especially like that

The partridge color is very pretty. Sounds like you are off to a good start with rebuilding your flock.

Thanks. I still miss them. Sometimes it is hard to remember how gorgeous that rooster was. He died trying to protect his girls, so he did his job. Fortunately, all of the partridge Brahmas that I have now are his children.

 

[daniellea2912]

If my hens hatch and brood, I leave them in with the flock, personally. If I brood them, then as soon as the get big girl feathers I put them in. They seem to go their own way and the rest of the flock goes their's.

I put mine (brooder raised) in a separate cage at 3 weeks old, let them loose with the flock at 4-5 weeks old (provided the weather is good).  When I had a broody, I didn't separate and she usually rejoined the flock at 3 days old.

Thanks for the info! Next time I plan on giving all the chicks to the broody and leaving her out with the flock from early on. This was the first time for both me and the broody, plus my broody is lowest on the totem pole so to speak in my flock so I played it safe.
I thought about putting my chicks out earlier, but my flock is out on pasture (high fences but no top, other than over half of it being tree covered) so I've been worried to let the little ones out. Guess it may be time as I feel like the longer I wait, the more they will get picked on by the older hens...

(Edited for typos)

 

[Tabatha]

I don't have that

 

[bumpercarr]

I don't have that

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