Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[daniellea2912]

X2.  I feed Flock Raiser year round and offer oyster shell on the side.  I just find it easier to not change feeds as I am usually hatching 3-4 times a year.  Because of the heat that we are experiencing right now, I'm wetting the feed in pans for them rather than using the feeders so much (keeping feeders full though in case they want some dry).  The difficulty with this method is that they tend to walk in the pans, squish (is that a word?) down the food, packing it into the bottom of the pan where they can't eat it.   I don't give the cockerels any oyster shell, it doesn't seem to affect them not having it, but then again I've yet to get a cock bird to live beyond a year due to the neighborhood dogs.  I should say though, that when they are in with the girls to breed, they can certainly have some of their oyster if they want it....I don't recall ever seeing them take any though.

I think what is best would depend on your overall management. 

If your birds are confined and only get one type of food, then I would provide the oyster shells one week before I started switching out the diet (having both a small feeder or dish for the oyster shells, and throwing some on the ground daily in their favorite scratching areas to get them used to finding and consuming them), and I would wean them onto the new diet over a week, mixing about 10-15% more of the new food in every day.  I would be sure to have the transition completed 1-2 weeks before the chicks were mixed in, if possible.  In all likelihood they would be fine if you just switched them over one day, but this method gives them a chance to adjust, and avoids any temporary intestinal upset, calcium deficiencies, or food refusals because it tastes different.

On the other hand, if your birds regularly get different varieties of food, especially if they also free range, then they probably have iron guts and good food curiosity, so a lengthy transition would not be necessary.  I free range my birds, throw oyster shells in their favorite scratching/foraging area daily, and mix 2-3 different brands of layer pellets together in their feeder at all times.  When I change over I tend to just add a small feeder with only oyster shells (if I put them in a bowl, my silly Speckled Sussex rooster will immediately go through, i.e. empty, the entire bowl in one minute looking for something that he wants to eat, so at least the feeder keeps them in place for the hens), then mix my layer pellets and flock raiser in an "eyeballed"  2:1 ratio on day one, in a 1:2 ratio on day two, and then just flock raiser on day 3.  I keep my feeders at the birds shoulder level, so I put pellets in the larger, higher feeders for the layer hens and crumbles in the lower, smaller feeders for the chicks.  When the chicks are big enough to reach the higher feeders, then they are also big enough to eat pellets.  (I really don't like crumbles -- too messy, which creates unsanitary conditions around the feeders within a few days, plus lots of waste, and my vacuum-cleaner piglets, aka layer hens, tend to choke on the crumbles, then go to drink water with the crumbles around their beaks and it gets in the water bowls which fouls the water, so I try to get my birds on pellets asap.)

My hens are free range 9am-9pm most days so I think I will do the switch over just a few days, as they are eating much less pelleted feed since there's an abundance of yummier green stuff in their pasture.
I thought about creating a creep feeder (we used to do this with other baby farm animals on the farm I grew up on) where the chicks feed is in a place only they can access, and the grown hens feed is up high enough the chicks can't get to- but I don't have much experience with chicks so I didn't know if it would work...
I have always had oyster shell and grit in the coop free choice for them, but I have trouble with one of my golden comets who has maybe missed 3 or 4 days in laying since she started in the fall- her eggs are huge and if I don't give her extra calcium mixed in a treat 1-2 times a week her shells get thin, to the point where they break when touched I guess I am just worried it'll get worse switching to the all flock feed. Guess it'll just maybe require me giving her more, although I always worry about her getting too much as I believe it's bad for their kidneys.
Thank you both for sharing how you deal with your chicks, I greatly appreciate it

 

[tacopaco]

I just had a broody hatch 3 eggs yesterday night should I leave her with the rest of the flock? Will the chicks be okay?

 

[Wishapup]

My 4 eggs (under broody) will be on Day 10 tomorrow. Almost halfway through! Broody hen is being very dedicated.

She's in a nest box several feet off the ground, in with the flock. I'll probably move her in week or so, right before hatching.

 

[Tabatha]

I just had a broody hatch 3 eggs yesterday night should I leave her with the rest of the flock? Will the chicks be okay?

I don't ever move or separate mine personally. Momma protects and keeps them near. Just keep an eye out for signs of trouble.

 

[bumpercarr]

My 4 eggs (under broody) will be on Day 10 tomorrow. Almost halfway through! Broody hen is being very dedicated.

She's in a nest box several feet off the ground, in with the flock. I'll probably move her in week or so, right before hatching.

I never moved mine. I put a box on the floor so that when momma takes the chicks out of the coop, if they can't get back up top they have somewhere to go for the night. Moving close to hatch day could be a disaster. If you do decide to do that, make sure you have your incubator standing by in case she abandons the nest. A few weeks back Sydney posted some good info on how to move a broody.

 

[tacopaco]

Thanks guys! Just making sure they would be safe!

 

[Wishapup]

I don't ever move or separate mine personally. Momma protects and keeps them near. Just keep an eye out for signs of trouble.

I wish I could do that. My Black Sex-Links would definitely be aggressive - the mom is a little bantam. None of my chickens get picked on, but she's definitely lower in the pecking order due to size.

 

[Wishapup]

I never moved mine. I put a box on the floor so that when momma takes the chicks out of the coop, if they can't get back up top they have somewhere to go for the night. Moving close to hatch day could be a disaster. If you do decide to do that, make sure you have your incubator standing by in case she abandons the nest. A few weeks back Sydney posted some good info on how to move a broody.

I have had no luck with moving a broody hen before, though I've done plenty of research on it. I usually like to keep the area dark/covered, and move at night as well. However, this hen is young and extremely laid back with humans/new situations. I'm pretty sure she'll be okay with it. If not, I will move her back. The mother and aunt of this hen both are too nervous for me to consider trying this.

I wouldn't move her except that 1) she is a bantam, not big enough to defend her chicks and 2) the rest of the flock is likely to be aggressive, especially my 4 year old BSLs (which will not be here for too much longer).

Good idea with the box! I do think my hen would get bullied out of it.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I wish I could do that. My Black Sex-Links would definitely be aggressive - the mom is a little bantam. None of my chickens get picked on, but she's definitely lower in the pecking order due to size.

I have the same situation...my frequent brooder is a small banty who gets no respect from the flock, so I do separate her to brood and hatch in peace. I also like to keep the chicks separate for awhile to help them build up their immune systems before integrating with the flock and the more potential for disease. Plus, your yard has to be chick safe...and I have too many small holes in the fence where little (stupid) chicks can wander through and get lost (no fun to round them up)...and red tail hawks and coopers hawks that love to nab smaller chickens (one used to sit on the broody run post staring at the bite size chicken nuggets with momma screaming away, fortunately safe under the hawk netting)...all of that gives me reason to keep them in their own separate broody hutch with small safe run.

Lady of McCamley

 

[Wishapup]

I have the same situation...my frequent brooder is a small banty who gets no respect from the flock, so I do separate her to brood and hatch in peace. I also like to keep the chicks separate for awhile to help them build up their immune systems before integrating with the flock and the more potential for disease. Plus, your yard has to be chick safe...and I have too many small holes in the fence where little (stupid) chicks can wander through and get lost (no fun to round them up)...and red tail hawks and coopers hawks that love to nab smaller chickens (one used to sit on the broody run post staring at the bite size chicken nuggets with momma screaming away, fortunately safe under the hawk netting)...all of that gives me reason to keep them in their own separate broody hutch with small safe run.

Lady of McCamley

Nice to hear your input since you have a similar situation. I am not pleased with the temperament of my BSLs, but it seems that younger hens are often milder in nature...these are 4 years old - no problems with flock members, but any vulnerability like a young chick would probably be pounced upon

I am not sure what the roosters will do - the oldest one would be fine I'm sure, but the younger ones could be a problem as well.

We used to be worried about hawks too! We now do have a lattice of wood beams crossing the top of the run, and the dog is nearby. It keeps the hawks well away and chickens in.

I plan to put the broody/chicks in a big wire dog crate. As they get older, I have a small pen (top half covered) that they can use for outside. The chicken yard for the main coop is definitely not chick safe.