Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Tabatha]

Only four more eggs to go and my 3 broody demons will be done. (Whew!) You guys on this thread have been my rock. Thank you guys so much for the support. No one else understands why I get so excited or why I panic over every little thing. So in a couple days, I'll go back to be just another thread stalker...lol. thanks again!

 

[Moppet]

All my Chickens: Well....Snow (mom) got her way tonight. Lately she has been doing a lot of pacing back and forth between the Nursery Coop and the Big Girl Coop........anytime she hasn't been free in the yard, back and forth she has gone. Tonight, long after she normally takes the chicks to bed, she was laying in the corner of the run, uncovered, in the rain with the chicks under her for warmth, cause it is darn right chilly out. I got my gloves and grabbed her and put her in the Nursery coop and she turned around and came right back out. She wasn't interested. She wanted to join her sisters.....................so I opened up part of the divider.....and she took off for the coop. She went inside and began calling her chicks......and they were squealing away because they could not figure out where she was and how to get there. One was underneath the coop jumping up because he/she could hear mom, but could not see her. Eventually with a little help, they all made it in and soon after quieted down. Now all is peaceful and quiet in the coop, albeit crowded. Queen Bee is the only one sleeping on a perch, Fire is sleeping in one nesting box, Squawker in the other......I think one of those would be better for mama and children....but it isn't up to me. Snow and the babies are where I have the ceramic egg, where the girls all lay their eggs. They have been consistently laying there for the last 6 weeks, not sure what will happen with Snow and company sleeping there.....also not sure how messy the eggs will be now :.( With the access opened, I am sure the chicks will be lucky to get their own food, there is really no way I can think of to keep the big girls out of it.

 

[TheChips]

This is my first experience with a broody hen, she's been sitting on two eggs since around may 28th. Only two eggs of her own, fertilized. I'm excited.

 

[fisherlady]

This is my first experience with a broody hen, she's been sitting on two eggs since around may 28th. Only two eggs of her own, fertilized. I'm excited.

It is a wonderful thing to experience! Hope your broody's hatch goes well!

 

[tiana29]

I'm so frustrated right now. I have a big Brahma aka Big Momma that just hatched out her clutch. She was sitting on 11 eggs. So far 9 have hatched and she has stepped on the killed 4

2 were out fluffed up and running around the last time I saw them and the other 2 were just hatching. I don't know what to do to fix her clumsiness? She is in a big dog house that is separated from the flock. This is her 5th time hatching a clutch. Her last clutch she stepped on 2 and killed them. I guess I can try giving her an even bigger nesting area? Any recommendations?

 

[fisherlady]

I'm so frustrated right now. I have a big Brahma aka Big Momma that just hatched out her clutch. She was sitting on 11 eggs. So far 9 have hatched and she has stepped on the killed 4

2 were out fluffed up and running around the last time I saw them and the other 2 were just hatching. I don't know what to do to fix her clumsiness? She is in a big dog house that is separated from the flock. This is her 5th time hatching a clutch. Her last clutch she stepped on 2 and killed them. I guess I can try giving her an even bigger nesting area? Any recommendations?

Wow... so sorry to hear about the losses. You could try removing the newly hatched to an inside brooder for a day, and then graft them back to her after they are more mobile... or, on her next hatch you could remove any unhatched eggs to an incubator after the first 2 or 3 are out, then add them back in one by one as they hatch and fluff. It could simply be that she is a clutz, or maybe as she ages her legs aren't as strong and she can't keep her balance over eggs and chicks as well, causing her to stumble slightly or side step and land on the chicks.
The other option on your next hatch is to only allow her 4 or 5 eggs (though you could set another dozen in an incubator at the same time). The lower number of eggs can reduce her need to reshuffle and try to make room for broken shells and new chicks, so accidents may be reduced. Then, as the incubator eggs hatch you can graft them to her so she ends up with a good number of chicks (whatever amount you think she is comfortable with)

 

[saltandpepper2]

Here is a pic of my broody hen with her now two week old chicks!! They are so cute!

 

[bumpercarr]

I'm so frustrated right now. I have a big Brahma aka Big Momma that just hatched out her clutch. She was sitting on 11 eggs. So far 9 have hatched and she has stepped on the killed 4

2 were out fluffed up and running around the last time I saw them and the other 2 were just hatching. I don't know what to do to fix her clumsiness? She is in a big dog house that is separated from the flock. This is her 5th time hatching a clutch. Her last clutch she stepped on 2 and killed them. I guess I can try giving her an even bigger nesting area? Any recommendations?

It is one of the problems with using Brahmas as broodies. They like to go broody, but they are so big that they can break their eggs or stomp on their chicks. Keeping the number under them small helps prevent this from happening, but sometimes even that doesn't help. At this point, I would probably take away some of the eggs and put them in an incubator for hatching and just leave the chicks that have hatched/are hatching with her. Bigger nesting area will help as well, but remember, this hen should be big, so any extra room will help her out.

 

[rachel2014]

Hello, I need advice! I had a cochin go broody for the first time 2 weeks ago. 10 days ago I gave her 11 eggs to hatch and I candled them all last night and not a single one of them is developing. She has been amazing and has not gotten up hardly at all. I think they may not have been fertile, but I'm not sure (I purchased them from someone I did not know). What should I do now? Do I give her new eggs and hope she'll sit for another 3 weeks or do I wait and try to graft day old chicks onto her? Any help and advice would be appreciated. I am so SAD! I think she and I both went a little broody and I really want chicks! Thanks.

 

[bumpercarr]

It is one of the problems with using Brahmas as broodies. They like to go broody, but they are so big that they can break their eggs or stomp on their chicks. Keeping the number under them small helps prevent this from happening, but sometimes even that doesn't help. At this point, I would probably take away some of the eggs and put them in an incubator for hatching and just leave the chicks that have hatched/are hatching with her. Bigger nesting area will help as well, but remember, this hen should be big, so any extra room will help her out.

Another thing that helps (although it is too late for this right now) is really, really deep bedding with a well defined nest for the eggs/chicks. It seems to help these big birds not cause so much damage but sometimes causes a day delay in the hatch.