Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Johnn]

Noticed one of the WL eggs was broken in the nest, so,she's down to five potentials. Not sure how many of those were viable since I didn't candle recently. Guess I'll find out tomorrow or soon today is Day 20.

Hope she gets something! Hate it when they get nothing!

 

[Johnn]

Bella and her chick

 

[Sydney Acres]

Been a kind of low weekend.... we had 3 broodies on a total of 14 eggs. All 3 have been good mothers already once this year. One of the broodies (Rosie) had only been setting for 10 or 12 days. The eggs had originally been split between the other 2. I gave rosie 5 of the mid way eggs thinking she would be OK with it by hatch time... well, apparently she had trouble adjusting from setting mode to hatching/mother mode and we found 3 chicks dead under her which had died shortly after hatch. All were still wet and were smothered flat under her legs.
In doing a mental review of what went wrong I realized i never heard her talking to her eggs the day before hatch which all of our hens normally do once pipping starts. Had I been thinking I would have pulled her eggs then and given them back to the other 2 hens to hatch.. Rosie just wasn't ready.

So we only ended up with 6 chicks since some others were quitters or didn't zip. A hard lesson to learn but I will know to pay closer attention to a broody's 'body language' in future similar situations. I don't blame Rosie at all.. in fact she is now happily setting on 4 other eggs which another set of broodies had started and they are only on day 6, so she will have plenty of time to be in the right mind set when these start to hatch. I will keep a close eye on her to intervene if another problem arises, but I honestly think it was human error this time. Rosie hatched a brood of 6/7 in February without a hitch so I know she is a great mama when given the right chance to do her thing.

I just wanted folks to understand that even experienced broodies and humans can make mistakes or have problem hatches.. so those of you who are new to the broody thing can understand this and not be too hard on yourself when things go wrong.... it happens and hopefully we can all learn from it to help it be better next time!

Oh Fisherlady, I'm so sorry. It just goes to show that no matter how careful we are, reproduction is risky -- so much can go wrong with both the mother and the babies, of any species.

If I'm reading the post right, it sounds like Rosie actually had a full brood cycle, or close to it. You said that she had been setting for 10-12 days when you gave her 5 mid-way eggs. Those eggs would have had another 10-12 days to go, is that right? So for her it sounds like it wasn't so much the duration of the brood, so much as her just not switching over to the next stage.

Gosh, it all seems so easy when everything goes right. I hope Rosie does better with her next clutch.

 

[Sydney Acres]

thanks both for your replies! Shes been broody for a while but let to sit for the last 5 days, ive re checked my calculator and the eggs are to hatch monday/tuesday time, was thinking of slipping them under her sunday so she can hatch them. This is her first time hatching. I've had to take her off the nest myself to eat, drink and poop, so shes definitely into it!

I did put some eggs under a broody 1-2 days before hatch date once, and got away with it, but it's probably best to put them under her sooner. The last three days of incubation is when the chick is positioning itself for hatching, so the eggs shouldn't be moved around during that time. If you can put them under her now, so she can start to hear and feel the chicks move around within the eggs, she will probably be more ready for them when they hatch. If you put the eggs under her now, you should probably not take her off the nest after Friday p.m., or Saturday a.m. at the latest. You can put food and water in small bowls in front of her in the nest so she can eat and drink during that time, although she may not take much, and she may not move at all. (Just be sure the water bowl isn't so big or so deep that a tiny chick could drown.)

 

[Sydney Acres]

hey just had the mom hatch them what now?

Well, that depends on how you have her set up. The mom and chicks need to be in a safe place. Safe meaning that predators can't get to her, and flock mates won't harass her. She will probably keep the chicks under her for 1-3 days, then want to take the family out of the nest. She should have access to food and water within the nest box, but the water can't be in a bowl that the chicks can drown in. Either a very shallow bowl or a chick waterer or a hamster waterer work well for a broody. I use a shallow bowl and put marbles in it. If her nest is in an area where the chicks couldn't get back into the nest once they leave, then there also needs to be a nestbox on the ground, a safe place where the broody can take the chicks if they get stuck outside the box and you're not there to help. You will need to get chick starter crumbles, in a dish that the chicks can reach easily and not get trapped in if they jump inside, or in a chick feeder. Mom can eat chick starter too. If you want to give them treats or if they'll be eating anything except chick starter, and won't have access to dirt and gravel outside, then you should mix some chick grit in with the chick starter to help them digest the other foods. Everything you need should be available at the feed store.

As far as keeping the chicks warm and raising them, the broody will do that, as long as she has good maternal instincts and a safe place to live.

Is that the type of answer you were looking for, or did you have a more specific question?

 

[fisherlady]

Oh Fisherlady, I'm so sorry. It just goes to show that no matter how careful we are, reproduction is risky -- so much can go wrong with both the mother and the babies, of any species.

If I'm reading the post right, it sounds like Rosie actually had a full brood cycle, or close to it. You said that she had been setting for 10-12 days when you gave her 5 mid-way eggs. Those eggs would have had another 10-12 days to go, is that right? So for her it sounds like it wasn't so much the duration of the brood, so much as her just not switching over to the next stage.

Gosh, it all seems so easy when everything goes right. I hope Rosie does better with her next clutch.

I didn't explain it very well.... Rosie went broody long after the other two hens and was given the eggs with about 10 days to go. She only sat for about 10 or 12 days total, which is why I should have been more prepared for her to have trouble making the transition. A hard lesson to learn, and I feel I could have avoided the chicks suffering for it, had I just listened to what Rosie wasn't saying to the eggs at hatch time. But my hubby and I will not make the mistake again and will be extra vigilant with any other 'short timers' in the future.
I just hope that posting of our experience will help someone else avoid the same issue!

Thank you for both the sympathy and the well wishes, I knew you all would understand, and that helps tremendously!

As for Rosie... she is deeply in broody setting bliss right now.... I will know in 14 days or so if it was just a timing thing.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Bella and her chick

So cute!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Checked on mommas before bed. The silky and Maran are still sitting strong on throw away eggs. The RIR was standing over her six eggs. I thought I heard crunching sounds, but with all the flock noises it's hard to say for certain. Sometimes I wish they were in glass nest boxes so I could watch everything, I guess that's the only part of using a bator I really liked. Tomorrow is Day 21 if I counted right. With it being so hot and humid here I'm hoping to wake up to chicks in the morning. If nothing hatches she will get some of the shipped EE and OE next week.

Hoping to hatch six WL chicks tomorrow.

 

[Johnn]

So cute!

Thanks Can you remember my first chicks from 2012? My BUff Orp hen had a Buff orp and a Maran and she stayed with them for 22 weeks? Well the hen on this pic with the chick is the buff orpington chick

Checked on mommas before bed. The silky and Maran are still sitting strong on throw away eggs. The RIR was standing over her six eggs. I thought I heard crunching sounds, but with all the flock noises it's hard to say for certain. Sometimes I wish they were in glass nest boxes so I could watch everything, I guess that's the only part of using a bator I really liked. Tomorrow is Day 21 if I counted right. With it being so hot and humid here I'm hoping to wake up to chicks in the morning. If nothing hatches she will get some of the shipped EE and OE next week.

Hoping to hatch six WL chicks tomorrow.

Good Luck! Let us know how it goes!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Thanks   Can you remember my first chicks from 2012? My BUff Orp hen had a Buff orp and a Maran and she stayed with them for 22 weeks? Well the hen on this pic with the chick is the buff orpington chick
Good Luck! Let us know how it goes!

I do remember them. It was just about the same time as Smokey and Topsy were broodies. I miss those girls. I gave Topsy to another family who really wanted a silky broody and Smokey died last winter.

So far this morning no chicks, but momma is still on the eggs and I thought I saw a glimpse of a pip, but it didn't hear any chirps. I'll keep checking throughout the day.