Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[fisherlady]

I know the pictures make it look like everything was smooth. But no.

First the maran attacked me and the chick then flew out of the nest.
She ran off with the RIR so I put all 8 under the silky.
Then the maran was back on her nest so I tried again.
This time I got them under her and then gave both moms food to give their babies.
So I left them pecking at the chicks and feeding them.

Returned and it looked like the broodies had settled down with their babies.

I'll check again soon.

The pics are adorable! Hoping they all settle in for you. With the chicks having spent a couple of days together during shipment they will be prone to interacting/mingling even after they are adopted by their broody mamas. If the hens can tolerate each other you will probably end up with them hanging out together as they range.
Two of our recent broodies did that, they each went to their own nest at night, and the broodies certainly weren't buddy/buddy with each other, but they did range together and both broodies would feed and care for any of the chicks when they were out. It worked awesome...

My broody just decided to go on a little lunch break

I scolded her, fed her some scratch out of my hand real quick and threw her back on the nest.

All eggs are pipped with one starting to zip.

Hoping they all get hatched without any more broody antics!

Can't wait to see pics!

 

[loobyloo88]

So I have 4 eggs left under my broody from 9. 3 were unfertilised, one tried to hatch yesterday but never made it and unfortunately an egg we thought the chick had died in, broke open and it was ok, but too early...so remaining 4 eggs have 2 more days left....fingers crossed!!! I would have loved four girls from this hatch....but the odds of the remaining four being girls isnt that high!

 

[HealthyMNmama]

Bobbie, your chicks are cute!

How frequently can I peek at our new chicks and eggs without the mamas going all crazy on me or leaving the brood? At last peek there was a dark butt coming out of an egg, but mama wouldn't leave it uncovered for me to watch long. (Moms are a black giant and a white rock)

 

[chippysmom327]

When you lift up this...

You find this!

A royal purple (i think) guinea keet!

Ah, the post I've been waiting to post for about 25 days...,

 

[bobbieschicks]

Bobbie, your chicks are cute!

How frequently can I peek at our new chicks and eggs without the mamas going all crazy on me or leaving the brood? At last peek there was a dark butt coming out of an egg, but mama wouldn't leave it uncovered for me to watch long. (Moms are a black giant and a white rock)

I peak constantly. The pecks I get are worth it. Lol. I go out every hour or so to make sure everything is going fine. When the WL eggs were hatching I thought they were duds and left her alone most of the day only to find fuzzy butts drying off under her.

 

[bobbieschicks]

When you lift up this...

You find this!

A royal purple (i think) guinea keet!

Ah, the post I've been waiting to post for about 25 days...,

Yeah! Congrats!

 

[fisherlady]

Bobbie, your chicks are cute!

How frequently can I peek at our new chicks and eggs without the mamas going all crazy on me or leaving the brood? At last peek there was a dark butt coming out of an egg, but mama wouldn't leave it uncovered for me to watch long. (Moms are a black giant and a white rock)

After the first egg hatches I check about every 3 or 4 hours to remove egg shells or failed hatchers. My check only involves sliding my flat hand under the breast of the hen with the back of my hand against her, lift enough to view the center of the nest, use other hand to quickly remove shells and then lower the hen back down.
Each hen is different on the 'tolerance scale'... there is no way to specify how often is too much other than through experience with a certain hen. I have a few hens who don't seem to mind at all or are easily distracted with a few goodies and other hens who act like we are Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun all rolled into one if we so much as try to peek at their chicks...

 

[chippysmom327]

When you lift up this...

You find this!

A royal purple (i think) guinea keet!

Ah, the post I've been waiting to post for about 25 days...,

Yeah! Congrats!

Thanks! I'm so excited, I'm practically going from door to door and telling all the neighbors. Not really. But I'm super duper excited.

 

[poodlechicks]

Please let me know how it works for you. So far all the feedback I've gotten has be positive, so hopefully it will work for you also.

 

[HealthyMNmama]

Congratulations Chippysmom!