Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[loobyloo88]

My broody hatched two chicks a week ago, one died two days ago, id been worried about it since birth and I dont think it started eating properly. Im womdering if I got a week old chick would the hen take it with the other chick she hatched? My children were disappointed the other never made it and I told my son at some point we'd get another one...

 

[Meadowchick]

Ochochichas & SydneyAcres... Also, I thank you for your input too...didn't mean to ignore ya! I was linked to the other response so I didn't look above it...Never did think that 18 might be too many, but I guess it's sort of like a teenager raising a baby (in a way). The newbies have other things on their little chicken minds I guess and may decide not to sit tight...It was good to hear your ideas!

 

[KendyF]

My broody hatched two chicks a week ago, one died two days ago, id been worried about it since birth and I dont think it started eating properly. Im womdering if I got a week old chick would the hen take it with the other chick she hatched? My children were disappointed the other never made it and I told my son at some point we'd get another one...

One of my hens only hatched 1 chick, I tried to give her some 1 week olds. She rejected them. The hen and the lone chick do just fine. Bottomline: I depends on your hen. Often week old chicks who haven't been with a hen are afraid of the hen. You can try it, but make sure you have a back up plan. Also, give it to her at night, but be ready to see how things go in the AM. Good luck!

 

[ChickyChickens]

I don't see any reason why you couldn't give her some eggs. I think 18 is too many for one hen, so you might want to experiment with giving her some and putting the rest in the incubator. If she's never hatched eggs before you could give her 6 and put the other dozen in the incubator. I put a dozen under my hen and it was a couple too many. I think she can do 10 max. A couple of times I found an egg in the corner and it was cold. I just don't think she could fit them all under her.

My broodies kind of go natural with the amount of eggs! I have a broody that is hatching her eggs at the moment and she as 14 eggs! 4 have already hatched and the other 10 pipping/zipping and plus ... it is her first time!I once had a first timer who had 22 eggs and she went perfect(100% hatch rate) and she was medium sized!
I kind of let my broodies decide on how many eggs they want! If I think its too many then I take away what she cant properly cover!
I am really not saying that you are wrong but this is just the way that I do it!

 

[bobbieschicks]

My broody hatched two chicks a week ago, one died two days ago, id been worried about it since birth and I dont think it started eating properly. Im womdering if I got a week old chick would the hen take it with the other chick she hatched? My children were disappointed the other never made it and I told my son at some point we'd get another one...

I wouldn't do it. Usually week olds are afraid of the hens and the hen can't get it to listen so she doesn't see it as hers. I've had lone chicks be raised by a broody and it worked out fine. It mainly depends on the make up of your flock, ages and breeds of chickens. Then again I had one silky that would adopt anything that moved.

 

[Sydney Acres]

Quote:
I totally agree. Chicks imprint on a hen within the first three days. After day four they won't be looking to the hen for warmth and protection, they'll look for a heat lamp. Lots of chicks that are grafted to a hen after the third day will either be terrified of the hen and run away, or will look around for a heat lamp. Either way, they don't dive under the hen when they get cold, and they end up getting chilled and die. Admittedly, there is a rare chick that doesn't do that, but with children to disappoint why try to go against the odds. Now, if there was someone around that had chicks of the right age (that detail is critical -- even a week off and it probably won't work) that were currently under a broody hen, that might (might) be different. A chick that knows hens are a source of protection and warmth might look for its own broody for a little while, but would possibly be fine with another hen. And many (not all) hens will adopt anything that cheeps. So at least that way your odds would be better, although still no guarantees. But with children to disappoint, probably best to not try it.

 

[Sydney Acres]

Quote:
I would agree that if you're going to try it, give her the chick at night. But I wouldn't just check again in the morning, as what you might find in the morning is a dead chick. If you do this, be prepared to stay in the broody coop for the next 1-2 hours to see if the chick decides to run away. You will possibly need to put it back with the hen several times, especially within the first 1-2 hours, and at first light you will need to monitor things when the broody gets up and starts to move around. This isn't a "set it and forget it" situation, especially with a one week old.

 

[Sydney Acres]

Quote:
Admittedly, sometimes a first time broody can handle large numbers of eggs, but that is more the exception to the rule than an ideal situation. Usually a nest that is too big results in poor hatch rates, especially with a first time broody. Brooding is a very natural process, but doing it well also involves some learned skills, just like with people and their own children. Usually we're a bit clueless with the first child, and we've got it figured out a bit better with subsequent children. It's the same with broodies and incubation. It's best not to overwhelm them with 10-20 eggs to incubate their first time out. Six to 8 eggs is better for a first time broody. If you have more eggs than that, they can be hatched out in the incubator, and then the chicks grafted onto the broody when they dry out.

 

[ChickyChickens]

Admittedly, sometimes a first time broody can handle large numbers of eggs, but that is more the exception to the rule than an ideal situation. Usually a nest that is too big results in poor hatch rates, especially with a first time broody. Brooding is a very natural process, but doing it well also involves some learned skills, just like with people and their own children. Usually we're a bit clueless with the first child, and we've got it figured out a bit better with subsequent children. It's the same with broodies and incubation. It's best not to overwhelm them with 10-20 eggs to incubate their first time out. Six to 8 eggs is better for a first time broody. If you have more eggs than that, they can be hatched out in the incubator, and then the chicks grafted onto the broody when they dry up.

I leave my chickens go natural...so if a first timer wants one egg then that's fine, but if she wants 15/20 eggs then that's also fine as long as she does what she wants to do! That's how I manage my chickens and never( and I mean never) have I had a first time broody go bad on a large amount of eggs! That's just the way I do it!!! If others don't agree then that's fine but everyone has their own way of raising chickens and that's mine!
Anyway this is Sparkle! It was her first time being broody and she had a 100% hatch rate! All 14 little eggs hatched!

Here she is, three weeks ago when she just went broody!

And here she is walking around with her new brood!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Broodies will do what broodies will do!

Wish I would have had my iPhone to take a pic. Just caught my broody Maran trying to get her slightly over a week old EEs up on the roost. One went up the ladder and got on the roost just fine, but the other three encountered a larger hen coming down the ladder and they turned back to the floor. The one that was up on the roost ended up flying/falling with style back down when a larger hen suddenly appeared up there. Momma had to know its way too early for those babies to be up there. I think she's trying to make sure everyone remembers she was high up in the pecking order before this whole grooming babies stuff began.

She will probably have them roosting soon. They are almost as big as the WL chicks that hatched a week earlier.