Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Johnn]

It was too good to be true. LOL It turns out that the Marans was just being nice so she could steal the other hen's chicks. I separated them for now so the chicks can bond with the appropriate mom.

Could you not split the chicks??

 

[ochochicas]

Could you not split the chicks??

Yes, I did split the chicks up. However, when I put the hens together the marans stole them from the other hen. Part of the problem is that the Marans sat on all the eggs and talked to them the whole time she was broody. The Australorp went broody a week later so I gave her half the eggs. Never once did I hear her talking to the eggs. When the chicks hatched they were used to the Marans talking to them (they were both right next to each other in the nest boxes). The Marans is more dominant and stole the chicks when she had the chance, plus she sounds more like the mom they were used to hearing.

I separated the hens yesterday. The Australorp has all the EE babies, and the Marans has everyone else. We'll see how it goes when I put them all in together later.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Advise????

 I have 3 sets of chicks all 4.5 wks old. A few days ago, mom with 5 chicks couldn't find any empty nest box and decided she was done with her chicks. After chasing off a hen (who thought she would go broody along with 3 others) mom still didn't want to sit with her babies any longer. I put the chicks together in the nest box for the night.
 Last night, another mom who was just training her chicks to go up on the roost with her the night before, decided she didn't want her chicks near her now either. (Pretty funny, a chick jumped onto the back of the EEr next to her and the poor hen couldn't figure out what to do with the thing on her back!). I put these chicks down into their old nest area too.

Do I need to worry about the temperatures? They all feel warm enough when they pile up and they are about 2/3 feathered out. The temps get down to about 60 at night but the coop stays around low 70's. Per usual recommendations, they should still be around 75, but they seem to be fine?? :-(

No you don't need to worry about the chicks. The momma keeps the babies as long as she thinks is necessary. I've had 4 week olds on the roost before, but mostly they like to huddle on the floor in groups. Don't put heat on them unless your temps drop to under freezing.

 

[lablover]

I will probably be watching this thread more... I have a hen that went broody for the first time last week. I put the eggs I wanted under her Sunday and she's done great so far. I don't get to see her off of the nest very much, so I worry about broken eggs. Mainly I'm just excited and nervous about the whole thing. I had to divide the coop in half to give her privacy since she is in the favorite nest box. When they hatch and she gets them off of the nest, I will need to move them to a more secure chicken tractor because the chicks could squeeze through the fence in the coop. However, I do want her to raise them and integrate them into the flock, even though I will not be keeping all of the ones that hatch.
Here's Mama Buffy!

 

[sssharon]

When you said Buffy I figured she was a Buff orpington. Your chicken is a brown leghorn, right? That's what I have 3 of and they look like her. I didn't know they went broody.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I will probably be watching this thread more... I have a hen that went broody for the first time last week. I put the eggs I wanted under her Sunday and she's done great so far. I don't get to see her off of the nest very much, so I worry about broken eggs. Mainly I'm just excited and nervous about the whole thing. I had to divide the coop in half to give her privacy since she is in the favorite nest box. When they hatch and she gets them off of the nest, I will need to move them to a more secure chicken tractor because the chicks could squeeze through the fence in the coop. However, I do want her to raise them and integrate them into the flock, even though I will not be keeping all of the ones that hatch. Here's Mama Buffy!

Congrats on the broody!

 

[lablover]

Thanks bobbieschicks!!

sssharon, she's an Easter Egger, (sold as an Ameraucana.) She has that common partridge pattern.

 

[702marine]

New mommy today with this early hatcher. 5 eggs to go. She took right to the baby.

 

[calichicken]

New mommy today with this early hatcher. 5 eggs to go. She took right to the baby.

Aww.....good broody momma!!! Congrats and good luck with the rest of your hatch!!!!

 

[bobbieschicks]

New mommy today with this early hatcher. 5 eggs to go. She took right to the baby.

Congrats!