Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[pmcatnip]

Looks like this is the week for chicks!

My bantam RIR mutt hatched hers (8/10) on Labor Day but I couldn't get a good pic until yesterday evening. Of the other two eggs one was a quitter and one is unaccounted for. Last night I relocated them from her hiding spot at the back stairs to a nice, safe wire cage. (Too many skunks and opossums around to feel comfortable leaving the little guys out like this.)

 

[Mskayladog]

If they are truly broody, they can sit until they get some chicks from their efforts...even months.  Just need to watch them for signs of dehydration and loss of vitality as they are not eating properly when they are sitting and tend to lose weight, etc.  You can offset this by giving them some extra high protein treats: meal worms, yogurt, fruits and vegetables, whatever your girl likes best.  I usually put the treats in a small dish (a mayonnaise jar lid for example) in front of her.

Thanks

 

[Mskayladog]

Another question the eggs I'm buying and getting Sunday to sit under my broody hen, are there any health risk from the eggs or the hatching chicks to my flock?

 

[Gardenlady2]

The chick is walking again!!!!! I guess something was just popped out of place & miraculously fixed itself!!!!! After it was injured, I watched it scoot itself along and it managed to catch up with the group every time they moved. By the time I was finished researching & went back out to try to help it, the group had moved to a location about 20 feet away & all 9 of them were walking around just fine! Thank God for fixing my little chick!!!

They started hatching on Monday. My coop is completely open along the bottom 2 ft of one side of the coop. It's open 24/7/365. The adults only use it for sleeping, egg laying, and staying out of heavy rain. So that's probably why she took them out already. We have a "shade" shelter (roof only, no walls) not far from the coop at the moment, and she took them there to spend the day outside. It's so cute and I'm so happy that they are all doing well again!!

 

[K Epp]

My broody frizzle Silkie has a chick hatched and it looks Splash. I sure hope it does good and is a pullet that looks like my best Silkie hen I had to put down because it had wry neck. She still has 6 eggs in the nest.

 

[bumpercarr]

The chick is walking again!!!!! I guess something was just popped out of place & miraculously fixed itself!!!!! After it was injured, I watched it scoot itself along and it managed to catch up with the group every time they moved. By the time I was finished researching & went back out to try to help it, the group had moved to a location about 20 feet away & all 9 of them were walking around just fine! Thank God for fixing my little chick!!!

They started hatching on Monday. My coop is completely open along the bottom 2 ft of one side of the coop. It's open 24/7/365. The adults only use it for sleeping, egg laying, and staying out of heavy rain. So that's probably why she took them out already. We have a "shade" shelter (roof only, no walls) not far from the coop at the moment, and she took them there to spend the day outside. It's so cute and I'm so happy that they are all doing well again!!

I am so glad it worked out!

 

[AmericanMom]

It is confirmed, Java is broody, all night and all day on 3 wooden eggs typically I would go another day or two and make sure, but i know her signs and how determined she is... giving her a dozen eggs this evening, im going to go ahead and keep her in the coop, she picked a bottom nest so easy to block off. ... I have been telling DH all summer we needed some broody boxes within the coop, I'm going to do some searching online and get started planning them into the coop expansion....

 

[ChickyChickens]

Yes I love that too but unfortunately I was in danger of ending up with a rather dull and uniform flock of barred mutts with moustaches or white mutts with moustaches.... I seem to have some rather dominant genes!
I was keen to have a pretty, multi-coloured flock that laid multi-coloured eggs, so I'm hatching a few legbars, exchequer leghorns and welsummers.... Tasha has been given the leghorns mostly because the leghorn cockerel, Horace, was killed by a dog recently and so, it was a now or never situation and I do find the exchequers pretty and good egg layers when they aren't in shock from dog attacks!.

Anyway, good luck with your sneaky broody and her clutch.

Regards

Barbara

Thanks I cant wait till the eggs hatch! I hope its a 100% hatch rate

She did it last time...

 

[AmericanMom]

I have never had two broody's in the same place, although my broody's are separated by a nest wall they are side by side brooding their clutches.. My question is, they are 8 days or so apart should I be worried that once the Jersey Giants chicks hatch (if they do) that the Java will hear this and abandon her eggs who would have alittle over a week left to go and think she needs to raise the JG's chicks?? Anyone have his issue? Sorry, just trying to think ahead...or overthink the situation

 

[Turk Raphael]

I have never had two broody's in the same place, although my broody's are separated by a nest wall they are side by side brooding their clutches.. My question is, they are 8 days or so apart should I be worried that once the Jersey Giants chicks hatch (if they do) that the Java will hear this and abandon her eggs who would have alittle over a week left to go and think she needs to raise the JG's chicks?? Anyone have his issue? Sorry, just trying to think ahead...or overthink the situation

Just curious...is it the Java's first clutch?



FYI...I'm not especially experienced with such situations, but I currently have a family member staying with me for s few days who has had a lifetime (LONG)

that I can draw on!