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Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

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bumpercarr said:
I have a little different situation here that I'm not sure how to handle. Momma has been sitting, one hatched on Sunday afternoon (possibly more, but only one that I've seen). Anyway, she has not budged an inch and this one chick is going to need food and water tomorrow. If she doesn't get up off of the nest should I take the baby away from her until she's ready to get up, or should I leave her be, or maybe take the chick out to get food and water and then put it back under her? I'm just really not sure what to do, most of my broodies start feeding the chicks on the second day, even if they still need to sit on the nest. Any help is appreciated!
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I have put food/water near the broody with the chicks and they eat themselves without getting off the nest even and the chicks have done so as well.
 
bumpercarr said:
I have a little different situation here that I'm not sure how to handle. Momma has been sitting, one hatched on Sunday afternoon (possibly more, but only one that I've seen). Anyway, she has not budged an inch and this one chick is going to need food and water tomorrow. If she doesn't get up off of the nest should I take the baby away from her until she's ready to get up, or should I leave her be, or maybe take the chick out to get food and water and then put it back under her? I'm just really not sure what to do, most of my broodies start feeding the chicks on the second day, even if they still need to sit on the nest. Any help is appreciated!
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You can get a small dish and put a mix of peep feed and maybe a few dried mealworms and some mushed up scrambled eggs. I will place a chick waterer on a brick or cement block or something similar that is big enough to bring it to the level of the box lip... this allows mama to feed the little one, and give it water within easy reach. I have also used a hamster type waterer for my broodies... one of the hens just loves it and pecks at it quite frequently, I think it helps her relieve a bit of boredom and she seems to enjoy the sound and activity of it.

If she has not been off of the nest at all you may need to at least get her out (even if it is just a few feet in front of the box) to force her to stretch and move a little, and hopefully broody poo outside of the box! She will get back in on the eggs very quickly, but it will at least give you a few moments to check the nest for broken eggs or pips or even candle one or two if you can get them quickly.
 
fisherlady said:
You can get a small dish and put a mix of peep feed and maybe a few dried mealworms and some mushed up scrambled eggs. I will place a chick waterer on a brick or cement block or something similar that is big enough to bring it to the level of the box lip... this allows mama to feed the little one, and give it water within easy reach. I have also used a hamster type waterer for my broodies... one of the hens just loves it and pecks at it quite frequently, I think it helps her relieve a bit of boredom and she seems to enjoy the sound and activity of it.

If she has not been off of the nest at all you may need to at least get her out (even if it is just a few feet in front of the box) to force her to stretch and move a little, and hopefully broody poo outside of the box! She will get back in on the eggs very quickly, but it will at least give you a few moments to check the nest for broken eggs or pips or even candle one or two if you can get them quickly.
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I've done all of that. Even put the food in a particular order so I'd know if she or the chick touched it. Nothing. I got her up, her chick was under her wing and then moved around a little, but she went right back to the eggs (clucking frantically for the chick) without eating or feeding the chick (I could only see one, but I swear I hear two). I sat in there for an hour today to see if she'd move, other than rearranging herself when the chick moves around, she is just almost comatose in her sitting (I know, it is the broody trance, but she needs to feed this chick soon).

I think I will wait until morning and if there still isn't any progress I'm going to take the chick and at least show it how to eat and drink before I give it back to her. I checked the eggs that are still under her (didn't have time to check them all and was in such a hurry I forgot to count) and I didn't see any more pips. Anyway, I'm just a little worried. Tomorrow I'll be a lot worried, but if I can get the chick coming out from under her and eating on its own without her, I'll be less worried. I'm usually a set 'em and forget 'em type of broody grandma, but this time something just doesn't seem or feel right, and it is my first time with this particular hen.
 
bumpercarr said:
I've done all of that. Even put the food in a particular order so I'd know if she or the chick touched it. Nothing. I got her up, her chick was under her wing and then moved around a little, but she went right back to the eggs (clucking frantically for the chick) without eating or feeding the chick (I could only see one, but I swear I hear two). I sat in there for an hour today to see if she'd move, other than rearranging herself when the chick moves around, she is just almost comatose in her sitting (I know, it is the broody trance, but she needs to feed this chick soon).

I think I will wait until morning and if there still isn't any progress I'm going to take the chick and at least show it how to eat and drink before I give it back to her. I checked the eggs that are still under her (didn't have time to check them all and was in such a hurry I forgot to count) and I didn't see any more pips. Anyway, I'm just a little worried. Tomorrow I'll be a lot worried, but if I can get the chick coming out from under her and eating on its own without her, I'll be less worried. I'm usually a set 'em and forget 'em type of broody grandma, but this time something just doesn't seem or feel right, and it is my first time with this particular hen.
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Sounds like a good plan... if she isn't going to teach it then you will have to step in. Once it learns to eat and drink it will run out from under mom to grab a snack when it wants, same with the water. If she has no change in the eggs in a few days you will probably have to take them out from under her to get her to snap out of it. Some broodies just don't transition well from the setting to mothering stage, I did have one this summer who I had to do a lot of coaching with before she snapped out of it.... the good new is that once she snapped out of her trance and figured out she had chicks to take care of she turned out to be a great mama hen.

and the second chick you think you heard.... you are probably right.... it just isn't pipped yet. I have heard them cheeping quite loudly the day before hatch.
 
2 weeks old! Snow White is doing a great job as a first-time mom. I love watching her with the chicks. This broody experience is going to take chicken math to a whole new level here!
700
 
Finally was able to see the chicks Broody #1 was sitting... Came home from town and she was off the nest, but instead of the 6 I thought she had she only had 5 chicks, went in and looked and no egg in the nest.... Checked all over for missing-dead baby...nothing.. I know she had 6 eggs on Friday or Saturday, I am sure of it......

I couldn't get a good pic of her yesterday, she kept them pretty close and kept walking between them and me..lol.. I didn't want to stress her out to much so I'll post something today :)
 
fisherlady said:
Sounds like a good plan... if she isn't going to teach it then you will have to step in. Once it learns to eat and drink it will run out from under mom to grab a snack when it wants, same with the water. If she has no change in the eggs in a few days you will probably have to take them out from under her to get her to snap out of it. Some broodies just don't transition well from the setting to mothering stage, I did have one this summer who I had to do a lot of coaching with before she snapped out of it.... the good new is that once she snapped out of her trance and figured out she had chicks to take care of she turned out to be a great mama hen.

and the second chick you think you heard.... you are probably right.... it just isn't pipped yet. I have heard them cheeping quite loudly the day before hatch.
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Went out this morning and although she wasn't up off of the nest, she was teaching the chick (still only one I think, but definitely heard another under her) to eat. I assume that she will also teach it to drink. Whew, glad I don't have to be worried today, or even worse, get my blood drawn by an angry broody.

The hatch should be due today/tomorrow by my candling estimations. I have no idea why this one hatched 3 days early, but it did. Probably was under the "hot spot" more than the other eggs.
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