Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bumpercarr]

My neighbor has a broody hen that I am thinking about "borrowing" to hatch some eggs. Does anyone have any experience with importing a broody to hatch eggs. Did it work? Or was the move too stressful for the hen? I really wanted to hatch some eggs before winter, but it looks my hens are happy laying and have no intentions of going broody.

Depends on the broody. It would be best to take the eggs to her. Usually when I move them to a new coop, they break their brood (not always though).

 

[kmollyhughes]

My neighbor has a broody hen that I am thinking about "borrowing" to hatch some eggs.  Does anyone have any experience with importing a broody to hatch eggs.  Did it work?  Or was the move too stressful for the hen?  I really wanted to hatch some eggs before winter, but it looks my hens are happy laying and have no intentions of going broody.  

During winter, occasionally I'll pull broody girls into a dog crate in our shop. I had them sitting when it was almost -30' last year so wanted to help them out. Plus, I have over 100 chickens so they don't have to have other hens laying on their backs. So, try moving her at night into a little pen. Keep it totally covered for a day it so and she should settle in. ~~~But, remember every flock has it's own immunities, and if she's away from her own flock she'll have to be reinterduced. Borrowing might stress both flocks.

 

[margaretanne]

I have 2 broody hens who were sharing a nest and have only one chick between the 2 of them. They are both mothering it. (No doubt it will be a rooster). Do you think I could buy some day old chicks and put them in? Would it be a problem if they were a different colour or age?
Margaret

 

[maranfarmer563]

Marg, how old is the lone chicks? If young,you should be able to add more. I gave my silky 15 to raise. I will keep them confined til they get wing feathers

 

[margaretanne]

Today it is 3 days old. Do you think I could sneak half a dozen in, or should I stick with 3 extras, because there is a lady with 5 day old plymouth rock chicks I have been talking to about getting chicks from
Margaret

 

[maranfarmer563]

If you are going to do it,do it tonight. Put 3 tonight,if ok add 3 tomorrow night

 

[K Epp]

If they are regular domesticated cats I wouldn't worry about them much. The hens and roo will keep the chick safe. I have 12 cats and they know better that ho near the chicks. They don't like to be flogged anymore than we do.

 

[margaretanne]

Thanks for that reassurance. When be bought our first day old chicks we locked them up from the cats, but a mother with kittens still managed to get to them and we found dead chicks in with her kittens. My son still hasnt forgiven her. These are purebred cats. Now the cats stay out of the way of the adult chickens, but I am still scarred from that first incident.
Margaret

 

[ChickyChickens]

Thanks for that reassurance. When be bought our first day old chicks we locked them up from the cats, but a mother with kittens still managed to get to them and we found dead chicks in with her kittens. My son still hasnt forgiven her. These are purebred cats. Now the cats stay out of the way of the adult chickens, but I am still scarred from that first incident.
Margaret

I hate it when animals (not poultry) kill your chickens! It is so sad!

 

[K Epp]

Thanks for that reassurance. When be bought our first day old chicks we locked them up from the cats, but a mother with kittens still managed to get to them and we found dead chicks in with her kittens. My son still hasnt forgiven her. These are purebred cats. Now the cats stay out of the way of the adult chickens, but I am still scarred from that first incident.
Margaret

Now that's a different story all together. With out the flock protection they are just squeaky toys.

I had a mama cat and kittens in the garage were I have all my brooders, rabbits and quail. The brooders have locked tops so those are safe. I had a incubator with 12 quail hatching. I didn't think a thing about leaving them in there overnight. I had plans of putting them in the brooder in the morning. I went out to do so. I opened the door to incubator alarm going off and empty. I did find one quail but it died the next day. I always thought that incubator full of quail looked like a popcorn popper. I guess my cat did too and had a midnight snack. I can't blame the cat, but after that I put a up turned bucket and a brick on it at hatch time.

If you hen and roo are going after you they will protect it from a cat for sure. My LF Broodie's I leave in the barn and have never had a problem. Some times I move bantam Broodie's into the garage until they hatch and chicks are about a week old then return them to the coop. I do that to keep the other hens from laying in the nest.