Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Hey everybody, quick question. I have had my chicks in the house, they are about a month old. When I go near my broody now, she is squatting for me. Does that mean she is nearly done with her chicks? I was going to put them outside this week, but now I can't until later because we have a huge snow storm coming. I can tell Mama hen is about done with being stuck in the house.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thank you all so much! I guess since the first batch is 8 weeks this could happen any time.....oh I really am feeling bad for them thinking about it. But I know they are big enough and this is how it works. Hopefully I will survive it....lol.

Possible snow again! I know our weather is nothing compared to what some of you get. But I am thinking of those week old chicks.....maybe I should not open their door. It is amazing to see them out in a winter drizzle and think about how diligent you need to be with a heat lamp for incubator chicks. I know mom is warming them, but they are out in the cold a lot. I think they must be hardy to be winter chicks.

And a new concern...will my hens broodiness coordinate with the availability of hatching eggs in the next month or two. I have had the two broodies hatch eggs in the first 5 months of starting my flock. But I know that does not mean they will brood according to 'my' schedule. This is all fascinating and fun!

I love this site!

If the chicks and mom can get out of direct weather if it gets too gruesome, and can find some dry ground, they will be fine. Yes is it so counter intuitive after you've heat lamp brooded.

As to *when* you may get a broody....totally depends on the hen which is often connected to the breed. And unfortunately it is on their time schedule not yours...so I tend to "strike when the broody is hot" unless you have one of those annoyingly frequent kinds.

Silkies are noted for being very frequent brooders, and with my dear departed Oma-San I could count on her to brood at least 3 to 4 times a year, so I could have something of a hatching/fostering schedule. (I hope to have that again with my replacement Silkie queen).

Cochin are very frequent but slightly less than Sikies (haven't experienced them yet)...so what...maybe 2 or 3 times? That's what I am hoping when my Cochin maids grow up.

My LF hens are seasonal brooders and typically will brood only in spring, anywhere from late April to June. One looks like she will be more frequent than that as she had a second brood in October which I did not use.

I have had a number go broody ONCE, even hatch a clutch and do a good job as mother, and NEVER go broody again as long as I owned them (which tends to be about 3 years).

So you'll have to get to know your hens (I keep a notebook on them so I can track their tendencies)....or get a proven Silkie....but you can still wait....and not know for certain.

LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Hey everybody, quick question. I have had my chicks in the house, they are about a month old. When I go near my broody now, she is squatting for me. Does that mean she is nearly done with her chicks? I was going to put them outside this week, but now I can't until later because we have a huge snow storm coming.

I can tell Mama hen is about done with being stuck in the house.

Nice pics, BTW.

Yes, momma is getting close to being done if she has begun the squat...although some hens still tolerate their chicks roosting by them and being near them even after they start laying...they just don't "mother" them any more.

Hopefully you can stall her until the weather improves....I'm sure you are planning on acclimating them to outdoor temps in increments....so just a change of scene may improve her mood. If she starts getting really impatient with the fledglings, you may have to separate them...but it sounds like she is still patient enough.
LofMc

 

[ochochicas]

I agree that you should start transitioning them outside if they have someplace to get out of direct weather. With my incubator hatched chicks, they started going out during the day only when they were about 5 weeks old. As long as the temps were in the 40s or higher, they were fine. They also did OK for short periods of time with temps down to 30 and snow. They still came back in at night because I felt they were too small to be in the coop with the other hens, and because they needed a little warm up in the house.

Can you put them out for short periods of time during the day to see what happens? You can leave them out for longer periods of time so the acclimate to the temperature difference.

 

[fisherlady]

I have noticed my broodies tend to leave the chicks much earlier in warm weather than in cold...her being inside in an artificially warm environment may have her thinking the little ones can do ok without her. if you can move her cage and all to a cooler location it may help keep her with them a short while longer and will give them a brief Window of acclimatization time with her still there to help.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Nice pics, BTW.

Yes, momma is getting close to being done if she has begun the squat...although some hens still tolerate their chicks roosting by them and being near them even after they start laying...they  just don't "mother" them any more.

Hopefully you can stall her until the weather improves....I'm sure you are planning on acclimating them to outdoor temps in increments....so just a change of scene may improve her mood. If she starts getting really impatient with the fledglings, you may have to separate them...but it sounds like she is still patient enough.
LofMc

Thanks, she seems to be tolerating them, but she is Done being in the house in a cage clearly. Would it be okay to put Mama out and then keep the chicks inside for until the weather breaks a little? We are expecting several inches over the next couple days.

I agree that you should start transitioning them outside if they have someplace to get out of direct weather.  With my incubator hatched chicks, they started going out during the day only when they were about 5 weeks old.  As long as the temps were in the 40s or higher, they were fine.  They also did OK for short periods of time with temps down to 30 and snow.  They still came back in at night because I felt they were too small to be in the coop with the other hens, and because they needed a little warm up in the house.  

Can you put them out for short periods of time during the day to see what happens?  You can leave them out for longer periods of time so the acclimate to the temperature difference.  

What do you think? Let Mama outside and keep the chicks indoor til the weather is more acceptable and they have more feathers?

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

I have noticed my broodies tend to leave the chicks much earlier in warm weather than in cold...her being inside in an artificially warm environment may have her thinking the little ones can do ok without her. if you can move her cage and all to a cooler location it may help keep her with them a short while longer and will give them a brief Window of acclimatization time with her still there to help.

Thanks, I can't think of a cooler location I have for them unfortunately. We only have our small rancher or outside. No garage or basement, only a teeny crawlspace. I'm thinking after this storm passes I will just have to let them all out and see how it goes... I still have a little separate house I had made for my Silkie chickens that got eaten by a fox. Maybe that would be a good temporary home because they would have shelter, and I could put some fencing around them so the other girls wouldn't be able to bully.

 

[ochochicas]

Quote: No, I was thinking you could put them all out. When the chicks get cold they can go to the hen for warmth. At the same time they will be getting used being outdoors. If momma takes off and is not caring for the chicks, then you will have to bring them back in the house. Hopefully she will stay with them for a few more weeks.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

No, I was thinking you could put them all out.  When the chicks get cold they can go to the hen for warmth.  At the same time they will be getting used being outdoors.  If momma takes off and is not caring for the chicks, then you will have to bring them back in the house.  Hopefully she will stay with them for a few more weeks.  

Thanks, I think after this snow is done, I will put them all out in a separate coop for now. I can only hope Mama hen will let them snuggle under her. Only time will tell, but first, over a foot of snow!

 

[vpatt]

Well, today I have noticed Olivia hanging with the big girls and her three chicks off to the side on their own......I've seen this each time I have been outside. She has always kept them in with the main flock (since they left the coop at week 2 or 3). So I am gonna guess that she has kicked them to the curb. I will watch when they are on the roost and see if they are next to her....but I know that a couple of nights I have seen where at least two of them have slept on top of the ñest box in the coop...it just didn't click that maybe she wouldn't let them cuddle. Actually I did notice them beside her last night and this morning there was baby poop on top of the nest box. So I guess this is it. I will focus on the fact that I may get an olive egg soon.