Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[fisherlady]

New learning curve again with all new hens.

Anyway...keeping my fingers crossed...I *think* I'm back in business brooding again e  

Lady of McCamley

I'm so glad to hear your new lady is going to brood for you! She must truly be settled and happy in her new home if she is ready to raise chicks!
I'm looking forward to lots of pictures!

 

[NotAFarm]

@winteree

Is this chick an only chick or does it have siblings? I'm wondering if it's an only chick and it doesn't have hatch mates to snuggle up to, that's why it's sticking close to the broody even when she's clearly telling him to go. It may be that he has become too reliant on her and isn't ready to go it alone, so not necessarily the broody's fault that he isn't heeding her message and she's having to be harder on him to get it across. As Lady of McCamley says you have done the right thing by removing him but I wouldn't necessarily give the broody a black mark for it.
My best broody is a wonderful mother until the day she fledges them and then she is positively mean. They get the message pretty quick, but if your lad is a "billy no mates" it will be much harder to go it alone especially after 1on1 attention for so long. I think perhaps he is more a victim of circumstance than the broody if that is the case.

i have an open question i could use some help on, my broody started attacking the lone chick she hatched out (Christmas weekend) yesterday (blood has been drawn) for no reason at first it was just a few lite pecks on his body then yesterday night she started pulling the fluff down out from his head and neck causing a bleeder i used some Vaseline to cover the wound and i separated him from the flock. What is going on? i have watched my grams hens ween chicks but they never weaned them so Early (the chick is 7 weeks old) and so violently. I'm going to be getting in some more chicks soon should i look into getting rid of the hen?

I agree with rebrascora. My hens that have "singletons" are more "direct" with the chicks. When there are siblings, the group will band together and form their own clique. Singletons only have mom and don't want to let go when she says it is time. I always remove my singletons and put them with other chicks in a separate coop. Most times they are siblings from a different hatch but they accept the singleton into their clique. Once the group bonds, I let them all back into the main flock.

 

[KV Silkies]

well my eggs should be here tomorrow, I hope!

or so says the usps tracking page, and we all know that is 100% reliable....

I am ready at any rate... my broody is quarantined and sitting tightly on the egg I gave her (and keep switching out daily). And my bator is fired up and ready! My kids (and myself) are beyond excited!!!! getting in some cuckoo, splash, and lavender silkie eggs!!!

 

[Watermelon123]

Hi everyone! I dont have chickens yet, but I plan on getting some marans. Heres the thing, I dont want them to go broody. Is there any way to keep them from going broody?

 

[winteree]

Hi everyone! I dont have chickens yet, but I plan on getting some marans. Heres the thing, I dont want them to go broody. Is there any way to keep them from going broody?

their are ways to discourage broody-ness but it depends on the breed if the broody ness has been breed from the breed the chicken won't go broody but if not then it will go broody but its not the end of the world if it does

 

[winteree]

I agree with rebrascora. My hens that have "singletons" are more "direct" with the chicks. When there are siblings, the group will band together and form their own clique. Singletons only have mom and don't want to let go when she says it is time. I always remove my singletons and put them with other chicks in a separate coop. Most times they are siblings from a different hatch but they accept the singleton into their clique. Once the group bonds, I let them all back into the main flock.

sound like a plan he is making quite the fuss being in the brooder by him self

 

[winteree]

That is aggressive, and I too would worry about using that hen to mother again, unless she has been a tried and true faithful for many hatches and this seems to be a very odd out of place occurrence...still not good.

7 weeks is within the "normal" range that they "wean" or fledge, but a few head pecks to say "don't bother me now" is all it takes. If she is drawing blood, that is beyond what should be done. She may for some reason not like this little roo...perhaps he's gotten aggressive with her (????). Is he ill or some deformity? (Sometimes they others just know and it is often the reason for violent hazing). Were they confined in a small area and she could not get away from the little roo?

At any rate you've done what is needed to be done and separated the little guy for now. I would give him a very, very close health check to make sure he is not harboring some disease the others are trying to haze out.

And yes, if this is her first time mothering (or she is a newer mother) I would personally not jump to use her again. She may not be trustworthy.

LofMc

LofMc

yes it is a single chick she had two more chicks to hatch out but after this one hatched she sometime in the night moved the chick to next nest box over and both other chicks died in the shell. I have been checking the chick regularly every few days since it hatched but the chick seems very healthy and active with a health appetite. I'm too used to my grams old hens I guess my grams hens where just weird they never weened a chick earlier then 8 or 9 weeks you could set your watch by it but the fact that she drew blood on her own chick makes me want to send her to freezer camp

 

[Watermelon123]

their are ways to discourage broody-ness but it depends on the breed if the broody ness has been breed from the breed the chicken won't go broody but if not then it will go broody but its not the end of the world if it does

Thank you.

 

[JadedPhoenix]

Out of curiosity, what is the largest clutch any of you have had hatch under a silkie? My blue silkie has TEN eggs under her. She started off with three that I marked and she stole an additional six after I had her set up. Chicks are due to hatch Sunday and I'm just wondering if a small hen like her could actually keep that many warm enough.

 

[ochochicas]

I got three marans for free last year because they were broody all the time. Since then, one of them has been broody more often than not, but the other two have never been broody while I've had them. Part of it is genetics, but I also think the environment plays a bigger part. My hens free range and are not in the coop or next boxes a lot. In my opinion, that helps keep them from going broody by keeping them busy doing other things.