Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[ChickenLady2014]

I heard peeping from one of the eggs. Still hopeful.

Fingers crossed that you will get some fuzzy butts soon

 

[ChickenLady2014]

A couple of "glamour shots" of two of the new chicks: They appear to be SS Hamburg x Blue Andalusian(left) and SS Hamburg x SS Hamburg (right). We have 9 out now and 7 still to go. The ones that are left were put in the nest 1-2 days later. If they don't hatch before she's ready to leave then I will put them in the incubator.

Very cute, congrats on your hatch so far

 

[FL Crowing Hen]

I am just full of questions this evening.

I fear that I made a mistake with my first broody hen. We are 18 days in, and she is sitting on 3 eggs. She is still in the coop with the rest of the flock, but she is in a box. Now whenever I let her out, I have to let the other chickens out and shut them out of the run so that she can stretch her legs, dust bathe and relieve herself. If I let them, they will attack her, especially my rooster, who is one the sweetest most docile roosters I’ve ever seen. It’s like he’s possessed when he sees her. I’ve read that sometimes they don’t recognize a broody that’s been separated from the flock, so maybe I should have used a cage instead of a box Now I’m worried about re-introducing her and her chicks when they hatch. Should I maybe transfer them to a separate pen or cage so the others can see her but not attack her or the chicks? She is definitely not high in the pecking order, and I doubt her ability to defend herself or her chicks. She is a determined broody, but she doesn’t mind me poking around underneath her to check the eggs. I’ve heard that most hens will not tolerate that. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[chicknmania]

That's strange, I've never had that experience where the others attack the broody while she's on the nest or when she gets off to get food and water.. We've had them try to eat the eggs when she's not on the nest, but never have I seen them bother the hen.. But yes, I would as a matter of course put the mother and babies in a pen to themselves, where they can socialize with the others, but the babies are protected, for the first five or six weeks. Because the others will harass the mother and babies if you just try to put them out with the flock. When they do go out, usually, in our flock, one or more roosters will eventually assign themselves to protect the mother and babies. She may or may not welcome that, but ours usually don't mind..

 

[vpatt]

I've also noticed that if the babies are pullets, or mixed sexes with mostly pullets, the hen will stay with them longer than she does with cockerel chicks.

I think both of these are roos.

 

[fisherlady]

The first chick is out!

Looks to be an OE (Isbar/Marans) from the dark egg shell and coloring...waiting for the Isbar chicks whose eggs are peeking out but no signs that I can see yet.

Mom is in lock down for the rest, so I hand fed her on her nest. She gobbled the scratch eagerly and even gave some to junior who took it willingly.

Good news....no head dot. Breeder said there was a chance one of the mothers could have been a Blue Birchen Cuckoo Marans which means any head dots would indicate roo...so yay, no hands down roo's yet.

One other OE to hatch and 3 Isbars....which I really hope I get...news to follow.

LofMc

Congrats on the cutie! Love the pics! Fingers crossed that the rest do hatch for you.

I've often wondered the same thing. It seems like the minute that one broody hatches out some eggs and those little chicks are peeping all of the sudden I have more broodies. So, I'm guessing that the peeping can cause a hen that is just thinking about it to actually go broody....

Maybe some others will pipe in here.

I would say that if a hen is considering the broody thing then hearing new chicks certainly seems to tip them over. I have one right now who went into a box 2 days after my last 2 hens hatched out....she had been hanging around with the 3 hens who had hatched 2 weeks earlier, and was spending a lot of time watching the chicks and I wondered if she would set soon.... guess the last 2 hens were just too much.

 

[fisherlady]

DH managed to snap a picture of an odd occurrence in the coop. We often have hens who aren't currently broody which will hang with hens who do have chicks. Normally it is younger hens or previous broodies and I call it 'nanny mode' or 'aunt mode'. Well for some reason one of our older hens, Brownie (3 yrs old) who has never been broody or shown any interest in chicks has been hanging with one of our latest broodies (Rosie) who usually isn't tolerant of other hens near her little ones. It has been a strange friendship but who can ever figure out what is going on in a hen's little brain?

We have seen Brownie offering feed to the little ones and scratching with them and sitting out in the run with Rosie and the little ones, DH even thought he saw chicks ducking under her instead of Rosie a couple of times but wasn't able to confirm it or snap a picture....
then the other night he went out to do a final check and lock it up for the night and saw that Brownie was in the nest area with Rosie and one of Rosie's chicks was taking full advantage of having a second hen!

Sorry its not the best quality picture, he snapped it with his cell phone so he could send it to me at work. He said he watched a few minutes and Brownie even got up and moved around a bit to get a more comfortable spot and the little one just held tight and it was still enjoying it's 'high status' when he finished closing up the coop for the night. He said Brownie is getting soft in her old age..

 

[chicknmania]

Cute picture.

 

[KV Silkies]

HELP! ok, so quick background.... my broody of forever (poor girl has been broody for like 3 months) went on strike 5 days prior to hatch.... I hatched out 10 nice little fuzzy chicks, who are now in my brooder in the house. I had another hen just go broody today.... (chicks hatched yesterday). it is FREEZING in my coop, and outside, was -22 this morning.... can I move this broody inside somehow??? have read other threads where they moved her at night??? this broody has hatched successfully for me before and been a great mom (one sitting now). or do I have to bring chicks to the coop and set up heat there somehow?? I'm just worried is too darn cold.... is to warm up tomorrow (to the teens) and sunday to the mid 20's.... would really like to get these guys to a broody, and since this little hen is so nice was thinking of trying to move her in the house tonight in the dark putting her with chicks (had read another thread where this worked...) ideas anyone???

thanks!

 

[bramblefir]

Thanks!

The hatch is now at:
11 out
1 externally pipped
1 day 20 quitter (it was turned the wrong way and drowned)
3 to go