Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Bombadil]

j
Congratulations on your new brood...they look very content and adorable.

I love my barnyard mixes. They are my most interesting hens...colorful and good layers.

Welcome to BYC too! and to the Old Fashioned Broody Thread

LofMc

Thanks very much! I've been lurking both BYC and this thread for a little while.

I myself got started with chickens just last year and these are my first hatch ever. I'm hoping there will be many more.

 

[vpatt]

My EE mom just laid an egg today, her chicks are only like 3 1/2 weeks old right now. She still is being a doting mother to the chicks, no change in behavior. But is this the beginning of the end of her "mothering" this current brood of chicks?

I am not certain. I think usually it does mean she will begin to distance herself from the chicks. But hopefully she will stay with them for a while. Do they roost with the flock? My second broody began laying again at four to five weeks. She then took about a week to leave her babies a bit more each day. The hardest part was that they were in the brooder with her and one night she went back to roost with the flock. The babies did not know where to go. They went back to the brooder but because of the extreme cold I caught them and put them with her on the roost. I had to watch them every night and make sure they were getting inside the coop. All of this happened during the cold and snow which made it worse. With milder weather it should be easier to manage, I think. My experience is limited.....my other broody raised her babies in the main coop and there were fewer issues. But I don't think everyone likes to have the babies in with the flock at the beginning.

 

[fisherlady]

Had a blast yesterday when I saw these babies under my black sex link/ silkie cross Samantha. Gave her some chick starter and she immediately began showing the peeps how to be little chickens. They're all bantam cochin cross chicks of Samantha and her sister. Just farm yard mutts, but I couldn't be more excited.

They are adorable

and I am with Lady of McCamley..... I think barnyard mixes are the best! Love seeing how they develop and all of the interesting colors and personalities!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Here's an update on my hatchling and fosters.

Updated my Avatar with my new broody and her OE hatchling.

Attempt number 2 took well with the fosters...NO issues, finally! Except one of the Cal Greys had pasty butt from the feed store, and then, from the constipation I think, developed a protruding vent. I didn't do too much as that week I had the flu. I just put some antibiotics in the water for all of them (no energy to dropper just one) for a few days. The oozing stopped and it is growing just fine with the vent growing to look more normal. BYC'ers were great again as I found a thread with others who have had that issue...turns out the chick typically just out grows it.

So here they all are....momma didn't like the photo shoot as it drew a crowd of hens around my feet, so she went into the coop and called the chicks to come in...they are in line up on the ramp to follow momma. Made for a cute photo.

 

[bumpercarr]

Here's an update on my hatchling and fosters.

Updated my Avatar with my new broody and her OE hatchling.

Attempt number 2 took well with the fosters...NO issues, finally! Except one of the Cal Greys had pasty butt from the feed store, and then, from the constipation I think, developed a protruding vent. I didn't do too much as that week I had the flu. I just put some antibiotics in the water for all of them (no energy to dropper just one) for a few days. The oozing stopped and it is growing just fine with the vent growing to look more normal. BYC'ers were great again as I found a thread with others who have had that issue...turns out the chick typically just out grows it.

So here they all are....momma didn't like the photo shoot as it drew a crowd of hens around my feet, so she went into the coop and called the chicks to come in...they are in line up on the ramp to follow momma. Made for a cute photo.

Very nice. Glad all are doing well!

 

[vpatt]

Here's an update on my hatchling and fosters. Updated my Avatar with my new broody and her OE hatchling. Attempt number 2 took well with the fosters...NO issues, finally! Except one of the Cal Greys had pasty butt from the feed store, and then, from the constipation I think, developed a protruding vent. I didn't do too much as that week I had the flu. I just put some antibiotics in the water for all of them (no energy to dropper just one) for a few days. The oozing stopped and it is growing just fine with the vent growing to look more normal. BYC'ers were great again as I found a thread with others who have had that issue...turns out the chick typically just out grows it. So here they all are....momma didn't like the photo shoot as it drew a crowd of hens around my feet, so she went into the coop and called the chicks to come in...they are in line up on the ramp to follow momma. Made for a cute photo.

They look so sweet! I'm happy they are doing well.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

My EE mom just laid an egg today, her chicks are only like 3 1/2 weeks old right now. She still is being a doting mother to the chicks, no change in behavior. But is this the beginning of the end of her "mothering" this current brood of chicks?

I agree it could be as it indicates her hormones have shifted as she is now laying and therefore ready to mate and begin the cycle again.

But birds vary a lot. I have had some mothers lay eggs but still mother. Others barely hang around for 4 weeks and then are gone (or pacing like mad women to be let out).

If she makes it to 4 weeks, that is the lower end of average but average. At 4 weeks they usually are pretty well feathered (at least broody hatched chicks are)...she will likely still let them snuggle at roost at night, or they can huddle together in the nest if she flies up and doesn't want them with her.

LofMc

 

[KrystalRose]

Thanks vpatt and LofMc. She laid another egg today. She and the chicks are in a large dog crate that is in the main coop, I let them out with the flock to run around a couple times a day to get them integrated. When I do let them out she seems to stay with them and be mom, and tonight while the other chickens were going to roost she was on the ground with chicks under her like normal. I was going to try this weekend to let them out of the crate all weekend to see how that goes. My only concern is that it is still getting around 35-45 here at night and not all my chicks are fully feathered. I guess I will have to put them back under a heat lamp if she does decide to abandon them? At least at night anyways.


This picture shows my most and least feathered chicks, kind of hard to believe they are only a few days apart! And yes I know the bigger one is looking very roo. Looking back at the last time I had chicks, (these guys mommas) the barred rock were much slower to feather than the rest of the breeds, maybe my slow to feather chicks are from those girls?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thanks vpatt and LofMc. She laid another egg today. She and the chicks are in a large dog crate that is in the main coop, I let them out with the flock to run around a couple times a day to get them integrated. When I do let them out she seems to stay with them and be mom, and tonight while the other chickens were going to roost she was on the ground with chicks under her like normal. I was going to try this weekend to let them out of the crate all weekend to see how that goes. My only concern is that it is still getting around 35-45 here at night and not all my chicks are fully feathered. I guess I will have to put them back under a heat lamp if she does decide to abandon them? At least at night anyways.


This picture shows my most and least feathered chicks, kind of hard to believe they are only a few days apart! And yes I know the bigger one is looking very roo. Looking back at the last time I had chicks, (these guys mommas) the barred rock were much slower to feather than the rest of the breeds, maybe my slow to feather chicks are from those girls?

I personally would not push the integration if I felt it might encourage the hen to abandon the chicks. They do need to feather more with those temps. Give her some room to wander with them, but maybe not so that she can integrate back into the flock until they are better feathered, in maybe another week or two at most.

My thoughts.
LofMc

 

[hayleynzodiac]

New chicken keeper needing advice. I have a Broody hen in a nesting box. The coop is raised above ground and only 4 x 4, I'm hoping not to but it is possible to section her off from the other two hens or move them to The enclosed run. Recommendations?