Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[itstartedwith2]

Ok i

It will depend on your roosters. Some are good with chicks and others, not so much. You will have to see how the roos react to new chicks. You should also consider the Roo to Hen ratio; when brooding the girls won't be receptive to the advances of the roos and will leave those not brooding or raising chicks to "satisfy" the roos.

My bantam (broody) pen consists of 6 hens and 1 roo who is a great daddy so it is possible. I currently have 5 broody girls and have just recently added 2 younger pullets to the pen to take some of the pressure off of my lone hen.

Ok thank you I might take a roo and a hen or 2 out to help with that problem and hopefully add a few more hens to the mix for the boys?

 

[Kaylish]

Ok i
Ok thank you I might take a roo and a hen or 2 out to help with that problem and hopefully add a few more hens to the mix for the boys?

More hens certainly won't hurt as long as the space isn't overcrowded. If you decide to split the roos up; keep in mind that there is a good chance you won't be able to put them back in the same pen. My 2 boys (hatchmates) were the best of buds until I moved one into his own pen with his own ladies. Now they try and kill each other if they manage to get out at the same time (one of them is a bit of an escape artist).

Probably the most important thing is to watch your flock and be willing to adjust if necessary.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thanks for your response. Within your broody pen/compound do you isolate the hen when you set eggs? I am assuming their is more than one hen in this area. I free range, so this approach would be a little more difficult for me, but still doable. I could divide out the broody subflock in early spring and give them their own pasture.

I have the option to if I need to...it depends on the hens and size of clutch hatching...as well as breeds.

When I used it with my Silkie and a LF hen, I did subdivide down the middle (in one of the photos you can see my divider screen leaning up against the fence). Most of my LF hens do not respect my Silkie, so she gets hazed a lot. They did better in the open run, but I had to lock them up separately at night or the LF would pick on the Silkie in the closed hutch.

I have since gone to a full time broody squad with a Silkie and 2 bantam Cochins to avoid the hassle of LF vs. bantam during brooding. The Cochins haven't gone broody yet, but I have hope because of their sizes and personality types, I can simply keep things open...but I have 2 end boards and a middle divider to add or take away as needs change, and I have a dog crate below that is for overflow to move a hen with older chicks, or non-broodies, if a broody and small chicks needs to be contained upstairs.

I have found the adaptability important.
LofMc

 

[vpatt]

If he is healthy and at a good weight, I don't see why not.  Crack open a few and check.

Duh...I forgot that I could see that....

 

[ddj712]

Hello! I have two broody hens. My black one, Tango, has two eggs under her and the white one, White Girl, has one. I don't have room in the coop for any more than this, assuming they all hatch, so I've been trying to take any new eggs. I have three hens total, and all their eggs are different looking so I can usually distinguish between them (right now only the one non-broody hen, Gump, is laying). Best I can tell, we'll probably have the Tango's eggs hatching this weekend or early next week. I don't think I'm going to be able to remove the hens from the coop for several reasons. Number 1, I can't really handle the chickens; they've never been "touchable." Number 2, we have lots of predators around and the coop is as close to Ft Knox as we could build it so it's the safest place, but it's not big enough to fashion a "maternity ward." Our nest boxes aren't real high off the ground, but too high for chicks to get in and out of, I would think. I don't know what I should do! I could separate the chicks and keep them in a brooder, but that defeats the purpose of letting mama hens do it. We do have an old open-bottomed rabbit hutch that I think we might be able to modify as a temporary home. If I wait until the chicks are hatched and then put the babies in there, maybe mama would follow? I know the chicks need chick starter, so do I just replace all the food in the coop with chick starter? Gump is still laying and I have a rooster as well. They free range when I can let them. I lost my biggest and best layer last week to an unknown predator so I've been gun-shy about letting them out. I know there are a lot of questions here and I welcome any advice! I've been reading through the posts to this thread but there are so many!

 

[Darklingstorm]

Question: when do broody mammas usually separate from her chicks?
I have a BO with 6 chicks. Due to some unforeseen issues, I have 4 more chicks of the same age (siblings) and 6 chicks that are a week older. I tried to sneak the babies under her one night but she threw such a fit she attacked one of her own till she recognized its chirps.
I want to combine all the chicks together but don't want to cause myself even bigger issues. Mamma and babies are in a tractor, while the other 10 are in a large brooder box in the garage. Right now I have to wrangle the 10 chicks and take them outside, then herd them again to carry them back inside. At the moment, I'm just using plastic netting and stakes to keep them penned together but I have to watch them closely encase my cat or something else tries to sneak in. I'm working on getting a bigger run built for when they are all grown and join the adults, so don't really want to spend the time and money to build a stronger temp. run for chicks too.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Hello! I have two broody hens. My black one, Tango, has two eggs under her and the white one, White Girl, has one. I don't have room in the coop for any more than this, assuming they all hatch, so I've been trying to take any new eggs. I have three hens total, and all their eggs are different looking so I can usually distinguish between them (right now only the one non-broody hen, Gump, is laying). Best I can tell, we'll probably have the Tango's eggs hatching this weekend or early next week. I don't think I'm going to be able to remove the hens from the coop for several reasons. Number 1, I can't really handle the chickens; they've never been "touchable." Number 2, we have lots of predators around and the coop is as close to Ft Knox as we could build it so it's the safest place, but it's not big enough to fashion a "maternity ward." Our nest boxes aren't real high off the ground, but too high for chicks to get in and out of, I would think. I don't know what I should do! I could separate the chicks and keep them in a brooder, but that defeats the purpose of letting mama hens do it. We do have an old open-bottomed rabbit hutch that I think we might be able to modify as a temporary home. If I wait until the chicks are hatched and then put the babies in there, maybe mama would follow? I know the chicks need chick starter, so do I just replace all the food in the coop with chick starter? Gump is still laying and I have a rooster as well. They free range when I can let them. I lost my biggest and best layer last week to an unknown predator so I've been gun-shy about letting them out. I know there are a lot of questions here and I welcome any advice! I've been reading through the posts to this thread but there are so many!

First, welcome to BYC and to the Old Fashioned Broody thread!

Now to your question...while many of us prefer to separate out our broodies, it really depends on the chemistry and size of your flock.

Since you haven't got a lot of hens (3), and 2 of them brooding, if there is enough "elbow room" in the area for chicks and moms and roo, you should be able to brood right where they are as you don't have a lot of pressure on those nest boxes. That's as long as the hens are not stealing eggs or pushing a hen off her nest, or the roo being a pest. But if all are living in harmony now, they should be able to hatch and brood the chicks in that main coop. Do watch after the chicks hatch as some moms become very protective, you might see some squabbles among the moms or a mom angry at the other hen or roo. You don't want chicks to get trampled if mom charges at a nosey neighbor.

As to the nest boxes, make up a little ramp so the chicks can reach the box. You can do that with pine shavings, sand, bricks, even build a little ramp. Mine make it up a 4 foot high ramp by week 2 (takes a little learning the first week).

If you do need to move chicks, then move after hatch as it is very, very easy to move momma and chicks after they hatch...yes, momma will relocate where ever you put those chicks and stay there as long as you block her in (she might chose another place to brood them).

Safety is important for those young chicks as nothing will draw out predators faster than the peeps of chicks, and from what you are saying, that may have to be the main coop.

As to feed, yes you need to either put out chick start for all of them (non-medicated if you want to eat the eggs), supplementing with calcite grit or oyster shell for the laying hen. Many prefer to put everyone on flock raiser and supplement, but the chick start gives the little guys some extra nutrition in the early weeks, which they will need. You just don't want the babies on layer as that is too much calcium for their systems.

Happy hatching! Keep us posted as to how it went.
LofMc

 

[bumpercarr]

Hello! I have two broody hens. My black one, Tango, has two eggs under her and the white one, White Girl, has one. I don't have room in the coop for any more than this, assuming they all hatch, so I've been trying to take any new eggs. I have three hens total, and all their eggs are different looking so I can usually distinguish between them (right now only the one non-broody hen, Gump, is laying). Best I can tell, we'll probably have the Tango's eggs hatching this weekend or early next week. I don't think I'm going to be able to remove the hens from the coop for several reasons. Number 1, I can't really handle the chickens; they've never been "touchable." Number 2, we have lots of predators around and the coop is as close to Ft Knox as we could build it so it's the safest place, but it's not big enough to fashion a "maternity ward." Our nest boxes aren't real high off the ground, but too high for chicks to get in and out of, I would think. I don't know what I should do! I could separate the chicks and keep them in a brooder, but that defeats the purpose of letting mama hens do it. We do have an old open-bottomed rabbit hutch that I think we might be able to modify as a temporary home. If I wait until the chicks are hatched and then put the babies in there, maybe mama would follow? I know the chicks need chick starter, so do I just replace all the food in the coop with chick starter? Gump is still laying and I have a rooster as well. They free range when I can let them. I lost my biggest and best layer last week to an unknown predator so I've been gun-shy about letting them out. I know there are a lot of questions here and I welcome any advice! I've been reading through the posts to this thread but there are so many!

First, you don't have to separate them. If the nest boxes are too high, the hen will stay on the floor with the chicks until they can make it up into the roost or to the nest boxes...wherever her preferred night time place is. Generally, it takes about two weeks for the chicks to figure out ramps, etc. Usually I put a box (just a cardboard box) in the coop that mom can use to sleep with the chicks, she'll feel more secure with walls surrounding her if she has to sleep on the floor. With such a small flock, you shouldn't have any problems with them picking on the chicks (but just keep an eye on them once she takes them out).

I feed all of my birds flock raiser under normal circumstances, with free choice oyster shell. When I have a broody, I switch everyone over to chick raiser (I use medicated) so that regardless of where the chicks decide to feed they will get the chick food. It doesn't seem to bother the other birds, I have Brahmas and they are pigs so the more protein for them the better (in their opinion).

Generally speaking, if you just let nature take it's course everything will work out fine. Don't panic (yet) and just keep an eye on them. Try to address the issues as they arise, rather than trying to anticipate any issues that may or may not come up.

Good luck!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Question: when do broody mammas usually separate from her chicks?
I have a BO with 6 chicks. Due to some unforeseen issues, I have 4 more chicks of the same age (siblings) and 6 chicks that are a week older. I tried to sneak the babies under her one night but she threw such a fit she attacked one of her own till she recognized its chirps.
I want to combine all the chicks together but don't want to cause myself even bigger issues. Mamma and babies are in a tractor, while the other 10 are in a large brooder box in the garage. Right now I have to wrangle the 10 chicks and take them outside, then herd them again to carry them back inside. At the moment, I'm just using plastic netting and stakes to keep them penned together but I have to watch them closely encase my cat or something else tries to sneak in. I'm working on getting a bigger run built for when they are all grown and join the adults, so don't really want to spend the time and money to build a stronger temp. run for chicks too.

I think momma has answered your question...she is not willing to raise older chicks. One week is a significant difference in the ages and development, so the older chicks look like intruders to her right now. If you foster, it is best to do so within a day or so of hatch, and then add chicks nearly the same age. Some hens will accept just about anything, but most will react the way your hen did with older chicks being grafted into younger hatched chicks.

Mommas will fledge the babies around 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the hen.

LofMc

 

[Fentress]

I have the option to if I need to...it depends on the hens and size of clutch hatching...as well as breeds.

When I used it with my Silkie and a LF hen, I did subdivide down the middle (in one of the photos you can see my divider screen leaning up against the fence). Most of my LF hens do not respect my Silkie, so she gets hazed a lot. They did better in the open run, but I had to lock them up separately at night or the LF would pick on the Silkie in the closed hutch.

I have since gone to a full time broody squad with a Silkie and 2 bantam Cochins to avoid the hassle of LF vs. bantam during brooding. The Cochins haven't gone broody yet, but I have hope because of their sizes and personality types, I can simply keep things open...but I have 2 end boards and a middle divider to add or take away as needs change, and I have a dog crate below that is for overflow to move a hen with older chicks, or non-broodies, if a broody and small chicks needs to be contained upstairs.

I have found the adaptability important.
LofMc

That is interesting that given the right enivronment and the appropriate breed that you don't always separate/isolate broody hens when the set. Assuming that there is no aggressive behavior to worry about, won't the hens on their own get confused and try to set on someone elses eggs? Also, if you don't mind how many eggs can the average Silkie cover? thanks again.