Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[mylittlehippie]

Looks like a great set up!


Wait until all the chicks have hatched; then you should be able to move mama and babies fairly easily. Night time is best as they will just settle down where you put them and then wake up in their new home. If you have a way to lock them in at night it will help with the transition period. I have moved several broodies and babies this way with little issue.

What about the other hens. They are sitting on her to lay. They are refusing to use the other next box now... Only one has hatched but I am worried that if I do not move her, the chick that has hatched and the other eggs they weill all get injured. Any ideas? Thanks!!

 

[fisherlady]

What about the other hens. They are sitting on her to lay. They are refusing to use the other next box now... Only one has hatched but I am worried that if I do not move her, the chick that has hatched and the other eggs they weill all get injured. Any ideas? Thanks!!

I don't like moving broodies during the hatch, but once the chicks are out they move rather easily. You can move them during the hatch, but you do risk causing trouble with any egg in the process of hatching so it is a choice you have to make if you feel it is worth the risk.
You can block off access to her current nest with a frame made out of scrap wood which is covered with chicken wire or hardware cloth or even staple wire directly over the box front for a quick fix for just the day. I would certainly block off the nest access from the other hens until the hatch is over.

 

[kilby]

Can you do this. The nest box they are in just take it inside away from the crew. Mine are inside now and after some thought the hen decided I knew best and sat again on her brood. Both broody's came in and now I have no problem or nights worrying if the other hens will crush eggs or chicks.
After my first hatch last year the hen stayed with them for I think 3 weeks before she would not stop trying to storm the gate. After that the chicks stayed in my living room under a ceramic heater that kept them at 80 F now till they got feathers. Kept them on the deck covered on warm days. Got their own pen outside to acclimate to the others. Sometimes I let the mom back in till she wanted out again. Fence is five feet high, kept them in a rabbit hutch over night when the temp was good for them checking the weather channel. They can get through 2 inch x 4 inch openings by wriggling so I doubled the bottom. They learned to jump on top of the hutch and jump over the fence and hid under the blueberry bushes after being chased by the group. When I thought they would be better off out of the hutch they got to go in the coop. Stayed close to the mom at times other times she would peck them. They hatched early spring and the summer was warm so that made it easier for me. I hope that helps. Will be peeping in now with my new chick hatch regularly.
thank you

 

[mylittlehippie]

I don't like moving broodies during the hatch, but once the chicks are out they move rather easily. You can move them during the hatch, but you do risk causing trouble with any egg in the process of hatching so it is a choice you have to make if you feel it is worth the risk.
You can block off access to her current nest with a frame made out of scrap wood which is covered with chicken wire or hardware cloth or even staple wire directly over the box front for a quick fix for just the day. I would certainly block off the nest access from the other hens until the hatch is over.

Thanks! That was the other path I was considering. I will just block off her box.

 

[mylittlehippie]

Can you do this. The nest box they are in just take it inside away from the crew. Mine are inside now and after some thought the hen decided I knew best and sat again on her brood. Both broody's came in and now I have no problem or nights worrying if the other hens will crush eggs or chicks.
After my first hatch last year the hen stayed with them for I think 3 weeks before she would not stop trying to storm the gate. After that the chicks stayed in my living room under a ceramic heater that kept them at 80 F now till they got feathers. Kept them on the deck covered on warm days. Got their own pen outside to acclimate to the others. Sometimes I let the mom back in till she wanted out again. Fence is five feet high, kept them in a rabbit hutch over night when the temp was good for them checking the weather channel. They can get through 2 inch x 4 inch openings by wriggling so I doubled the bottom. They learned to jump on top of the hutch and jump over the fence and hid under the blueberry bushes after being chased by the group. When I thought they would be better off out of the hutch they got to go in the coop. Stayed close to the mom at times other times she would peck them. They hatched early spring and the summer was warm so that made it easier for me. I hope that helps. Will be peeping in now with my new chick hatch regularly.
thank you

The boxes are built into my coop so they are not movable otherwise that would be much easier. Thanks for all of the tips guys!!

 

[Wishapup]

My broody bantam's 2 chicks are almost a week old. They don't seem to be doing a whole lot of growing but they are getting wing feathers! She's a very attentive mother and they are so interesting to watch!

So now I have an EE sitting on 8 Black Copper Marans due to hatch in early June

And Saturday will be hatch day for the incubator.

 

[Pyxis]

Well, I said I was going to get more broodies and I was right. My original broody has keets and chicks due the 30th. A second BO went broody and she's getting d'uccle eggs whenever they arrive (supposed to have arrived today but you know how the PO is) and now my black australorp has decided she wants to be broody again after trying it for about three days earlier this month and then quitting. I am running out of dog crates, lol, and I have no idea what to give the BA. And it looks like my brahma/BO cross is flirting with the idea of brooding, too.

 

[StarMeKritten]

I have 4 broodies that are 1 week in. Now both of my silkie hens are broody. My silkie rooster doesn't seem to be doing his job, so they were just given wyandotte eggs to hatch instead. One of my australorp hens is sleeping in a nest box tonight so she might be joining in too. This is in addition to 2 other hens that are currently raising chicks... We love our broody hens.

 

[Johnn]

Daisy is now on her duck eggs!

 

[mollybuck]

hey all! i havent been here since last year! I have a broody on eggs, shes been on them for a while now. her first set got smashed (goats can figure a way into anything.. cant they!?) When I found them, she had already moved to another nest...so I cleaned up the mess and put her back in and reinforced the openings. This morning I went to check on her and there is a PIP! which is wonderful, but they are suppose to be due for another week. my guess is she took an unbroken egg with her to the new nest....if this one hatches, she wont continue to set will she? i will be firing up the bator, for a batch of eggs coming any day now.. but i am not sure about putting eggs that are about to hatch in with brand new ones...
i feel bad. i candled a couple of them earlier and they were doing wonderful!