Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Majd]

She loves cuddles!
Forgive my detached posting... Barely 2 out of 10 trials are working

 

[Majd]

Will post more tomorrow it's taking forever

 

[Lady of McCamley]

can you get a shallow tray (such as a cookie sheet or similar) and fill it with play sand?.... Lowes sells it (usually nice and dry) in a 50lb bag for about $3.50-$4... one bag would work fine for what you are doing. After filling it about 1/2 inch with the sand then you can layer in some alfalfa. Even if the alfalfa is kicked aside the sand still helps provide a bit of cushion and can assist in temperature control since even though it warms slowly it also cools slowly. The sand has the added benefit of giving a bit of skid control/traction to the area. It can easily be sifted or replaced if it gets soiled and I have even heated it in the microwave to quickly warm some for emergency brooder area setup.

One of those low boot trays may work also... I have even used a low sided cardboard box (like a soda or water box) with the front side cut so it folded down into a ramp, they are easy to find and modify and are free.

That is a good idea...I bought a boot tray, but it was too light to stay put with shavings...I never thought of sand.

I really, really resisted picking momma and eggs up and putting her in my old tray with bedding as she is in the middle of things now and I could make it worse than better....although I may do that yet hoping for better temerpature/humidity control with the shavings under the eggs. GOOD NEWS..the 3rd egg is loudly chirping but no pip yet.

Baby is hanging in there in the shoe box.

I'm keeping a close eye as things are not going well...too late and too long...probably due to low temperature and low humidity...my guess is from that feed bag liner wicking it all away.

LofMc

 

[celestialdreamer]

I'm so excited, our silkie hen is broody for the first time, which is why we got her in the first place. She's been camped out in a nest box for the past week so today I gave her 4 standard size eggs from our EE flock and I could be imagining things but she seemed so happy. She seems to covering them okay, so is that an okay number for her? She's not a big hen. I'm planning to leave her for a couple days on the eggs and then transfer her and her clutch to a secure dog crate.

Unfortunately there is no way it would be safe for chicks to hatch in our coop because it's off the ground by about 2 ft and I'm afraid they'd fall out the door. Does this mean I should plan for a separate temporary coop/run for her to raise her babies? I have never had a good broody so I am not sure the best way to do this.

 

[sssharon]

Celestialdreamer, when my broody was hatching eggs, at the end I was worried that her chicks would fall out so I put a piece of wood in front of the nest. When I went out the next morning the wood was gone and so were five of my 6 chicks. One chick was still in the box looking down. Mama had taken all of the other chicks down under the nesting boxes also like yours, a couple of feet or more off the ground. She had, I figured out later,tucked them under wings and carried them down. Cutest thing ever. I had worried for nothing. I hope things go well for you. Just thought I'd try to ease your mind a little. Your broody will I hope be the same way.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Chick saver is an electrolyte mixture to boost the energy level and immune system. If I'm not mistaken, sulmet is a medicine for cocci, hard on the birds system, but works like a charm

What is chick saver, or sulmet?

Yes...the Chick Saver is vitamins and electrolytes to give energy to a struggling chick.

Sulmet is sulfamethazine sodium (a sulfa drug) and is used to treat coccidiosis (overgrowth of coccidia protozoa) and various gram negative bacteria such as Salmonella, and e-Coli, which are common chicken bacteria, and various others including the bacteria behind Coryza and Pasturella. http://www.drugs.com/vet/sulmet-drinking-water-solution-12-5.html

When I have a struggling chick from hatch, it is often because it took too long to emerge from the shell leaving it vulnerable to invading bacteria. The open naval/healing naval is a perfect entry way for various bacteria which thrive in the warm, enclosing, yolk rich abdomen. I'm not thinking coccidia could be a culprit this early, but in the barnyard hatching environment, who knows. I have had good results by putting struggling-just-hatched chicks on Chick Saver and Sulmet for the first couple of days until their naval looks "happy" again and they look strong on their legs.

I often follow up with tetracyline (Duramycin-10) which is a broader based antibiotic that will also take care of MG (which an be passed from the mother to egg) and broader based bacteria (including the "good" bacteria). I may add that on day 3 if it continues to look lethargic...but the chick is picking up nicely and the Sulmet may have done the trick to ward off growing bacteria. http://www.drugs.com/vet/duramycin-10.html

LofMc

 

[Shahann]

My seven Easter Eggers! 3 hatched 5/22/15; 4 hatched 5/23/15. The rooster was a Lavender Americauna. The hens were Orpingtons (black and buff), and Red Sex Links. Sadly, Pluto the Rooster was killed by a red fox earlier that morning while protecting his flock. (He was such a good rooster!) A Red Sex Link hen was taken by the red fox as well.
No, these chick most likely will not end up as McNuggets. They are crossbreeds to make colorful eggs. It's too early to tell, but the one with the chipmunk-looking stripes seems to be a rooster (but that's just my guess.) We'll see. I don't have any experience when it comes from sexing chickens. Heck, I thought my alpha big red hen was a rooster for about five months... I wondered why she didn't crow. That's another story.

Out of fifteen eggs (yes, I'm a rookie and didn't realize that a hen's clutch needed to cover the eggs in the nest and not whole hen including her wings...) eight hatched. Seven survived. The one that did not hatch was an egg from the Lavender Americauna. The other four Americauna eggs didn't even pip. (I'm giving them two more days before I throw them away.) These eggs hatched on day 22.

It was hard to get the egg carton shot. These little chicks are full of spunk -- especially that chipmunk-striped one! It was one of the first three to hatch. I'm guessing that means that mama is doing a good job with them and they are strong and healthy.

 

[EastNashChick]

My seven Easter Eggers! 3 hatched 5/22/15; 4 hatched 5/23/15. The rooster was a Lavender Americauna. The hens were Orpingtons (black and buff), and Red Sex Links. Sadly, Pluto the Rooster was killed by a red fox earlier that morning while protecting his flock. (He was such a good rooster!) A Red Sex Link hen was taken by the red fox as well. No, these chick most likely will not end up as McNuggets. They are crossbreeds to make colorful eggs. It's too early to tell, but the one with the chipmunk-looking stripes seems to be a rooster (but that's just my guess.) We'll see. I don't have any experience when it comes from sexing chickens. Heck, I thought my alpha big red hen was a rooster for about five months... I wondered why she didn't crow. That's another story. Out of fifteen eggs (yes, I'm a rookie and didn't realize that a hen's clutch needed to cover the eggs in the nest and not whole hen including her wings...) eight hatched. Seven survived. The one that did not hatch was an egg from the Lavender Americauna. The other four Americauna eggs didn't even pip. (I'm giving them two more days before I throw them away.) These eggs hatched on day 22. It was hard to get the egg carton shot. These little chicks are full of spunk -- especially that chipmunk-striped one! It was one of the first three to hatch. I'm guessing that means that mama is doing a good job with them and they are strong and healthy.

Adorable!

 

[EastNashChick]

Yes...the Chick Saver is vitamins and electrolytes to give energy to a struggling chick.

Sulmet is sulfamethazine sodium (a sulfa drug) and is used to treat coccidiosis (overgrowth of coccidia protozoa) and various gram negative bacteria such as Salmonella, and e-Coli, which are common chicken bacteria, and various others including the bacteria behind Coryza and Pasturella. http://www.drugs.com/vet/sulmet-drinking-water-solution-12-5.html

When I have a struggling chick from hatch, it is often because it took too long to emerge from the shell leaving it vulnerable to invading bacteria. The open naval/healing naval is a perfect entry way for various bacteria which thrive in the warm, enclosing, yolk rich abdomen. I'm not thinking coccidia could be a culprit this early, but in the barnyard hatching environment, who knows. I have had good results by putting struggling-just-hatched chicks on Chick Saver and Sulmet for the first couple of days until their naval looks "happy" again and they look strong on their legs. 

I often follow up with tetracyline (Duramycin-10) which is a broader based antibiotic that will also take care of MG (which an be passed from the mother to egg) and broader based bacteria (including the "good" bacteria). I may add that on day 3 if it continues to look lethargic...but the chick is picking up nicely and the Sulmet may have done the trick to ward off growing bacteria. http://www.drugs.com/vet/duramycin-10.html

LofMc

Thanks! I'll have to get some for my hatch in a few days!!

 

[Wishapup]

The partition method worked with the first broody, but this time around with a larger and less docile hen it isn't working. She's been sitting for 5 days and has battered the partition down twice to get out when she feels like it. Then she gets on another nest full of eggs, and I find the BCM eggs cold. She did this yesterday. I found her in the late morning and I don't know how long she was off them. She also did it today for 4 hours max. I hope the eggs are okay. They were cool - temps in the sixties/low seventies. They are only in the first week of incubation so I fear they aren't too hardy (producing no heat of their own yet). Do you think they'll be okay?

I have a hatch finishing up in the bator. I was considering that when it is done, I could move the broody's eggs in there and return them to her on day 18. She could remain broody in the meantime but I wouldn't have to worry about her moving nests.