Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[song of joy]

Song of joy, this is just my personal experience with my broody. I never separated her. She goes up on the highest nesting box and it was just my good luck that she turned out to be a great Broody and mama. When she had her chicks she tucked them in and Took them down below the whole nesting box area which is at least 2 feet off the ground. My other chickens did not bother her at all and it's probably because she is a very protective mama. I move them into a smaller coop and left the door open. On the second day she had her checks out on the floor already and nobody bother them at all and if the other chickens did come near her chicks they didn't stay for long. She got in a couple of flights right off the bat and nobody bothered her chicks once they could see that they were going to get anywhere. I hope you have is good luck with your Broody. Mine is sitting on eggs again and hopefully things will go as smoothly as they did the last time. She will be hatching next Monday hopefully if everything goes right.

Unfortunately, there was too much nest disturbance to leave her in the coop with the other hens. Guess I'll try to move her and the chicks into the coop with the others before the chicks are a week old and hope she's a protective mama.

Best of luck with your next hatch!

 

[moali99]

Moali99 If you have not got it figured out yet-----Here is what I would suggest now and in the future---ALWAYS collect your eggs DAILY from EVERY NEST including a nest that has a hen sitting in it. Then if you have a hen that is staying on the nest/wanting to be broody-----if you want her to hatch---start collecting eggs for her----fresh, fertile eggs---when you get the amount you want to use---mark them clearly----I use a pencil and make several passes around the egg towards the pointy end----seems to stay on there longer----place the eggs under her, making sure there are none already under her. Every day You will have to tilt her enough to see the eggs and remove any fresh layed, un-marked egg---EVERY DAY. I Move All Mine to a private place----so I do not have to do this daily and so she can be alone---thats your call. Good Luck!!

Thanks a lot! I'll keep an eye out next time and do what you said. Thanks again

 

[HannahLB]

I've got 13 eggs under my broody BO, and today is day 21. I don't hear any chirping and there are no holes. should I candle? If so what should I look for?

 

[moali99]

I've got 13 eggs under my broody BO, and today is day 21. I don't hear any chirping and there are no holes. should I candle? If so what should I look for?

Leave the eggs don't move them or candle them, give her till day 23 and see if anything happens.

 

[mollybuck]

So my broody eggs are hatching. The 2 I was concerned with both died during hatch a week ago. I didn't think much of it.. cleaned the box out and she kept sitting. My issue is... she ate most of one. There are 2 fluffed up and seem Fine.the last 2 are pipped. Will she continue to do this? I think she killed the first 2 too.. now.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I've got 13 eggs under my broody BO, and today is day 21. I don't hear any chirping and there are no holes. should I candle? If so what should I look for?

Hannah, In "my" opinion you should never lift, tilt or bother your broody the last 2/3 days (19/20/21). Im "My" opinion again--You should not offer feed or water where she can get to it without getting off the nest----doing that can and will cause her to poop in the nest which can cause messy chicks, etc. I set MANY broody hens---when its close to hatch---I never know if the eggs are pipped etc because I do not bother her in anyway. She will usually come off the nest on day 22/23-----if she did not I would then look under her to see whats going on---but I have not had to do that with almost 40 broody hens last year----about 10 so far this year.

Also make sure when you are counting the days-----the day you put the eggs under her is day 0----the next day at the same time she was set is day 1. Good Luck!

 

[kilby]

I will show you what I have so far. Started to hatch on the May 24th just three days ago. the youngest is two days old. I believe also that
the remaining eggs were dumped there while she was nesting and getting jumped on by nervous hens. lol She was fixed up in the
sun room after that. One looks like a roo. It's got a white spot on the head larger than most. Is always the first out from under Mom too when I call. One from a copper moran egg, and two olive eggers. It is nice to have variety. You might be able to see one is chocolaty, one is black and one is black and white. Mom ignores my prompts to eat from the feeder. She spills it in the shavings and I guess they eat I don't know
what. Have to be able to let the other eggs go before I can change to paper. Now I need chick grit and starter. Anyone have good results with
organic non medicated starter? Our feed store is either or. Non organic medicated is what I used previous years.

 

[hereorthere]

Did your eggs hatch? Any pictures?

So far I have 1 of the 3 eggs. Homicidal Mama rejected it shortly after it hatched. Fortunately I found it and is now chilling in the incubator. 18 hours later HM is still sitting on 2 eggs. I can hear them chirping. HM is mean and attacks me every time I put my hand in her box. I really annoyed her last night when I added a heat lamp to her brooder box. Just in case she cast out another one. I wanted the box to at least be warm.

Yes they did! Got 8 babies out of the 10. My broody may have been sitting on a small handful before I fully realized she was in broody-mode. 2 hatched out at (my) Day 20. 5 more came out Day 21 & 22. And then she refused to sit on the rest - of those 3, I could hear a bit of peeping in 1 and kinda forced her to sit again. So one little slow-poke came out the next morning, but she had already pushed the other 2 away. Did egg-topsy them, and one had pipped but was shrink-wrap pretty bad, while the other looked it had quit early in development. In hind-sight, should have started the incubator, but c'est la vie!

Here's a pic of 1st baby - 3 EEs and 5 Welsummers total. This one is her's. Black all over with two brown spots on his head like a horizontal 8 - acts like a roo! Always jumping on her back and seeing how long he can play "King-of-the-Mountain". However I've got a rat in the hen house. Just lost 1 sometime this evening - a girl Wellie. Entire brooder pen was mess with waterer turned over, and all the babies hiding under mama. Makes me sick to my stomach. So they're totally locked closed up.



Maybe it's too HOT under the heat lamp for your Homicidal Mama? Not sure where you're at, but I'm only turning mine on just for light. My Mama is giving off plenty of her own body heat.

 

[hereorthere]

I will show you what I have so far. Started to hatch on the May 24th just three days ago. the youngest is two days old. I believe also that
the remaining eggs were dumped there while she was nesting and getting jumped on by nervous hens. lol She was fixed up in the
sun room after that. One looks like a roo. It's got a white spot on the head larger than most. Is always the first out from under Mom too when I call. One from a copper moran egg, and two olive eggers. It is nice to have variety. You might be able to see one is chocolaty, one is black and one is black and white. Mom ignores my prompts to eat from the feeder. She spills it in the shavings and I guess they eat I don't know
what. Have to be able to let the other eggs go before I can change to paper. Now I need chick grit and starter. Anyone have good results with
organic non medicated starter? Our feed store is either or. Non organic medicated is what I used previous years.

Congrats on

My Momma hen also spills the chick starter into the pine shavings. And then calling the babies over to eat what's in the shavings. She's teaching them to scratch - this is her 3rd clutch, so I trust her. However she a bit flamboyant with her scratching, and constantly kicks up the pine pellets into the waterer when they absorb ALL the water!

I've never given my flock any medicated starter or feed. Haven't caught any illness. And have had them for over 4yrs. But I give plenty of ventilation, deep litter, and they free range on weekends- otherwise they've still got a very large space for their play pen. I would caution your use of paper on the floor of your cage - it makes the surface too slippery and may cause leg issues.

 

[mollybuck]

i decided to leave her with the chicks overnight. the last 2 hatched so she has 4. she seems really good with them, so maybe the first one just didnt make it and she was ... cleaning it up... idk. she is a friendly girl, lets me reach my hands in and candle eggs, clean the box and never anything more than a growl. i will have to move her soon tho, one of my silkies is broody now and will need the box.