Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[itstartedwith2]

45! Wow I amazed by 3 hahaha! I've move my broodies once I decide they are really broody in their own pen. I have a question about when to let the broody and her chicks out with the other chickens? This will be when I'm close by doing chores so I can step in if needed.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I have a question about when to let the broody and her chicks out with the other chickens? This will be when I'm close by doing chores so I can step in if needed.

I can not help you with that answer---My answer is Never. I never even allow the chicks---when they are grown----to mix with the older hens----I sell the older hens-----when the younger are laying good. I been doing this for about 20 years------I rarely have a chicken that is 2 years old.

 

[bumpercarr]

I don't separate my broodies from the flock as a rule. When they raise the chicks with the rest of the big girls, the chicks are automatically integrated into the flock.

There are several different thoughts about which direction is best, you need to do what works for you and your flock.

 

[Bushmansbliss]

X2 on bumpercarr's statement. My broodies and their chicks are part of the flock from there first day off the nest. I feel If your going to have free range birds it helps the little ones learn the language of the flock, predator calls, food calls, hierarchy and what not.

 

[Carolei]

I'm worried about my broody hen because she doesn't seem to get off the nest at all. She doesn't even seem to shift position. Today is day 7. I started feeding her scrambled eggs and scratch on the nest because she doesn't get up. She doesn't eat very much of it, just a few bites. I've also fed her grapes and watermelon because she isn't drinking either. Now I'm wondering if this is a mistake. Will feeding her fruit make it more likely that she will soil her nest? Is it okay to feed her scratch if she isn't getting any grit? Her comb is very pale -- baby pink -- and I'm worried that she's dehydrated. I offer her water on the nest and she drank some a few days ago, but not at all since then. She is a year old and a first time broody. Am I interfering too much? Help!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I'm worried about my broody hen because she doesn't seem to get off the nest at all. She doesn't even seem to shift position. Today is day 7. I started feeding her scrambled eggs and scratch on the nest because she doesn't get up. She doesn't eat very much of it, just a few bites. I've also fed her grapes and watermelon because she isn't drinking either. Now I'm wondering if this is a mistake. Will feeding her fruit make it more likely that she will soil her nest? Is it okay to feed her scratch if she isn't getting any grit? Her comb is very pale -- baby pink -- and I'm worried that she's dehydrated. I offer her water on the nest and she drank some a few days ago, but not at all since then. She is a year old and a first time broody. Am I interfering too much? Help!

She is doing exactly what nature has created her to do...brood eggs...so think about it...if you put eggs in an incubator, do you constantly open and close the door?

The hen is sitting 24/7 for 3 weeks to incubate eggs. She will generally get up once a day to eat/drink/poo in about a 10 to 20 minute stretch (almost always when you are not looking), then go back to those eggs as they can't cool down if she wants them to hatch.

The pale comb is because her hormones are not producing for egg production...so her comb will become withered and pale. She will also lose weight (just like a long distance runner after a marathon).

You can treat her to a daily treat if you like, such as scrambled egg and yogurt, which can be very beneficial...or simply put high protein feed, like chick start, in her feeder a few steps away from her nest so she has to get up to stretch but within eyesight so she doesn't forget about it. I like to put Chick Saver or other type electrolyte/vitamin in her water...think marathon runner getting up for quick energy and sip.

Then let her be undisturbed to do what she needs to do. You'll be rewarded with a good hatch.

LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Update on my Isbar rescues after a really bizarre and late broody hatch (due to funky bedding leaving the eggs unevenly heated as the eggs were often on the plastic liner with nothing underneath...my calculations).

Broody Rosie, the bantam Cochin, is still trying to brood duds. I've opened the hutch up to let the others shuffle through in hopes of dislodging her, but no shifting. I hate to break a brood on any bird, but I may either attempt a foster or break her...we'll see. Hubby still has the secondary coop in severe remodel, so I need to move my grow out OE and Cal Greys before I can attempt a foster situation as my broody/grow out run is running out of room with the nearly full grown OE and Cal Greys still in it, and 3 broodies!

For the Isbar rescues...End of week 2 and I lost the splash chick (no surprise as that was a late assist on day 26). The blue is in really good shape and looking normal and on track. The black is hanging in there...still very small and somewhat wobbly as it had straddle leg. I treated for a few days until it became so distressed by the hobbling that it wasn't eating/drinking...so I took that off to just let nature take its course. It has surprised me by getting around fairly well, eating, drinking. It is feathering in, so we'll see. Hopefully it will slowly gain.

However, since I figured I may lose the black, and the blue gets very upset alone, I purchased 2 Gold Stars from the feed store of the same age which are doing very nicely and have become best buds with the blue Isbar.

....and today I went into the feed store to purchase a replacement thermometer (was using my good science thermometer which is fragile) and of course couldn't resist walking out with a 1 1/2 week old Barnevelder...afterall if I'm going to do an artificial brood (which I HATE doing as I USE BROODIES) I might as well make it really worth my while.

In for a penny; in for a pound...chicken math never fails.

LofMc

 

[chainedspider]

45! Wow I amazed by 3 hahaha! I've move my broodies once I decide they are really broody in their own pen. I have a question about when to let the broody and her chicks out with the other chickens? This will be when I'm close by doing chores so I can step in if needed.

This is our first year dealing with a broody hen and we're learning as we go. We only started with 5 eggs under her and two disappeared (we think a snake got them). The three that remained hatched but at different times making the last two hatching difficult because momma wouldn't sit on the two eggs regularly once the first one hatched. We finally got all three hatched but momma kept wandering off with the first one, ignoring the other two so we isolated the 4 of them in a smaller coop for a few days. After two or three days, we reintegrated them into the flock and have been doing so ever since, only isolating them at night. Once they are a few weeks old, then we'll stop isolating them at night as well.

From what we see, there are no problems with the chicks and momma being part of the main flock. Momma is very protective of the chicks and will go after any of the hens who even glance at the chicks the wrong way. Our flock ranges in ages from 5 weeks to 3 years old. Our rooster has even taken the chicks under his wing as well and they'll run under and around him and he doesn't do a thing to them.

 

[bumpercarr]

This is our first year dealing with a broody hen and we're learning as we go. We only started with 5 eggs under her and two disappeared (we think a snake got them). The three that remained hatched but at different times making the last two hatching difficult because momma wouldn't sit on the two eggs regularly once the first one hatched. We finally got all three hatched but momma kept wandering off with the first one, ignoring the other two so we isolated the 4 of them in a smaller coop for a few days. After two or three days, we reintegrated them into the flock and have been doing so ever since, only isolating them at night. Once they are a few weeks old, then we'll stop isolating them at night as well.

From what we see, there are no problems with the chicks and momma being part of the main flock. Momma is very protective of the chicks and will go after any of the hens who even glance at the chicks the wrong way. Our flock ranges in ages from 5 weeks to 3 years old. Our rooster has even taken the chicks under his wing as well and they'll run under and around him and he doesn't do a thing to them.

I find that the cock birds are very accommodating with chicks. My hens/pullets will attack a chick if they feel like it, but I've never seen one of my males go after a chick...ever.

 

[bumpercarr]

Update on my Isbar rescues after a really bizarre and late broody hatch (due to funky bedding leaving the eggs unevenly heated as the eggs were often on the plastic liner with nothing underneath...my calculations).

Broody Rosie, the bantam Cochin, is still trying to brood duds. I've opened the hutch up to let the others shuffle through in hopes of dislodging her, but no shifting. I hate to break a brood on any bird, but I may either attempt a foster or break her...we'll see. Hubby still has the secondary coop in severe remodel, so I need to move my grow out OE and Cal Greys before I can attempt a foster situation as my broody/grow out run is running out of room with the nearly full grown OE and Cal Greys still in it, and 3 broodies!

For the Isbar rescues...End of week 2 and I lost the splash chick (no surprise as that was a late assist on day 26). The blue is in really good shape and looking normal and on track. The black is hanging in there...still very small and somewhat wobbly as it had straddle leg. I treated for a few days until it became so distressed by the hobbling that it wasn't eating/drinking...so I took that off to just let nature take its course. It has surprised me by getting around fairly well, eating, drinking. It is feathering in, so we'll see. Hopefully it will slowly gain.

However, since I figured I may lose the black, and the blue gets very upset alone, I purchased 2 Gold Stars from the feed store of the same age which are doing very nicely and have become best buds with the blue Isbar.

....and today I went into the feed store to purchase a replacement thermometer (was using my good science thermometer which is fragile) and of course couldn't resist walking out with a 1 1/2 week old Barnevelder...afterall if I'm going to do an artificial brood (which I HATE doing as I USE BROODIES) I might as well make it really worth my while.

In for a penny; in for a pound...chicken math never fails.

LofMc

Glad to hear all is going well. I thought that my one broody that has been sitting for almost 4 weeks now had finally given up, she's had plenty of fertile eggs (she keeps stealing them) but if one hatched, I didn't see it.

Well, she decided she wasn't done, so now she has new fertile eggs under her. I also moved all of the layers into a different pen so that she can't steal anymore eggs. Hopefully one of these hatch....otherwise I'll have to break her brood as well and I hate doing that. The second broody is sitting on two eggs (no opportunity for her to steal eggs) and hopefully one will hatch. If not, I may need to break her brood as well.

Breaking broods is not my favorite thing.