Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Bukbuk Betty]

Thanks, you all. It was peeping like crazy! So after getting him 'hatched' i gave him back to mama. I will see in the morning how he made it through the night. I'm sure i did some things wrong, but i did the best i could. I really dont think he would have made it without help because he was drying out in the shell. I hope he makes it but i know its a slim chance. Next time i will know better what to do.

I hope you give us an update in a few days how this guy makes out!

 

[HerbGir1972]

Well, snake smothered our green egg layer. Took the eggs.
Our first time mom the lav orp squished 3 and two lived.
We hatched 12 because there was no way those eggs could've hatched as tight as they were in the nest box.
Again final count in box 35
She started with 12
We pulled 21
Total hatched 15
Total lived 10

We found a snake in the front nest box a week later.
We call him
Catfish food.

 

[vpatt]

Well, Slim Chance made it thru the nite! At last check it was wobbling around really looking fragile, but peeping like crazy because it can't keep up with the other 8. Mama shows it no sympathy. If it survives all the jostling thru tomorrow it should be ok, i think. I am considering Chance or Peep as a name......feel free to give me some suggestions and thanks for the advice.

 

[fisherlady]

Well, Slim Chance made it thru the nite! At last check it was wobbling around really looking fragile, but peeping like crazy because it can't keep up with the other 8. Mama shows it no sympathy. If it survives all the jostling thru tomorrow it should be ok, i think. I am considering Chance or Peep as a name......feel free to give me some suggestions and thanks for the advice.

To give a late hatcher or a weaker chick the best chance I usually restrain the hen and chicks to a smaller than normal area for a couple of days. Instead of free ranging over a 100 square feet of coop or an entire yard I keep them in a large dog crate or an area similar in size. It won't hurt the hen or other chicks but it allows the weaker one to gather it's energy and get stronger.

 

[ObeyTheYeri]

Barred Rock with her two live chicks out of five hatched.

 

[vpatt]

To give a late hatcher or a weaker chick the best chance I usually restrain the hen and chicks to a smaller than normal area for a couple of days. Instead of free ranging over a 100 square feet of coop or an entire yard I keep them in a large dog crate or an area similar in size. It won't hurt the hen or other chicks but it allows the weaker one to gather it's energy and get stronger.

Thanks fisherlady. I did that yesterday. I let them into the small pen this morning. I had intended to restrain them again today, but i didnt. I wish i had but i had a dog emergency and it messed me up. But they seemed go be doing well when i checked them a while ago.

 

[Bukbuk Betty]

Just thought I would share my broody success with her 4 chicks. And the little "nursery" chick pen I cobbled together for them. They seem to be pretty happy and healthy, and momma is doing a good job so far!

 

[vpatt]

Just thought I would share my broody success with her 4 chicks. And the little "nursery" chick pen I cobbled together for them. They seem to be pretty happy and healthy, and momma is doing a good job so far!

Aren't they just the cutest.

 

[ameliadanielle]

It's supposedly hatching day for my silkie mix broody. Lately eggs have been hatching a day early. Maybe the heat. Last week when I checked her... she had lost two eggs. I assumed she broke them and ate them. The shells are in pieces in the nest. She had also pooped the nest. This is the broody I put in an 8ft pen to keep her food and water far away. I checked her in the middle of the night. Expecting to see at least one chick, I always get at least one early hatcher. Nothing. She also only has 4 eggs left. So down to 4 eggs from 10. She still has the three silkie eggs she started out with and one EE egg. So she apparently went after the blue eggs in the nest. I don't know what to do with her now. I don't know if her eggs will hatch at all. I guess I can candle them tonight if she still has no babies tonight. She's been broody for about 5 weeks now. She was broody for about 2 weeks before I put her on eggs I wanted to hatch out. I am going to have to break her from being broody and hope she doesn't immediately go broody again. Since she is 8 months old and was only laying for about a month before she went broody I fear she is a bad broody that will just keep going broody over and over. Next time she goes broody she is going in the garage so I can keep a good eye on her. She's so pretty. I don't want her to go into the crock pot. But not much use for a broody hen that won't hatch chicks and lays few eggs.

 

[ameliadanielle]

I would assume thin shells on the EE eggs, except my other first time hen that hatched chicks last month and pooped the nest twice, she hatched two eggs from the same EE hen with no problem.