Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[vpatt]

Yes it is frustrating...and it is hard not to second guess. I'm sure you did the best at the time.

I've actually regretted most of my assisted hatches. Unless you know you've disturbed a hen at the wrong time and caused "shrink wrap," there almost always is a reason the chick cannot make it out on their own. Those that I help like that have not become strong healthy hens. They've either succumbed to something (no one else caught) or I've had to cull for development issues.


But it still is sad to see the little one not make it.
LofMc

Thank you LofMc. I would like to say i will never try to rescue a chick like that again, but i know how tempting it will be to fix things.

Love your pictures and I'm happy your hens hatched out their chicks. They are so enjoyable, aren't they?

 

[sjturner79]

My bantam Crevecoeur went broody 10 days ago so I gave her 2 large fowl eggs and 1 of her own and 1 day after she went broody my Jersey Giant went broody so I gave her 4 large fowl eggs. About a week ago I found all the eggs minus one in a single nest box with BOTH broody girls in it. Should I separate them come lockdown? How many regular sized eggs can a bantam broody handle?

If you are going to separate them do it now.
I had a pair of Broodies hatch 18 eggs together in one nest box. It actually worked well with that pair and they worked together to bring up the babies.
I have had other pairs nest together and cause problems for each other.

It all depends on how well they get on. If they would normally be near each other on the roosts at night it should be fine. If they normally sleep further away from each other then they will fight over the chicks and cause problems.

 

[fisherlady]

[COLOR=333333]Two broodies hatched chicks today in the main coop. 4 of the 5 set eggs hatched lovely chicks. (One was a no develop).[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]Both mommas have coop hatched before but kept choosing the most popular corner nest and having their chicks crushed. I vowed to never let a hen try to brood in that nest box again.[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]But alas, apparently a broody hen can learn. Both went broody quickly again and chose a better location...the large open ended box. I put up a partition for one and trusted the other to hunker into the quiet corner it created on the other side.[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]Both mommas have lovely little chicks this morning, 2 each, all fluffed but still sleepy from apparently hatching late yesterday.[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]Rest of flock is respecting the space. We'll see how this coop experiment goes. (Most of you know I typically hatch in my nice broody hutch with my bantams, but I've been experimenting with main coop hatching as I have a very nice rooster and laid back flock now having gotten rid of all "persnickety" types...I've really liked how well the chicks integrate into the main flock when hatched in the main coop...if you can get them through the initial "crush" period at hatch).[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]Here are mommas....chicks are all lovely blue downed...Splash Marans/Barnevelder....to be hopefully darker layers with a blue laced appearance. Sorry no picks of babes. Didn't want to over-disturb mommas after checking this morn to see if we'd gotten hatches.[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333] [/COLOR] [COLOR=333333] [/COLOR] [COLOR=333333] [/COLOR]

So glad to hear it is working out for them this time! I love having ours hatch and raise in the coop....no integration issues, simpler chore time and well educated littles with all of the 'aunts and uncles' keeping them in line and teaching them the ropes. One of our hens, Janeway, just cut the apron strings with her 5 week olds, but they were already roosting on the shelves with the big birds and they just park in amongst their adult flock mates at night and run around doing their own thing through the day. No dramatics and no problems with the older flockmates....

 

[karenerwin]

I have 2 broody hens that have been sitting on eggs. They should be hatching this weekend (the 9th is my guess). I hen I'm not sure will hatch any because she had an egg break and I don't think I got the other eggs cleaned off well enough. Then she had another egg break but this one was a quitter ( it was a bit smelly as well). My plan is that if none of hers hatch I will buy some chicks & try to sneak them under her at night.

The second hen is sitting on 10 eggs. I am having to remove new eggs daily. Neither of these hens have ever hatched eggs before. These are the first hens that I have had that have ever gone broody!! Hopefully all will go well with her. The last time I checked, a few days ago, she had good development in the ones I could see through.

My question is: Do I need to buy some chick starter food to make available for the chicks that hatch? That is what makes sense to me, but I want to make sure I am doing it correctly.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Yes. Buy either chick start or all flock as layer will have too much calcium and can hurt babies kidneys.

If a good batch hatches with the second, just take some of those if the first doesn't get any. But don't count that batch out. I've had some break and still get decent hatches. You do run more risk of omphalitis, or naval infection, in any chick that doesn't have a properly closed naval, but nature allows for unsanitary conditions for hatching otherwise broodies could never hatch a chick. (Btw, I've never had coccidiosis in broody hatched chicks only store bought or artificially hatched....that "filth" from momma boosts the babes immune system quickly (as long as you have a healthy momma).

Good luck and keep us posted.
LofMc

 

[Puddin Fluff]

I have 2 broody hens that have been sitting on eggs. They should be hatching this weekend (the 9th is my guess). I hen I'm not sure will hatch any because she had an egg break and I don't think I got the other eggs cleaned off well enough. Then she had another egg break but this one was a quitter ( it was a bit smelly as well). My plan is that if none of hers hatch I will buy some chicks & try to sneak them under her at night.

The second hen is sitting on 10 eggs. I am having to remove new eggs daily. Neither of these hens have ever hatched eggs before. These are the first hens that I have had that have ever gone broody!! Hopefully all will go well with her. The last time I checked, a few days ago, she had good development in the ones I could see through.

My question is: Do I need to buy some chick starter food to make available for the chicks that hatch? That is what makes sense to me, but I want to make sure I am doing it correctly.

If you are removing eggs from other hens you may want to find a way to block them out during hatch. I have had babies crushed as they hatched by other hens trying to lay in the "favorite' nest box. Good luck!

 

[oregonkat]

I have sequestered my BCM hen with her eggs in a 6 x 6 ft enclosure within the larger chicken enclosure so all the other hens and the roo can see her but cannot get to her and I was wondering about the chick food when they hatch. If my hen has her food in with her do I add a separate feeder with the chick food or do I take the hens food away and just have the chick food in for all of them, mother and babies? Thanks.

 

[Bukbuk Betty]

I have sequestered my BCM hen with her eggs in a 6 x 6 ft enclosure within the larger chicken enclosure so all the other hens and the roo can see her but cannot get to her and I was wondering about the chick food when they hatch.  If my hen has her food in with her do I add a separate feeder with the chick food or do I take the hens food away and just have the chick food in for all of them, mother and babies? Thanks.

The jist of what I've read/heard from other more experienced hatchers is that mum is just fine on the chick food, and the extra protein may actually be beneficial to her. She won't be laying right away so doesn't need the extra calcium in layer feed. I've also got mt mum and her babies in a separate pen with just chick crumble and they're all doing very well! She is active and perky and has normal looking poop so I think the chick feed is doing her just fine. That's my inexperienced experience anyway!

 

[sjturner79]

I have sequestered my BCM hen with her eggs in a 6 x 6 ft enclosure within the larger chicken enclosure so all the other hens and the roo can see her but cannot get to her and I was wondering about the chick food when they hatch.  If my hen has her food in with her do I add a separate feeder with the chick food or do I take the hens food away and just have the chick food in for all of them, mother and babies? Thanks.

Just feed the chick food. Whilst in broody and mothering mode it is actually the right thing for the hen to be eating, and it ensures the chicks don't end up with harmful calcium levels.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

I have sequestered my BCM hen with her eggs in a 6 x 6 ft enclosure within the larger chicken enclosure so all the other hens and the roo can see her but cannot get to her and I was wondering about the chick food when they hatch. If my hen has her food in with her do I add a separate feeder with the chick food or do I take the hens food away and just have the chick food in for all of them, mother and babies? Thanks.

I agree with previous posts. She needs the chick feed more for the protein. However, I recommend that you have enough space for her to have to get up to eat and drink. Otherwise, if she is sitting the nest, eating and drinking, it stimulates her to poo and she will do it in the nest and then you have a mess. I speak from experience.