Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[karenerwin]

It's a broody buy 1 get 1 free! All the cool hens are doing it!

Do you use your feed bags to line your nest boxes? If so, what a good idea. I bet it makes cleaning out nest boxes a snap!

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
Agree!!! I'm currently making a long list of ideas for using feed bags. I have SO many, and there are only so many I can use to clean out the cat litter....

 

[Lady of McCamley]

It's a broody buy 1 get 1 free! All the cool hens are doing it!

Cute. So just where do you pick up Siamese hens now?

I love it when hens can co-brood in peace together.

LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Do you use your feed bags to line your nest boxes? If so, what a good idea. I bet it makes cleaning out nest boxes a snap!

Agree!!! I'm currently making a long list of ideas for using feed bags. I have SO many, and there are only so many I can use to clean out the cat litter....

YES...it DOES save on a LOT of cleaning.

I've cut up and used my feed bags for floor and nest box liners for years.

Just roll like a taco and toss out bedding (onto the compost or deep litter) then dump old liner into the garbage. Boards only need to be deep cleaned maybe once a year.

Saves a LOT of effort.

LofMc

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Quote:
Yes, it does. I really like using the bags. While they are not waterproof, they do block out a lot of moisture. My nestboxes were constructed from OSB, so I definitely needed somehing to keep it from getting funky.

Quote:
Agree!!! I'm currently making a long list of ideas for using feed bags. I have SO many, and there are only so many I can use to clean out the cat litter....

I used to make grocery bags with them, but I haven't in a while. I love those bags because they are so durable. I was just thinking I may make an outdoor braided rug wth them. I bet that would require a lot, which I have! Also, I "insulated" my coop for the winter with straw and chicken bags stapled to the studs. It's not pretty, but it made a big difference for the girls. Here is a pic, before it got all pooped on...

Quote:
Haha. They are two different breeds. Helga on the left is a Bielefelder. Curly, on the left, is a Wellbar. It appears Curly was faking so far. She had laid an egg and was off the nest this morning. I thought I heard her making broody clucks though. She may still convert.

 

[NysiaAnera]

I wish I had come across the repurposed feed bags before. We recently threw away huge pile of them! We don't have them building up now, because we are no longer buying commercial feeds. I bet they would make good hen aprons as well!

 

[NysiaAnera]

I am afraid one clutch of eggs is all gone. They should have been hatching 2 days ago, and there has been nothing so far. The egg shell I saw was from a broken egg. I was afraid that may have been the case, because we went out of town one day and when we got back after midnight, we found her on the wrong nest. It has happened before, and eggs have still hatched, so I just moved her to the correct box and hoped for the best. If nothing happens by tomorrow, I will remove the eggs and replace them with the ones from the incubator that are on day 16 right now.

I am not sure what is happening with these goose eggs. I keep thinking I am seeing a few of them rocking around, but then I think my eyes are simply playing tricks on me. Does anyone here know about goose eggs? If four had hatched under the momma, shouldn't the rest be hatching by now also? I need to find a goose thread I suppose.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Final tally: 2 of the 6 CL eggs hatched.

3 were non starters. 1 I think was an early quitter.

Of the 2 that have produced healthy chicks, 1 boy and 1 girl (pretty clear now from down coloring), both came from washed eggs.

Hopefully I can get pics soon....momma is not having anything of it but hiding chicks in her skirts.

LofMc

 

[Pstock44]

I went out yesterday morning to find the non broody hens trying eat a chick. I checked the nest boxes and found 2 hens back in mama's box again. Decided it was worth the risk to move mama's eggs to the brooding pen. I very carefully moved her remaining 10 eggs to the new nest and tried keeping mama calm as I moved her and set her on the eggs. I finished the fencing yesterday afternoon and crossed my fingers.

I just went out and looked in the door and was surprised to see a little head sticking out from under mama's wing. I'm thrilled! I didn't expect to see any chicks until later today. I'm not going to disturb her but I'll bring my camera out next time and see if I can get a pic.

Super happy first timer!

 

[Pstock44]

Its confirmed. Not gonna disturb mama to much right now but I did lift a wing and saw 3 for sure. Took one out for a second to get a pic then right back it went. So loving this!