Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Pstock44]

Mama and chicks are doing great. 3 days old and all are healthy and very active. It's fun watching them run around flapping their wings, ducking under then back out from under mama. I saw Mama come out of the coop several times today and it looked like she was trying to coax them out. They all were standing in the doorway but weren't brave enough to go down the ramp. Maybe in another day or two.

Sorry for rambling but it's been so great watching this whole process.

 

[NysiaAnera]

Mama and chicks are doing great. 3 days old and all are healthy and very active. It's fun watching them run around flapping their wings, ducking under then back out from under mama. I saw Mama come out of the coop several times today and it looked like she was trying to coax them out. They all were standing in the doorway but weren't brave enough to go down the ramp. Maybe in another day or two.

Sorry for rambling but it's been so great watching this whole process.

That is something I never get tired of!

 

[NysiaAnera]

We had somewhat of a massacre in the hen house! When I found that broken egg under the Brahma, I thought she had accidentally stepped on it. It happens, and we have had it happen several times. Well, we had been finding them over the past few days, but then, we discovered that it was not being done by accident, but someone had decided to start eating eggs! Someone was going in and forcing hens out of nest boxes, including broody hens, just to get to the eggs! My #1 suspect is the Black Australorp momma, who was teaching her babies to eat eggs!!!! Not only that, but Buffy was forced out and every one of her eggs eaten, the other Bkack Australorp has only 7 left, and one of the maternity screens was not secured, and the Brahma on one nest was forced out (the one whose eggs I took, but then gave 10 eggs from the incubator!). Now Buffy and that one Brahma have been broken of their broodiness (although Buffy does keep going back in so I wonder if she might decide to start again) and we only got 8 eggs yesterday. I am not a happy camper right now! So this morning, I have taken those 8 eggs from yesterday, blew out the yolks, and put a syringe full of mustard in each one, and I will be taking them outside and putting them in the nest boxes. I tried to keep the holes tiny, but I had to enlarge them to het the end of the syringe in. I will be doing this every day, and will very likely also get some golf balls to put in the nest boxes as well. I hope this works!

On a happier note, there is cheeping under the other Buff Orpington! Her maternity screen was nice and secure, so they should all be good. The other Brahma I could not tell if there was cheeping under her or not. Out of the ten eggs I gave to the first Brahma, I saved 6 from being smashed and eaten, and returned them to the incubator. One has hatched, along with one other so far, and another is pipped. I sure hope the rest made it!

As for the egg eaters... I do not want to cull a good broody, but if she keeps it up, she will be dinner for sure! :-(

 

[thunderbird]

Checked on my cochin bantam this morning and found out 1 chick has already hatched. She refused to let me see it lol. Now I have to go through the whole day thinking about this instead of focusing at school lmao

 

[Pstock44]

We had somewhat of a massacre in the hen house! When I found that broken egg under the Brahma, I thought she had accidentally stepped on it. It happens, and we have had it happen several times. Well, we had been finding them over the past few days, but then, we discovered that it was not being done by accident, but someone had decided to start eating eggs! Someone was going in and forcing hens out of nest boxes, including broody hens, just to get to the eggs! My #1 suspect is the Black Australorp momma, who was teaching her babies to eat eggs!!!! Not only that, but Buffy was forced out and every one of her eggs eaten, the other Bkack Australorp has only 7 left, and one of the maternity screens was not secured, and the Brahma on one nest was forced out (the one whose eggs I took, but then gave 10 eggs from the incubator!). Now Buffy and that one Brahma have been broken of their broodiness (although Buffy does keep going back in so I wonder if she might decide to start again) and we only got 8 eggs yesterday. I am not a happy camper right now! So this morning, I have taken those 8 eggs from yesterday, blew out the yolks, and put a syringe full of mustard in each one, and I will be taking them outside and putting them in the nest boxes. I tried to keep the holes tiny, but I had to enlarge them to het the end of the syringe in. I will be doing this every day, and will very likely also get some golf balls to put in the nest boxes as well. I hope this works!

On a happier note, there is cheeping under the other Buff Orpington! Her maternity screen was nice and secure, so they should all be good. The other Brahma I could not tell if there was cheeping under her or not. Out of the ten eggs I gave to the first Brahma, I saved 6 from being smashed and eaten, and returned them to the incubator. One has hatched, along with one other so far, and another is pipped. I sure hope the rest made it!

As for the egg eaters... I do not want to cull a good broody, but if she keeps it up, she will be dinner for sure! :-(

That's what I was so afraid of when I found one of our eggs had been stolen and the 2 hens were trying to eat the chick. I took it from them and moved mama hen and her eggs 2 days before hatch. Fortunately it was a complete success.

 

[Pstock44]

Very surprised this morning. Soon after opening the coop mama bought the babies out into the run. Watched them for a bit and it was like watching a little train running around. Wherever mama went, the chicks were sure to follow.

 

[bald Rooster]

Well she must have got down and forgot what box or some chicken took over her box. Needless to say when I got home she wasn't in the right box
I took her and her eggs and put them in a large cage . She wasn't happy when I left.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Well she must have got down and forgot what box or some chicken took over her box. Needless to say when I got home she wasn't in the right box
I took her and her eggs and put them in a large cage . She wasn't happy when I left.

Was she setting on them or just a pacing? If she was not setting then or now---that's not good?

 

[bald Rooster]

I just don't know. If I leave her alone she sits but as soon as I come around she starts pacing. I got my fingers crossed.

 

[just13nat]

I came home to find three littles (but could only get a pic of one) under my Bantam Cochin Elsa! There were five, but only three hatched. She must've hatched them this weekend, but we had record amounts of rainfall and I didn't get out to the coop much. Thankfully, the rain is gone and it was beautiful today, so excited to find these chickies! This is our second year with chickens, but first hatch.