Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[fisherlady]

Hi guys, I am brand new to hatching eggs and just found this thread. (hi @Molpet ! )

There are like a million posts here, so I apologize if this has already been answered.

I am hatching ~half my Serama eggs under a broody Silkie, and half in the bator. This is day 5. So far, Olive, my broody, has been sitting faithfully on her nest in the coop and
the other girls have been leaving her alone.

I know people recommend a separate broody area, but I was wondering, could I just risk having her hatch out the babies and brood them, along with all the others? Can they integrate peacefully that way if mama hen stays by them and the others leave the babies alone?

Sorry if this is a dumb question. But I'm thinking--somehow the chickens perpetuated their species for thousands or millions of years without our interference, so if I can safely do it this way I would rather. Thanks much!

I routinely hatch in the coop, sometimes it is necessary to separate if you see conflicts or bullying but most times it works...just remember the risks are higher of chick mortality from accidents (being stepped on, getting stuck in odd places and becoming chilled) or aggression from other flock members so close observation is needed for the first week in particular. If only 1 or 2 flock members are being a pain you may be able to separate the offenders for a couple of days and then try again to see how they behave. I have removed a couple of chronic 'nasty to broodies and babies' birds from our flock over the years. We only use broodies, so having 6 or 8+ hens at a time running around with varying ages of chicks is common, so a chick friendly flock mentality is a must and we usually have good luck.
Make sure you double and triple check the coop area for chick hazards, it is amazing how quick they can do 'stupid chick tricks' and get into trouble...waterers, tight corners, nooks and crannies and amazingly small escape routes in wire fencing come to mind first.

 

[Molpet]

Hi guys, I am brand new to hatching eggs and just found this thread. (hi @Molpet ! )

There are like a million posts here, so I apologize if this has already been answered.

I am hatching ~half my Serama eggs under a broody Silkie, and half in the bator. This is day 5. So far, Olive, my broody, has been sitting faithfully on her nest in the coop and
the other girls have been leaving her alone.

I know people recommend a separate broody area, but I was wondering, could I just risk having her hatch out the babies and brood them, along with all the others? Can they integrate peacefully that way if mama hen stays by them and the others leave the babies alone?

Sorry if this is a dumb question. But I'm thinking--somehow the chickens perpetuated their species for thousands or millions of years without our interference, so if I can safely do it this way I would rather. Thanks much!

I leave them in the coop but block off the box so others don't harass the setting hen. I have it set up so when she wants to take a break she can push it open.. mine sem to pick about the same time , so I go out there then and look at the eggs and put the board or gate back when she is done..After hatching, a couple of days, the hen wants to take them out and I let her out and leave it open.. I am retired and can do this, your mileage may vary.
Roos and turkeys have been good with the babies.. the broody has been able to protect the chicks from the other hens. I did have one chick from thanksgiving try to join the halloween batch.. The halloween hen was fine with it but the Thanksgiving hen was not. I went to shag the thanksgiving chick back and the halloween hen attacked me good broody Out of 7 broods. only The thanksgiving buch were suicidal. Found one about 3-4 days old laying in the coop cold, thought it was dead but it recovered. Found one hanging by its wings in chicken wire, a couple weeks old, it didn't make it. At a month old they kept running out through the 2x4 wire paying no attention to the broody...so I built another coop and locked the hen and chicks up just before the snow fell.

 

[Faraday40]

Hi guys, I am brand new to hatching eggs and just found this thread. (hi @Molpet ! )

There are like a million posts here, so I apologize if this has already been answered.

I am hatching ~half my Serama eggs under a broody Silkie, and half in the bator. This is day 5. So far, Olive, my broody, has been sitting faithfully on her nest in the coop and
the other girls have been leaving her alone.

I know people recommend a separate broody area, but I was wondering, could I just risk having her hatch out the babies and brood them, along with all the others? Can they integrate peacefully that way if mama hen stays by them and the others leave the babies alone?

Sorry if this is a dumb question. But I'm thinking--somehow the chickens perpetuated their species for thousands or millions of years without our interference, so if I can safely do it this way I would rather. Thanks much!

No dumb questions here. It's so much better to research & ask ?s before jumping in.

I've done it both ways (separate broody cage & in with the flock). My flock is also tolerant of chicks but the broody hens are often my bantams. A 9 lb LF English orp can easily push a little bantam off her nest & accidentally smash an egg. So if using a broody in a nest box, I put up a mesh barrier to block intruders. I then make sure to allow the broody a daily bio break each morning while I'm doing the chores. by the time I'm done, she back on the nest. After the chicks hatch, I put the hen & chicks inside a rabbit cage inside the run. This way the hens get used to the new members & the chicks are kept safe. When they're about a week old & well bonded to mama, I open the cage door & allow the little family the opportunity to venture throughout the coop/run. I keep the cage in place as a retreat for safety. If it's spring summer & the flock is free ranging, I usually put them in a chicken tractor during the day. (again it's for their safety.)

BTW- Since your incubator chicks & broody chicks should all hatch around the same time, you'll be able to slip them under your hen. I've had a hen care for as many as 30 chicks. (I seriously took advantage of the fact that chickens can't count!) I simply set up my big brooder & placed the mama inside. I made sure to have an additional heat source for the overflow chicks. At the time, several classrooms were hatching my eggs so I was selling off the chicks. The 30 chicks went down to 20, then 10, ..... I had to allow the hen to keep a few to avoid depression, but it all worked out.

 

[Faraday40]

The above black hen is "Cookie" my champion broody. She's actually covering 21 chicks in the 1st pic.

Oppsie is the hen below. She's a medium sized orp & still hold the record = 30 chicks.
(There was even a stray quail in there who needed a temp place to stay.)

 

[pitbullmomma]

You guys are the BEST. Thank you so much!!! This is all wonderful advice. I don't know how to multiquote, so just a big THANKS!!!! and for my wonderful BYC peeps who always come through.

Such good advice here from y'all. Faraday, those pics melted my heart! I really hope mine hatch out (at least a few) so I can see little peepers snuggling with their mama.

I am totally gonna slip my 'bator chicks under Olive, my broody, if any of them hatch. It will be nice to not have a dedicated "stinky chick rearing room" like I did for the last two batches of my babies when they were day olds. I think she's gonna be a great mommy. I have to forcibly remove her from the nest and/or bring her water and food, she is so dedicated.

My other girls have been leaving her alone (except my derpy Favaucana who will occasionally squeeze in there, lay an egg, and leave). So I think I will carefully watch when hatch day comes, and separate or barrier them off if need be. I have plenty of room in their run to create a brooding area if I have to. It would be very nice if they can just integrate well. That flock is a very nice flock of mostly bantams, and they get along very well. When I integrated my youngest batch into the main coop with them, it went pretty smooth, so I'm hoping that it will be when I have babies in there. But if not, I can section them off, and I also have a garage I can use that has been a brooder area in the past.

Again, thank you so much for all your help and good advice! BYC rocks!

 

[Faraday40]

You guys are the BEST. Thank you so much!!! This is all wonderful advice. I don't know how to multiquote, so just a big THANKS!!!! and for my wonderful BYC peeps who always come through.

Such good advice here from y'all. Faraday, those pics melted my heart! I really hope mine hatch out (at least a few) so I can see little peepers snuggling with their mama.

I am totally gonna slip my 'bator chicks under Olive, my broody, if any of them hatch. It will be nice to not have a dedicated "stinky chick rearing room" like I did for the last two batches of my babies when they were day olds. I think she's gonna be a great mommy. I have to forcibly remove her from the nest and/or bring her water and food, she is so dedicated.

My other girls have been leaving her alone (except my derpy Favaucana who will occasionally squeeze in there, lay an egg, and leave). So I think I will carefully watch when hatch day comes, and separate or barrier them off if need be. I have plenty of room in their run to create a brooding area if I have to. It would be very nice if they can just integrate well. That flock is a very nice flock of mostly bantams, and they get along very well. When I integrated my youngest batch into the main coop with them, it went pretty smooth, so I'm hoping that it will be when I have babies in there. But if not, I can section them off, and I also have a garage I can use that has been a brooder area in the past.

Again, thank you so much for all your help and good advice! BYC rocks!

Make sure your broody can cover the number of chicks you give her (or provide another heat source.) I used a 'mama heating pad' in addition to the broody when I had sooooo many chicks.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/

When I keep the broody inside the coop:
Here's all I do to prevent the other hens from getting into the broody nest.

Once hatched I move the happy family into a safe place inside the enclosed run. Here (pic below) I just used some baby panels, but I also use rabbit cages & dog crates. When the chicks get a little older, I open a door or leave a crack big enough for chicks & bantam mama to pass in/out - but not the adult hens.

In Nov when my silly little silkie hatched 2 winter chicks, I used this little cage:

Broody Playpen:
When I hatch more than what a hen can easily cover, I just move the broody hen into a large brooder. (In these cases, the chicks get sold/rehomed quickly.) Once down to a comfortable level, they move into the coop where the mama will ease their introduction into the flock. Even if I don't have a broody hen, I find the separation allows me to raise chicks inside the run. I just need to set up a "mama heating pad"

I use an old Pack-n-Play (or Peck-n-Play) brooder. View from top:

 

[Faraday40]

OK so here's a ? for those who frequently bond adopted chicks to a hen....

My broody silkie has been sitting on nothing for about a week. I have incubator chicks hatching at the moment. Normally I'd give 1-2 eggs at lockdown for a broody to hatch & then slip the rest from the incubator under the hen. This particular hen was a good mom - but not the best incubator. In Nov, she frequently would hop off the nest, get lost, and settle in one box over. (cold eggs) She even hopped off the nest while her eggs were zipping -2xs. After the chicks were 2 days old, she was bonded & took her duties seriously.

Anyway, today when I slipped 2 chicks under her, she moved, saw them as intruders, and pecked. (It was not the gentle, stay under mama peck!) I put them under the mama heating pad and kept the silkie in the brooder with 3 fake eggs. Later I slid 2 fake eggs out & 2 live chicks in their place. She seemed fine.

However less than an hour later, DD went by the broody & talked to her silkie causing the hen to stand up. (DD is her all time fav person.) When the silkie spotted the chicks she pecked again at them & refused to sit back down on the egg & 2 chicks.

So I waited until tonight. I again slipped out 2 eggs (left one) and put the chicks back under her. My goal is for her to switch over from incubating to mothering mode. She seems fine & I expect her to stay that way until sunrise.

Any tips to keep the mama from pecking the chicks? Is night the best time or should I do it during the day so I can check on them every hour?

I'm setting an alarm for 6am to check on them before sunrise, but the brooder is right next to the roosters' sleeping area. There's a good chance they may crow and wake the broody before sunrise. Any suggestions on when I should check?

 

[fisherlady]

@Faraday40
Unfortunately there is not a 'right answer' for your situation.... I would get out as early as possible in the morning and probably once during the night to just briefly check to see if she seems to be sleeping.
She may just not be far enough into the brood to switch to mama mode... if she doesn't accept the chicks today you may still be able to graft them in a day or two if you keep them under a heating pad brooder instead of a lamp.
I hope she doessettle for you though!

 

[fisherlady]

Our 7 hens hatched Tues/Wed... got them situated on floor boxes and all seems well . They are sharing a total of 23 chicks, 14 of our mixes and 9 Delaware adoptees from TSC. Mindy is a happy puppy!

 

[Faraday40]

Mindy is such a great chick mama! LOL It was so cute watching that chick nuzzle in her fur to get warm.