Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[fisherlady]

She does love her babies! That chick stayed there until I grabbed it and moved it back to the broody later...and Mindy was very careful to not move and disturb it, lol.
Dillon is really good with the birds also, but not nearly as infactuated as Mindy, or as patient with them crawling under or on him. But at least protective of them and careful to not step on any.

 

[Faraday40]

To prep for the new Easter chicks on their way, I sold all of my last chicks except 1 Dom & 1 Orp. (I probably should have kept 2 Doms + 0 orps, but I have a serious orp addiction. It's not like I even have room for her, but I really want to see how she turns out.) I learned never to get rid ALL a hen's chicks, so that's why we're keeping 2 for now.

I think this blue orp looks female (because no comb, angular face, & much wing/tail feather growth)..... but the color is throwing me. It's a dark blue but may have a slight barring - unless my silver laced orp was the Daddy. Any guesses on what's going on?
(Note: the other "lighter blue" was looking like a mauve, and the black orps may have been getting lacing when sold. I asked the new owners to email me pics, so hopefully they will keep in touch.)

Here's the Dom we kept. They pretty much all looked the same, so I either hatched 5 males or 5 females.

The darker feathers, black wash on legs/beak, and longer wings should mean female.
The headspot & lighter chick down made me initially think male.
It's so much harder to sex one's own chicks!

Male or Female?

Since we got rid of all the extra chicks, I was able to move the mama back into the coop. The little family has a special little cage inside the run but can take field trips whenever they like to mingle with the flock.

 

[EurekaPaprika]

One of my year old EE's wants to be a momma! I pestered her for a few days to make sure she was serious, but finally gave in. I have rarely had luck with a broody hen and she's in a hanging nest box, so I have a few questions. Is there a worry she'll push chicks out, or they'll fall? (The lip is only a few inches) If she's lower in the pecking order, is it better to seclude her? Here's Flit's maternity picture just for fun!

 

[fisherlady]

One of my year old EE's wants to be a momma! I pestered her for a few days to make sure she was serious, but finally gave in. I have rarely had luck with a broody hen and she's in a hanging nest box, so I have a few questions. Is there a worry she'll push chicks out, or they'll fall? (The lip is only a few inches) If she's lower in the pecking order, is it better to seclude her? Here's Flit's maternity picture just for fun!View attachment 1321067

She is a pretty momma in waiting.
I prefer to isolate first timers behind a screen at least, if not in a sectioned of area of the coop. They can be fine where they are but chances of egg damage from other hens forcing their way into the nest to lay daily is the main problem.
You can accomplish protection in many ways, movement to A new area completely....
...wire screen in front of the box that has to be moved at least once a day to allow hen out for food, water, dusting and bathroom break....
...creating an enclosure around the area of her chosen box to allow her enough space to get out, stretch, eat and drink without flock access, but dust bathing access would have to involve human supervision (to let her in and out) unless you have a large area available.
There is no 'right answer' since coop, human schedules and flock variables have to all be considered.
One thing I don't worry about is the elevated box... just provide a floor box for them after the chicks hatch and are dry and keep a screen across the box from first hatch until move. If you don't allow a staggered hatch you should not have a problem and hens tend to move rather easily once chicks are hatched.

 

[EurekaPaprika]

Thank you Fisherlady!

 

[Dee123]

Note: If you see any misinformation, things you think should be added, information needing updated or removed, or any other changes to the FAQs please PM me. I will try and keep them updated. Thanks!

FAQs

How old does a hen and rooster need to be to be able to breed?
They need to be between 16 and 18 weeks old.

How do I know if a hen is broody?
They tend to stay in their nest boxes - getting up only a couple times a day - if that - to get nurishment and to relieve herself. A broody hen also might growl or bite at you if you come too close. They also tend to puff out their feathers to look larger and also to pull some feathers to keep their eggs warm.

Purpose of a broody hen?
A broody hen is great to have around if you want to hatch eggs the natural way. They are great on farms that want to be self sustainable or in case of a power outage when you can't use an electrical incubator. The broody hen will also protect and teach the young chicks. They do however stop laying eggs while being broody and this is a problem for some.

Other hens laying eggs in her nest?
If you find other hens laying eggs in the broody hens nest, it is is best to mark the broodies eggs with a washable non toxic marker. This will allow you to collect the extra eggs each day and ensure the broody continues to sit on the same eggs. Others have had success with moving the broody hen off by herself where other hens can't get to her.

How do I make my hen go broody?
You can't make a hen go broody, especially if it's not in her nature or if broodyness has been bred out of that breed by other breeders or hatcheries. You can however get a few golf balls and put in a nest to see if that will encourage her to go broody. If she sits on the golf balls for a few days without getting up except for a few minutes, then she is broody and you can put some fertile eggs under her.

What are the best broody hens?
Araucana - Frequent Brooder
Australorp - Very Frequent Brooder
Belgian D'Anver - Frequent Brooder
Belgian D'Uccle - Very Frequent Brooder
Brahma - Frequent Brooder
Cochin - Top Notch Brooders
Dominique - Frequent Brooder
Dorking - Very Frequent Brooder
Japanese - Very Frequent Brooder
Java - Frequent Brooder
Marans - Very Frequent Brooder
New Hampshire - Good Brooder
Orpington - Frequent Brooder
Silkie - Top Notch Brooder
Sussex - Good Brooder

I'm off-the-grid in western Montana. Although its April and spring has officially begun, as I write, there's a blizzard going on. Outside temps around freezing! Three weeks ago I put some fertilized eggs under 2 broody Buffs. Yesterday, we had our first to hatch. Today I put a waterer with a little sugar and some (non-GMO) feed in the crate with the mama.

I realize this is the normal way chickens would live and carry on with offspring, but should I be taking them away and have them inside?

Any immediate advice will be greatly appreciated.

~Dee

 

[fisherlady]

Ours hatch throughout the winter here in Pennsylvania, often in 10 degree weather, no problems as long as the broodies aren't overcrowded with chick numbers and their enclosure is draft free with a way to keep water from freezing or fresh water provided numerous times a day.
Extra care and frequent checks are needed if the broody is able to be outside in more exposed conditions so that if any chick has problems navigating ramps or pop doors they aren't left exposed very long. A broody won't wait for stragglers and usually won't go back out looking for them either. Chicks are expected to stick close and follow mama's clucking....Survival of the fittest, and smartest, is the beauty, and curse, of broody hatching.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I'm off-the-grid in western Montana. Although its April and spring has officially begun, as I write, there's a blizzard going on. Outside temps around freezing! Three weeks ago I put some fertilized eggs under 2 broody Buffs. Yesterday, we had our first to hatch. Today I put a waterer with a little sugar and some (non-GMO) feed in the crate with the mama.

I realize this is the normal way chickens would live and carry on with offspring, but should I be taking them away and have them inside?

Any immediate advice will be greatly appreciated.

~Dee

They will be FINE!

My first broody went broody in November. I thought she was crazy, so I ignored her. She persisted. I finally broke down and gave her eggs in February. She hatched them just fine in 32 degree weather.

I have since then hatched in subfreezing (10's to 20's) blizzard conditions....momma stayed with babes in closed broody box for 2 weeks until the deep snows cleared...we don't get snow often here, but when we do, it's a doozy.

Then I've hatched in milder snow storms...no problem. The babes are out running around by day 3 or 4 with quick warm ups under momma. It blows your mind.

As long as they are out of direct weather, they are just fine in ambient temps, even subfreezing. (I don't go far below zero, so I can't speak to that). After my first broody, I tossed away the heat lamp forever. Those girls know what they are doing.

Just keep babes safe from stranding themselves (they can find the hole to get through but never figure out how to get back). Stranded babes do succumb to cold quickly. That's the only time I've lost babes in winter.

Also make sure they are protected from predators. All sorts of critters love those tasty little nuggets.

Congratulations on your hatch
LofMc

 

[Isaiah53]

This is an amazing thread, thank you for doing starting it.

Lady of McCamley gave me some amazing advice on another thread. I have a beautiful Ameraucana setting on 25 eggs. Some of which I'm sure won't hatch, but hopefully she'll be rewarded.

My nest was up way to high for those many eggs and the others kept jumping in and laying with her already in. So I did separate her by removing all the other nests into a different pen and closed her off alone. Then I worried the nest was too high so Lady of McCamley kindly advised me to lower it down.

I setup a swimming pool with probably way too much pine shavings made a nest and moved the eggs and her over. The hen quickly attached herself and hopefully she will have chicks hatching tomorrow through next Wednesday. Unfortunately, when all this started 3 weeks ago, I was away for a few days and more eggs ended up being laid and my hubby was afraid to bother her, so she kept adding the other hens' eggs to her collection. So if any hatch this Saturday and Sunday and she starts to leave her nest the incubator is running to take the rest of the eggs scheduled to hatch Monday through Wednesday.

On a different note... When pipping starts, and hatching stalls, does a momma hen ever help? I'm wondering just how much a human intervenes in a natural hatch?


My broody hen.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

A hen will cluck encoragement but almost never assists.

The strong babes make it.

I have learned to take my cue from nature. I have assisted and learned to regret it as those chicks usually grow into weaker less thrifty hens which then act as a disease vector for the whole flock.

So mom doesn't assist.

LofMc