Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[igorsMistress]

Another chick today! I had to move the chick to someone new because Bitey, she hatched this one, was pecking at the chick. This chick is now under another hen.

Bitey is locked out of the hatching area and is not happy about it.

Sounds like Bitey is appropriately named

 

[PortlandHen]

Guys. There’s a problem. This chicks foot has been out for 15 hours. I don’t know what to do.

 

[Faraday40]

Guys. There’s a problem. This chicks foot has been out for 15 hours. I don’t know what to do.

I normally leave things alone, but this one looks like it needs an assisted hatch. Before starting read up on what's involved to see if you're up to it. I like to do it next to a bowl of warm water. Soaking the membranes makes them soft. (Being careful not to submerge head/beak, of course) When the membranes are dry then they feel like thin, tough leather super-glued to the chick.

Here's a link for info:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching.64660/

Personally, I would carefully remove some of the shell by the air cell & moisten the membrane with a Q-tip to see if there's veining. (a nicked vein could cause it to bleed out. Veining present = not ready to hatch yet) Most of the time, you can remove a little shell, moisten the membrane, wrap in wet paper towel to increase humidity (leave opening by beak area), and pop back under hen or in incubator. Chick will do the rest.

 

[PortlandHen]

I did it. The chick was not attached to anything in there. Just 100% stuck. Poor thing is exhausted.

 

[igorsMistress]

I did it. The chick was not attached to anything in there. Just 100% stuck. Poor thing is exhausted.

Yay!!! Hope it's ok

 

[PortlandHen]

Yay!!! Hope it's ok

It seems okay. It’s just pretty weak and not as strong as the other 2 day old chicks. So far mom is being gentle, but I can tell she’s ready to go explore and this chick needs a day or two.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Update.

I got a Barnevelder breed back chick and a black chick from the hen in the side nest on the main coop. I'm so surprised. I haven't had a successful chick in the main coop side nests due to chicks getting crushed.

I've got a much more mellow flock, with a really good rooster now. Momma is doing great. She moved to another side nest.

I was so concerned that I took the Barney looking chick (as I really want to focus on Barnevelder breed backs) and placed it with the other hen who is locked, isolated, in the left coop who has the 2 olive egger CL-Barns. She took it just fine, and all 3 of those are doing fine.

My first hen is doing great in the broody run with the dog crate.

Now my bantam Cochin looks REALLY serious about brooding. if so, I'll move the bantam eggs to Rosie in the broody hutch that are now under my Marans-Barn cross who is taking up the end box in the main coop. (Yes...main coop is full of brooding hens this summer). I really don't want those tiny babes trying to fend in the main coop.

Then I'll put some more olive egger CL-Barns under that hen in the main coop as I've probably got 3 boys and 1 girl right now.....I really rather have more girls and keep the nicest roo.

So things are still progressing

LofMc

 

[igorsMistress]

Hi everyone. I have a situation and not sure how to handle it.

One of the girls got into the broodys nest box while she was out so she switched to a different box that had eggs in it. I moved her eggs to that box and the next day she went back to her original box. I had already split her clutch and put a few in the incubator because our temps have been over 110 for a few days. I moved the rest of the eggs to the incubator. Lesson learned, I will have a separate area for whoever is broody next time.

I'm indecisive about whether I should put the eggs under her at lockdown or wait until they hatch. Thoughts?

 

[fisherlady]

@Lady of McCamley
You will need a diagram scorecard like baseball coaches use to keep track of your coop!

 

[fisherlady]

Hi everyone. I have a situation and not sure how to handle it.

One of the girls got into the broodys nest box while she was out so she switched to a different box that had eggs in it. I moved her eggs to that box and the next day she went back to her original box. I had already split her clutch and put a few in the incubator because our temps have been over 110 for a few days. I moved the rest of the eggs to the incubator. Lesson learned, I will have a separate area for whoever is broody next time.

I'm indecisive about whether I should put the eggs under her at lockdown or wait until they hatch. Thoughts?

We give most of our hens one or two eggs the day before they are due so the feel and hear the chicks, but I have a couple of hens who are great mothers but have crushed hatching eggs, so they get chicks as soon as they are dry and seem very happy with that. We have made screens out of 1/2 inch hardware cloth to block off the nest for the first day, then move them to a floor box once the hen seems happy to be in mommy mode.