Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Ponypoor]

We gave her 8 eggs. Three were not fertile and were removed at day 15. She had 3 chicks yesterday afternoon. This morning there was a new blonde chick that I think was a speckled Sussex like Ginny. It was pretty fresh but wasn't under her. I tucked it back under her but when I went to check them at lunch time I found it dead. A bit of a shame since it was an older egg that we didn't really expect to hatch. So... did the 5th egg hatch? I don't know! It's been raining pretty solidly so I've been reluctant to bother them too much.

Sorry about the chick, sure hope the other egg hatched ok for u.

 

[Ponypoor]

So, no more good new today. Daughter and I went to check for the other egg and found it under straw out of the nest and cold. I'm not sure what happened. We candled it and didn't spot any movement. We buried it in the garden with this morning's chick.
Thus, we know we have a Rhode Island Red, an Orpington and a Wyandotte (gold laced? - looks very similar to my avatar when she was a babe!) chick.View attachment 2930544

Three is good! Sorry about the egg. Your hen sure is pretty and hope to see updated photos of the chicks!

 

[Bell’s backyard]

Ginny took her babe out in the sunshine today and got them scratching about. It gave me a chance to clean the nest box as she had taken a giant dump in there. The little speckled one is actually quite light coloured so I'm thinking buff or blue laced wyandotte. Our Mocha was much darker as a chick.
Padme, our RIR and Ginny's friend came over to check out everyone as did our Araucana (who is a very good mouser). It was interesting to see Ginny's reaction to the different birds.

 

[Ponypoor]

Ginny took her babe out in the sunshine today and got them scratching about. It gave me a chance to clean the nest box as she had taken a giant dump in there. The little speckled one is actually quite light coloured so I'm thinking buff or blue laced wyandotte. Our Mocha was much darker as a chick.
Padme, our RIR and Ginny's friend came over to check out everyone as did our Araucana (who is a very good mouser). It was interesting to see Ginny's reaction to the different birds.

Awwww babies are so cute. Love that they know to run and scratch about so young!

 

[Bell’s backyard]

Awwww babies are so cute. Love that they know to run and scratch about so young!

Yes it was lovely to see. As soon as the weather changed and the southerly dropped the temperature she had them bundled away back in the coup.

 

[Ponypoor]

Yes it was lovely to see. As soon as the weather changed and the southerly dropped the temperature she had them bundled away back in the coup.

Good mama!

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

I think 'closed nests' means confining them to a nest with fake eggs, 'open nests' and 'sitters' pen' seems to be what we call a broody coop, again with fake eggs until they do go broody. The burlap (sacking) is to encourage them to stay on the nest during daylight.

Well I had some escapees and found a hoard of eggs. Tossed cracked and dirty ones. Can't be sure when they are from. I'm going to try to throw together a closed nest and see if I can get a broody.
Would it be ok to put the eggs in a nest with the flock to see if anyone starts setting them? Like put them out while I am working outside and check on it.
I check for eggs daily or twice daily so there isn't ever more then 3 per nest. The birds are 49wks old, they'll be a year at the end of March. I'm not sure how much age affects it.

 

[Ponypoor]

Well I had some escapees and found a hoard of eggs. Tossed cracked and dirty ones. Can't be sure when they are from. I'm going to try to throw together a closed nest and see if I can get a broody.
Would it be ok to put the eggs in a nest with the flock to see if anyone starts setting them? Like put them out while I am working outside and check on it.
I check for eggs daily or twice daily so there isn't ever more then 3 per nest. The birds are 49wks old, they'll be a year at the end of March. I'm not sure how much age affects it.

My 6 month old silkie hatched out 4 eggs in Oct, 2 eggs from older 2 yr old hens, 2 eggs from 6 month old hens. The chicks r 11 weeks this week.

I don't think age affects eggs too much, as long as they are fertile they should hatch!

 

[Perris]

Would it be ok to put the eggs in a nest with the flock to see if anyone starts setting them? Like put them out while I am working outside and check on it.
I check for eggs daily or twice daily so there isn't ever more then 3 per nest. The birds are 49wks old, they'll be a year at the end of March. I'm not sure how much age affects it.

I would use fake eggs - golf balls or anything about that size will do - and just leave them. You can continue to remove fresh eggs as they're added, until someone starts sitting.
I don't think age plays much, if any, role in broodiness. I've got a 4 yr old who's never gone broody, and had others who went broody in their first year.

 

[Faraday40]

So, what can I do for a broody hen who has chicks that won't leave? Her "babies" hatched Sept 15th. I thought it was cute when they sat with her as she started laying a couple weeks ago. Now the silkie mama's going broody AGAIN, but this time her pullet and cockerel seramas are sitting in the nest with her. I wouldn't mind the extra spread but they're pooping in the nest. Normally, the chicks would be sold by now, but we're in single digit temps. Who would want to buy a useless serama chicken in mid winter?