Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[HHandbasket]

Olga update... here she is with one of her chicks. We have determined that it is a Delaware/EE cross. Two of those hatched!

I love broody mama & chickie pictures.

 

[Fuffy]

I would be inclined to leave her alone. I'm pretty sure the babies will get in and out once mom has shown them what to do.

Think of the goldeneye duck: They have their nest WAY up in a tree in a hole. When the babies are 2 days old they freefall to the forest floor and momma takes them to water.

Good luck little chickies!

 

[Fuffy]

WELL DONE, Olga!

I

mamma hens and their babies and how instinct takes over and they know what to do

 

[HHandbasket]

Got a cute story about Olga to share.

One of the eggs that hatched in the bator was an EE who pipped, zipped, and was completely out in under an hour! He was the first one to hatch but probably the 3rd or 4th one to pip. Anyway, he had some placenta/yolk stuff stuck to him for the last 2 days as he has been stuck in the incubator. I took him out this morning & he still looks wet & freshly hatched, but he's 2 days old & just has all this crap stuck all over him. I noticed that Olga's chicks are nice and clean and fluffy, so I thought I'd see if she'd "adopt" him without hurting him.

I had soaked him in warm water to try to get the stuff off, and it did soften & get loose but I didn't want to hurt him. I wrapped him in a warm rag and took him out to the dog crate where I have Olga and her babies. I opened the door and placed him inside and watched carefully to see what she would do. Another chick looked at him, then Olga reached out, lifted up her wing, and gently nudged him underneath while she bit at the long piece of placenta and started cleaning him up and eating all the yuckys off of him!

When she lets me back in, I'll pull him out and get a pic. He's all purdy and fluffy now!

 

[Fuffy]

AWWWW!!!!!

 

[Raven81]

Quote:

yay its always good when they adopt.
i managed to get 5 of the 7 eggs that my broody abandoned on day 16 to hatch so glad it wasnt a complete disaster

 

[mrs_woodguy]

I had my first every broody hen hatch last Sunday. Tonight the other hen's egg is peeping away. Come on chicky... This is the hardest thing ever to wait out.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:

 

[jennifersmith326]

 

[arianna]

Day 21
I got a chick!!!!

It's a Light Brahma

I started with 11 eggs, 5 were not fertile and I removed them on day 9. She still has 5 left under her, and I'm hopping

she will hatch at least one more or two

.
If I don't have any other hatch,

I will have to find a little buddy or two for my lonely chick. I checked with TSC and they will have some bantam chicks this week, but the min. you have to buy is 6 chick. I don't want 6, I only want one or two, so now I'm looking for any local farmer that might have any recent hatch.
Tonight I will say a pray for my Foxy hen to have another or two hatches