Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Suechick]

Good luck StephanieD!

SO glad to see this thread. I have a first time broody that I jsut moved to a new loction this evening. She's sitting on decoy eggs right now, but I hope to make a switch to fertile eggs later this week. I will have to read through to get some good ideas, I think I'll be confining her to a small area to encourage her to stick with the egg, otherwise I think she'd go back to the bigger coop.

 

[ScottsSilkies]

Quote:
Happened here today. I have 13 setting silkie hens.
The chicks have been hatching the last couple or three days. Went out tonight & found a little partridge
silkie chick that had been killed by another chicken. I had not put them in with the other chickens yet,
someone jumped the fence and did this. So, yes the other birds might kill the little chicks.
Good Luck.

 

[Fuffy]

Quote:
Happened here today. I have 13 setting silkie hens.
The chicks have been hatching the last couple or three days. Went out tonight & found a little partridge
silkie chick that had been killed by another chicken. I had not put them in with the other chickens yet,
someone jumped the fence and did this. So, yes the other birds might kill the little chicks.
Good Luck.

Such a shame!!!

I have kept mine sepparated again this time. Day 15 tomorrow. She is sitting tight as can be

 

[Raven81]

Quote:
Happened here today. I have 13 setting silkie hens.
The chicks have been hatching the last couple or three days. Went out tonight & found a little partridge
silkie chick that had been killed by another chicken. I had not put them in with the other chickens yet,
someone jumped the fence and did this. So, yes the other birds might kill the little chicks.
Good Luck.

i personally dont leave my broody in with the others becoz the older roo ( just over a yr old ) is very rough & not very nice to younger chicks so i take them out to be safe & avoid losses, i wouldn't trust him 1 bit.

 

[HHandbasket]

We have already decided that when we get moved and build our new coop, we are going to set up a "nursery area" so we can hatch with broodies since we had such an awesome hatch rate with Olga.

I have a couple of questions for those of you more experienced. As you know, Olga just hatched out her first chicks & she's only 8 months old (and they're not really "her" chicks, as we have no roosters). Will she begin laying again soon? How long should I keep her and the babies sequestered from the rest of the flock? They are alone in the playhouse coop & she has been taking them out of the dog crate. We set them up with some water and chick starter & she's been teaching them how to eat & drink & they're soooooooooo cute, copying their mama and pecking and scratching at the ground.

Obviously, if she went broody at only 7 months of age, she holds a strong broody instinct. Will she go broody more than once a year, or is it an annual thing? I'm still learning and appreciate everyone's help here. Thanks in advance!

 

[StephanieD]

Quote:
This morning there was one more very fiesty new chick and a stinky cage. Momma barely let me check under her to remove the shell and check on the unhatched egg. I had to throw blueberries in one corner and quickly lift her wing and peek. The other 1/2 hatched egg has been discarded, it was stiff and stinky. So we have 4 lil chicks! I'll post pictures as soon as mom lets them out from under her!!

 

[Fuffy]

Quote:
Last year Hermione stayed with the babies for 7 weeks, which is a bit longer than usual, I think. She was becoming quite agitated and I thought I should let her go back with the big girls, when lo and behold she lays me an egg!

So I put her back and left the chickies to become teenagers (new home with i-pod docking station and lots of pizza). She laid 9 days straight and went broody again!

I decided I didn't like the idea of her having another clutch straight away, but assuming she does it again this year, I think |I will. But I'll make sure she's fit first. (Oh but I do so fancy blue laying dorkings!!!

)

 

[Tbird84]

A friend gifted me with a young pair of Ginger Red OEGBs. She laid the same day I brought her home, and as soon as she had 8 eggs under her, she went broody. I candled them, and they are all fertile. They are due March 25th, though I have heard bantams hatch early quite often. This is the first broody I've ever had. I wish one of my barred rocks would go broody.

Maybe I should get a LF cochin or two. Can't fit too much under these bantams.

 

[Suechick]

Quote:
That sounds like a fairy tale! Too good to be true.

Congratulations Stephanie D.

I need a little input. I have a broody that has been sitting on wooden eggs for 9 days, my fertile eggs have not arrived yet, I'm really hoping they come tomorrow.

Do you think it's OK for her to sit another 21 days or is it getting to be too long? I'm trying to feed her yummy treats several times per day. But she doesn't seem to eat too much.

What do you think?

 

[Miz Mary]

So last night I took broody's out of the main house, I made them each a fenced area with a cat carrier nest box ...... Broody #1 was fine .... broody #2 was havin' NO part of it !! She made her way back up into the main house , and settled in her old spot . This am , I go check on them ..... Broody #1 is out of her nest box, pacing the fence..freaking out !! Her eggs were not as warm as I think they should have been , so * CRUD* I put her back in the main house in her old nest , with her eggs, where she settled right down ..
Broody # 2 moved from her nest on the floor to a nest box 2 foot off the ground ...

Broody #1 is supposed to hatch out her clutch tomorrow - ish ....... Broody #2 next week ....

I guess nature will take it's course .. next time I will do this different !

CAN I MOVE THE BROODY #1 WITH HER BABIES AFTER THEY HATCH INTO THE FENCED AREA ???? Or will Mama throw a fit ?!? I dont want the Roo / 3 other hens to kill a baby !

Yup, this is my first hatch !