Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Suechick]

Hey Miz Mary,

Those hens just have a mind of their own don't they

why can't they be more flexible and just realize that we know what's best for them..

I moved my broody last night and have her locked into her new home so she can't abandon her nest. She seems calm for now, but I think if she realizes where she is she might freak out.

I've read that once the babies hatch the mama will happily go wherever the babies go. So hopefully that will work. I'd wait until she shows signs of taking them out in the world before moving them. But I don't know for sure. Hopefully someone else knows.

 

[Fuffy]

In my experience it is better to be prepared.

Get the nursery ready before the onset of broodiness. Let Mrs Broody Fluffyknickers sit on falsies for a few days while you are ordering her posh eggs from Whoknowswhere

. Then put mom and the falsies in the nursery and cross your fingers

.
If she stays then swap the eggs...if not, you might as well eat them or put them in an incubator.

Miz Mary...it sounds to me like your broodies have you well trained...Mom knows best, I guess. If it were me I'd be inclined to leave them and learn for next time...Good luck!

 

[Pharm Girl]

My SLW just got off the nest for a break, so I gently took her 6 eggs to the bathroom for some quick candling. One egg was cracked (not by me) and putrified. Toss. One egg was clearly empty of anything - no veins, no air sac. Looked like an infertile egg. Toss. The other four had clear veins, but no blob with a black eye I see on the youtube videos. The bottom half of the eggs looked like a giant air cell and then there was the little cell on the end which looked normal. What do you think? Duds? Should I let her start over. I feel bad letting her sit there for 30+ days all for nothing. She went broody about a week and a half before I gave her fertile eggs. The other 4 are iffy. What would you do? I don't have a bator and don't plan on getting one.

 

[pistol123]

]Hi, I'm new to chickens and have 6 Australops and rooster. I had just lost my other flock of 3 to a racoon who dug his way under the chicken coop, I woke up to find them headless...I was heartbroken. Now have extended chicken wire out three feet from chicken coop under gravel and secured to the ground. It is working. I would love to learn how to have chicks born to the mother and raised by moms.
Thank you, Cindy

 

[Suechick]

Pharmgirl, I would wait until at least day 10. You're on day 6 right? It is probably still too early to tell how well they are developing. Hang in there.

 

[Suechick]

Quote:
Aw, that is so sad. I'm sorry you lost your flock

Racoons can burn in...

As far as raising chicks, you will have your own fertile eggs so that's great, you have the absolute best source to have the highest success rate. You probably know that Australorps make great broodys. One or more will go broody on her own when she's ready, and when that happens you can give her a private nest to sit on. You can try putting some decoy eggs in a nest to see if someone will start setting on them. You'll know she's broody because her behavior will change, no egg song, she'll be fluffed up to twice her size and will stay with the eggs continuously. I'm sure it will happen, but it will be on her schedule not yours.
Good luck

 

[pistol123]

Thank you, yep I cried when I found what the racoon had done. I hope to have a few chicks sometime this summer if all goes well. Here is something I do not know, my other three girls were let out every morning to roam our 5 acres and each night would return to coop and I would lock the door. Ok, with just buying this group of 1 -1 2/3 year olds, when can I let hem out of the coop and not worry that they will retun to the coop at nigt or otherwise they will all be killed? Nice to meet you and thank you for the help. Cold in Oregon...burrrr

 

[Miz Mary]

pistol123, where about in OR are you ?!?! Im in Rainier, which is across the river from Longview, WA !!

Im lettin' Mama do her thing ..... next time I will do different !

 

[phasianidae]

Quote:
My average hatch time under broodies has been 20 days, although I have had them hatch in 19. My last hatch under an OEGB hen started piping at 19 days and were all hatched by 20.

 

[phasianidae]

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?

She should be ok, has she lost much weight yet?