Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[OrpingtonManor]

just curious about why you shouldn't put a chick more than a few days old under a broody. if I bought chicks at the feed store, they would probably be a week old. (I know you said you don't know more than you read, but wondering what you read about this.)

 

[azhenhouse]

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Congratulations on the two, but sorry to hear about the other. Is your avatar the mom and new babies?

 

[quiltnchik]

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Feed store chicks are normally not more than 3 days old and can be grafted immediately, even with a first-time broody. I grafted meaties onto my first broody (her first time, as well) and she did fantastic with them. Just do it at night - keep the chicks balled up in your fist and stick them UNDER her, one at a time. By morning, after hearing them peeping all night, she'll think her eggs have hatched. Older chicks won't know what "momma" is trying to teach them, and she may not accept them as easily, either.

 

[NottinghamChicks]

Ok, thanks for the responses re: the brooder lamp. I shut it off before bed last night. I looked out my window towards the coop and none of the girls were settling in and pretty uptight over this foreign object, lol! Off it went, and I guess momma will do her thing. I was thinking it would be warmer out now for these little babies but I guess not. I think she will be a good mom. Thanks for the responses

 

[NottinghamChicks]

My first ever chick from a broody!! Five more to go underneath this tiny Silkie mix. I had a feeling that my baby made progress in hatching but never imagined that in 12 hours it would be all the way out!! Fiona's first also

 

[bburn]

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Well, I am sure glad to hear that. I had not given a thought to this chicken going broody. She is in my mixed flock that is RIR, one Partridge Rock, one Cornish, and two EE's. All but the EE's have been together since we got them as chicks. I just thought of them as my egg layers.

I know I need to move her to be secluded from the others. I have the corner almost ready. WHEN do I move her? And take the eggs she has under her? Or place new eggs under her?

You could try moving her now. But she might go back to the spot she picked out. If she does then try to block it off from the other hens. Some hens will help her out by laying their eggs in her nest. If you do leave her there, she can stay with her chicks until a few days after the hatch (with food and water)
I would swap the eggs anytime but do it carefully and slowly. I usually swap around dusk.
When I move the hen it is usually around dusk too. I put her in a cardboard box with hay and place her eggs under her. Transfer her to her Broody kennel and place her eggs back under her. Most of the time the hen stays but some are really stubborn and want to go back to the place they picked out.
Nothing more stubborn than a broody bantam hen

My corner coop is completely sectioned off from the main flock. It is 8x8 with a very small coop inside. There is a gate to enter from the main run. I thought it would be best to put a broody in there because she can raise her chicks and at the same time everyone can see her and them and they can see the main flock. I plan on putting some of the chicks I hatch in the incubator in with her as they are all due to hatch at the same time. Raising quite a few should be different than trying to set on too many eggs....I think maybe.

 

[Miss Lydia]

NChicks, that is such a sweet picture, congratulations and

for the rest of them, and yes azhenhouse, that was my first broody of the season she hatched the 6th of April, then my Brahma hatched on the 14th, that my avatar, now i have 5 more sitting due to hatch this weekend

we practice birth control here though they only have 3 eggs each. so hoping they are all fertile

Happy hatching ya'll!!

Orpington M, just my 2cents but I think you should go for the chicks, from all I've heard orpingtons make great mamas, and if you do it at night, I think she'll think the eggs just hatched. Be worth a try, I'd just be out there the next morning at day break to make sure all is well, and maybe not over whelm her with too many. all the best..

 

[Bob in MO]

This past Wednesday my broody Buff Orp hatched 4 chicks in the top nest box. She had been sitting on eleven eggs that I had gathered and stored in the refrigerator over a week’s time. Thursday morning my wife called me to say there were 2 more chicks. I had prepared a dog house and run to move her to when the other eggs hatched. So yesterday my son came home from college for Easter break and helped me with the move. First, I picked up momma hen and had my son gather the chicks and remaining eggs. As he was gathering the chicks he said there were only 3. I was very disappointed thinking they had been killed by the other hens. Then I saw one walking on the floor of the coop, so we grabbed him. We then, disappointed as we were, went to the dog house and my son placed the chicks and one egg in the prepared nest. I started to put momma down on the nest and as I did it started raining chicks from her. It was the funniest thing. 4 chicks fell from under her feathers. So we got a total of 8 from 11 eggs.

Question: I have a chick waterier and chick feeder in the dog house. When I bought chicks in the past I always dipped their beak in the water to show them where it’s at. Do I still need to do that or will the momma hen take care of everything?

 

[NotAFarm]

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x2

 

[Miss Lydia]

Bob in Mo, mom will take care of it all and congratulations on the hatch, and I have done that too, picked up mama and chicks come tumbling out, so cute