Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[kannna]

Could you give them a stuffed animal to cuddle with? Do you think that may work? Maybe even a stuffed chicken toy?

 

[broodytood]

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A gal on the WA thread slipped in 3 feed store chicks under her broody(who had hatched 2 of her own) late at night. The broody accepted them just fine. So maybe it depends on the broody.

 

[broodytood]

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I dunno. I'm leary of adding chicks to other broody mamas. One of our broodies hatched an egg and rejected her. So my husband put the rejected baby under a mama that had a baby that was already a week or so old. When he came back to check on her, her eye had been pecked out and the mama had gone outside with her baby. Not to scare you but I just don't like the idea of trying that anymore, sorry

On another note, we had a 4th broody hen hatch 5 out of 6 in her clutch.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/54650_img_4507.jpg
She's doing very well now. They're about 6 days old.

I have another problem tho. We have 2 older chicks that are nearly a month old.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/54650_img_4503.jpg
Their mama has pretty much deemed them adult enough to survive without her. Now she's left them to roost on their own at night. The chicks are freaked out about it. They try their hardest to crawl under ANY hen that will let them. They try to get under the newst mama with the 5 babies. She pecks at their eyes when they do this! I am so worried that I'm going to end up with another one-eyed chick!! Should I just let things run the course? I have nowhere to keep the older chicks now. Any advice?

I KNOW....Send them to MEEEEEEEEE! I will mother them!

Seriously now, how long has it been since she ousted them? Are they getting picked on by others when they are not trying to snuggle?

 

[annaraven]

I had really good luck with my broody accepting the 3 babies I snuck under her.

Cornelia, Barbarella, and Claudia, with Mama Buffy on Mother's Day.


One of them was sitting on top of her today!

Barbarella, Queen of the Coop! Hear me peep!

 

[kevs-chickadees]

New to BYC and espescially to broody hens hatching the eggs. I've found a lot of great information through all the posts but since I'm running out of time I thought I would ask a few questions to see if I'm on the right path. It's day 18 and I've got 2 broody hens sitting on nests in the coop with all the other hens free to come and go as they please. I tried moving the broodys at day one and they would rather sit in the familiar nest empty then the new ones we created. Soooo here goes all the questions. 1 should i try to move them now away from the other hens or leave them be? 2 if I move them should it be to a place where they can all be in lockdown where the broody hens have no other place to go but on the eggs? 3 How long would I keep them in a (lockdown)? 4 The chicks need medicated chick starter and help locating the water, and it's ok for the mother hens to have the same chick starter? Thanks for all your help

 

[broodytood]

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SWEEEET!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

kevs-chickadees, move your hens too a place where they can be locked in till hatch and a few days after, by then they will be ready to take them out. or leave them where they are, most adult chickens will not bother a mama hen and chicks. [kinda like a mama bear and cubs] lol. but what ever you are comfortable with you know your flock the best. you don't have to give these chicks med. food because mama will help them build immunity to cocci and other things known to make bator raised chicks sick.. [sterile inviroment] versis get out there and build that immunity up. and yes mamas can and will eat chick food and she will teach them to eat and drink. If you decide to put them into their own space, don't be surprised that when time to let them out in a few days that they don't take them into the main coop, mine did anyway. And all you have to do is sit back and enjoy. The only problems I have had and I had 6 broodys at once was mamas getting upset with each other. But that has even calmed down now. So good luck and please keep us posted on the new arrivals and of course pics when you can...

annaraven that is such a sweet pic.

Congrats ronikins love the pics..

forgot to add my mama hen who was having balance problems yesterday, will be spending the day with her chicks in rest and quiet. I am hoping that will help her get her feet back under her. She sure does love them babies.. [can chickens love]? sure looks like it.

 

[madgabmomma]

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Nope it was the first one to hatch over 24hrs ago. I noticed yesterday she wasn't really tucking him under her like she was the others and I helped him under her a couple of times so he wouldn't get cold, I guess it got warm enough yesterday 70s that he was ok. This morning though it was about 55 and I went out and he was lying in the corner of the nest shivering. She pecked at me and got upset but I took him out. I have him inside in the brooder right now but he can't walk at all. I guess it's splayed leg? I've never delt with this before but one of his legs seems to not be working. I don't know what to do now??

I am so sorry to hear about your little chick

I will tell you my experience with a similar situation. My first time incubating 28 eggs and I had temp issues making the hatch 2-3 days late. 2 hatch 1 was healthy and the other hatched but could not walk. Always lying on his side, back,and looking horrible. I dipped his beak in water and he would then drink and held him up for lengths of time during the days that followed. He finaly was able to stand then walk, and looked normal. We were all very happy for the little chick. We almost lost him 3 times in a couple of days to who knows what? He kept having issues with loud bangs in the house, cold spells, and other chicks in the brooder. He finally died one morning. He was simple sick. These things are hard and so sad, but I would do it again.

Thank you so much for sharing you're experience. It actually made me feel a lot better!! I ended up culling the chick that day. It was extremely hard to do, but I just felt in my heart it was the right thing to do. She started chirping really loud and just seemed to be in distress. This hatching busiiness is sad at times, but it's very rewarding at the same time. We lost another one a couple days ago. I didn't have the coop door propped open good enough and a strong wind blew it shut right on one of the babies

I'm just praying the other 4 can make it to adult hood without any more problems!!

 

[harewizard]

Hi all,

I posted last week about my BA going broody. This is her first time, as well as mine! No roo's around, so I ordered a dozen fertilized EE eggs from the auction here. (they were the right price and soon to end)

I had waited about 4-5 days before placing her in a small coop by herself. She took it very well and never fussed or became agitated! She has been by herself on fake eggs for 3 full days.

The eggs were to come Priority Mail and they were to be delivered last Saturday. Wouldn't you know, my dumb postal lady (who doesn't get out of her truck for NOTHING) BEEPS her horn for me to come outside to get the package. I NEVER heard her!

UGH! She left a notice to pick up the package on Monday at 9am.

Well, I didn't get the notice until after the PO closed, because I was waiting for the eggs!!

I read as much info as my lil brain could suck in on egg storage. I'm hoping they will be OK.

They were very nicely wrapped and packaged. I'm sure the Post office was not too hot or cold...??? What do you think?

well moving on to yesterday-------> I pick up the egs at 9:01am. Share my dissatisfaction with the Post Master about my mail deliverer (another story). I come home and unwrap 14 of the most precious, beautiful eggs!

Ahhh.....!

Now, I know that everything I have read says to wait until night .....I CAN'T!

I went and put 14 fertilized EE eggs under Miss Broody and took the fake ones yesterday late morning. You should have seen her face!

Of course she puffed up and growled like a rabid chick!! I got the stink eye look and an expression like,"Whoaaa, another one?"

LOL I just kept putting eggs under her. I left her alone for the rest of the day and checked on her last night. She is such a good momma. She had settled and readjusted herself so all were covered.

So, Does this mean in 20-21 days we may have chicks?? I'm looking at May 29-30th for hatch day?

Do I have a lock-down day? Or is that just for incubators? I'll get a pic of momma today and share later on!

Thanks for letting me share,
Lisa

 

[ronikins]

Sorry, I went to bed shortly after I posted.

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I could buy one! If you think it might help. I found them snuggled together (the 2 older chicks) on the platform of one of the nest boxes. Eyes still intact and necks not broken

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Hah! I would too but the little snots won't let me catch them half the time! They've gone WILD!

The mamas pretty much left them on their own during the day about 5 days ago. But the past 2 nights, the mamas have gone back to roost with the adults. The first night, I brought one of their mamas down to sit with them. She seemed ok with it. But I thought, she knew what she was doing so I let her do her thing. But I worry about the babies. The adults are pretty good when the babies aren't trying to get under them. It's at night when they try to snuggle that the adults peck them.....