Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks Chicklette 1, I have put electrolytes in her water, and today have put poultry nutri drench. I just went a picked her up to put into the make shift brooder i have for her and her chicks, and her chicks are screaming for mama, yesterday she called to them till they finally came around to where she was but today i don't think she has the strength to. She is very alert, ate the meal worms i gave her. her legs just won't hold her up.

 

[stonykill]

Ms Kitty, they are Sumatra's. I've never had one hatch as light as the light colored one. The black and white ones will be all black. I can't wait to see what color the other one will be. I'm guessing she will be a splash....... Yes I said she.....wishful thinking....

 

[Sudsy Chick]

stonykill, sallyf & foxinahenhouse, your pictures are sooo adorable! I love them all and can't wait!

Miss Lydia - still thinking about your hen & hoping she pulls through!

greenacre - our first broody too

and it's contagious so watch out! good luck w/ your first hatch.

 

[Miss Lydia]

thanks to all of you who have said you are thinking about my mama hen. She is so happy now, I caught her two little ones and now they are all together for the rest of the day and night. I have egg, plain greek yogurt and meal worms in with her and hopefully she'll eat some of it.

 

[Handmadens]

Well I for one am very interested in the subject. We have had chickens for only a couple of years and a year ago my son said he wanted to see if we could get a hen to hatch some eggs so we purchased 2 silver laced wyandottes and 2 spotted sussex. I was planning on waiting until next spring to make the effort but apparently one of our sussex had other plans. She went missing for a few days and than my son found her behind the shed in a quiet spot laying on some eggs. I'm worried though because she hasn't come out for at least 2 days to eat or drink and I noticed a couple of the eggs are covered in poop. Will she leave the nest to eat and drink or do I need to help her?

 

[Miss Lydia]

they usually come out on their own. you just might not see her do it. and poopy eggs hatch fine. Congrats on the broody!!

 

[stonykill]

sometimes they are out so quick you don't even see them come out. I've also had broody's sit for 2 to 3 days before getting up to eat, drink, bathe. When they are ready, they will come out puffed up, screaming at everyone.

 

[laughingull]

Worried about my broody. Is it normal for a broody to NEVER leave the nest? This is her first time and she has been at it for 19 days now but hasnt set foot off the nest since around day 4 or 5. She barely eats or drinks (though has started to a bit when i hand feed her and hold the water up to her beak after priming her hunger with a few greens) and of course the back of the nest is poo-nasty. If she gets any of her chicks to hatch (sadly not totally holding my breath because I only gave her 4 EE eggs from the neighbor's flock to sit on and one broke early on) will she be able to walk? Will the poor gal have the strength?

 

[Miyashi]

Dumb question...but can I mark my eggs with a Sharpie, or should I use a food grade marker or something else?
I just don't want to hurt anything is all....
The is my first round hatching out chicks with my broody hens.
Yeta (Bearded Silkie) and Pheobe (Silkie/OEGB) got motherly at the same time...I'm excited. Due at the end of the month. ^_^

 

[laughingull]

Quote:
Also I should mention that I put her and her nest into a rabbit hutch to get her out of range of the other chickens. When I am around in the morning I open it up in case she wants a dust bath but she wont leave the nesting box much less the hutch. (I can tell by the newspaper on the bottom that she has NEVER once in the past two weeks stepped out of the box.) Did I go wrong by putting her in an enclosed space? Below is the pic of her set up the day I moved her in (and the last time she bothered to stand up to eat).