Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[shellyga]

I have four upper nest boxes and four lower.. well three of the top nest have been occupied by broody hens for the past two weeks.. we should have chicks soon.. so what do I see when I go to close up the free rangers for the night. A HEN in the FINAL upper nest.. she isn't making the dinosaur sounds yet.. but this is her first night on the nest. We will see if she stays.. and if she does.. I need to find some eggs to put under her. Lucky for me.. I am a swapaholic and an auctionholic.. so I had two boxes arrive today... will get them unpacked and resting. Gotta love a broody hen.. and now possibly four!

Shelly

 

[KickingChicken]

Quote:
I was wondering what you do with the broods that are in the upper boxes once they hatch. Can they get down on their own?

 

[countrygirl911]

i have a hen that has been on 4 eggs all day and she is sleeping on them

 

[Firearia]

I'm amazed that none of my Orpingtons or even my Wyandotte have gone broody this summer so far. My current momma is a hatchery bought EE.

She's on day five? I'm not quite sure, I was gone a few days and came back to her broody. So, we'll see. I can't wait.

 

[DAFox]

Quote:
I was wondering what you do with the broods that are in the upper boxes once they hatch. Can they get down on their own?

My first broody experience taught me that babies need to be ground level. Mama wasn't finished hatching -- 2ft off the ground. I had 2 dead chicks on the ground. They either fell on their own, were pushed out or she got off the nest and they followed.
When I designed my new coop, I used rubbermaid totes on the ground as nest boxes. They are under my poop boards without the lids on. I slide them forward, collect eggs, slide them back. Apparently, this arrangement encourages broodiness, in my girls. So far this year, I've had 16 broodies. All of last year -- 6 or 7.
Good luck,
Dale-Ann

 

[shellyga]

KickingChicken wrote:
Shelly
I was wondering what you do with the broods that are in the upper boxes once they hatch. Can they get down on their own?
My first broody experience taught me that babies need to be ground level. Mama wasn't finished hatching -- 2ft off the ground. I had 2 dead chicks on the ground. They either fell on their own, were pushed out or she got off the nest and they followed.


We move them to big cardboard box open on one end during the last week. That is this weekend for two of them. We keep the "open" flat closed until nightfall.. that way she isn't bombarded with company .. and then when the babies hatch.. we put water and food close for them.. for us.. this has worked.. it might not work for others. We started out with the idea that we would divide the coop and put the broodies on the 1/3 side.. but that idea was squashed when we decided to use it as a grow out pen..lol.

Shelly

 

[stonykill]

Grooming time!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
I was wondering what you do with the broods that are in the upper boxes once they hatch. Can they get down on their own?

My first broody experience taught me that babies need to be ground level. Mama wasn't finished hatching -- 2ft off the ground. I had 2 dead chicks on the ground. They either fell on their own, were pushed out or she got off the nest and they followed.
When I designed my new coop, I used rubbermaid totes on the ground as nest boxes. They are under my poop boards without the lids on. I slide them forward, collect eggs, slide them back. Apparently, this arrangement encourages broodiness, in my girls. So far this year, I've had 16 broodies. All of last year -- 6 or 7.
Good luck,
Dale-Ann

Hey DA can we see pictures of your nest boxes? sounds very interesting.

 

[Miss Lydia]

stony, I am in love with your hen, is that the one you call blue? she is georgeous...

 

[stonykill]

Quote:
this one has always been called Mama. She went broody in the wild last year, and at day 14 someone ate her eggs, and she survived but was missing A LOT of feathers. So she has just been mama ever since. Blue looks just like mama but is smaller. Sumatra's aren't full grown until they are 2... so I have read....so Blue is a little girl. Or possibly just a Bantam Sumatra.

Thanks! Mama is a really beautiful girl! A REALLY good mama too! NO ONE goes near her little ones!