Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[stonykill]

2 of my broody's decided to move in together with their chicks. Now, they were only nested 2 feet apart to begin with. But my Blue Sumatra, moved her babies last night, right next to the newest Black Sumatra mama. I mean right next to her! All is good in their chicken world!

 

[annaraven]

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Nah - they look like tribbles.

 

[welasharon]

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Well the second hen kicked the first off the nest and has been staying with the eggs. At first the original broody would try to nest with her but after a few days she gave up. I tried to candle a couple days ago....have no clue when to call the first day...maybe the tenth??? anyway I could not tell anything. Tried again tonight. First one didn't look like there is anything happening there so I tried another. I could see a baby floating and moving around so I carefully put it back and didn't check the other four. About what day should I be pretty sure of an egg not being viable? I am pretty sure I put the mark on them the tenth when I stopped letting them put any more in there.
sharon

 

[broodytood]

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Hi everyone! I'm a silent learner on this thread and finally have a Q.
There is a lot of talk about how wild and hard to handle broody raised chicks are. Have you all found this to be true? Is it just certain breeds? I see a literal handful of chicks in those pics that don't look very scared so I was just wondering.
I purposely picked breeds that have an excellent chance of going broody and am now wondering if I have made a mistake. Thanks!

 

[NellaBean]

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Hi everyone! I'm a silent learner on this thread and finally have a Q.
There is a lot of talk about how wild and hard to handle broody raised chicks are. Have you all found this to be true? Is it just certain breeds? I see a literal handful of chicks in those pics that don't look very scared so I was just wondering.
I purposely picked breeds that have an excellent chance of going broody and am now wondering if I have made a mistake. Thanks!

It really depends. I find broody raised chicks that are out with the flock from day 1 are less friendly.

I sometimes let broodies stay in the flock but have more recently begun separating them into brooders for the first month or so. So they are in a brooder on eggs, hatch the chicks and stay with them at least a few weeks, hopefully up to a month depending on what else is going on. Get your wanna be broody hens nice and friendly FIRST. If your broody momma comes running to you for food, so will her babies! They learn fast.

I do very often take the broody momma out after a few weeks. Then the babies have a couple more weeks in the brooder under a heat lamp where they can get a little more used to me.

But then again, I don't handle my birds much so friendliness isn't a huge thing. ALL of my birds, broody raised or not, will come running for treats when I call them. Do I pick them up and carry them around? Not usually. I consider my birds friendly, but they have zero interest in being grabbed and picked up.

 

[broodytood]

Quote:
Hi everyone! I'm a silent learner on this thread and finally have a Q.
There is a lot of talk about how wild and hard to handle broody raised chicks are. Have you all found this to be true? Is it just certain breeds? I see a literal handful of chicks in those pics that don't look very scared so I was just wondering.
I purposely picked breeds that have an excellent chance of going broody and am now wondering if I have made a mistake. Thanks!

It really depends. I find broody raised chicks that are out with the flock from day 1 are less friendly.

I sometimes let broodies stay in the flock but have more recently begun separating them into brooders for the first month or so. So they are in a brooder on eggs, hatch the chicks and stay with them at least a few weeks, hopefully up to a month depending on what else is going on. Get your wanna be broody hens nice and friendly FIRST. If your broody momma comes running to you for food, so will her babies! They learn fast.

I do very often take the broody momma out after a few weeks. Then the babies have a couple more weeks in the brooder under a heat lamp where they can get a little more used to me.

But then again, I don't handle my birds much so friendliness isn't a huge thing. ALL of my birds, broody raised or not, will come running for treats when I call them. Do I pick them up and carry them around? Not usually. I consider my birds friendly, but they have zero interest in being grabbed and picked up.

Good info, thanks!

 

[Fuffy]

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It really depends. I find broody raised chicks that are out with the flock from day 1 are less friendly.

I sometimes let broodies stay in the flock but have more recently begun separating them into brooders for the first month or so. So they are in a brooder on eggs, hatch the chicks and stay with them at least a few weeks, hopefully up to a month depending on what else is going on. Get your wanna be broody hens nice and friendly FIRST. If your broody momma comes running to you for food, so will her babies! They learn fast.

I do very often take the broody momma out after a few weeks. Then the babies have a couple more weeks in the brooder under a heat lamp where they can get a little more used to me.

But then again, I don't handle my birds much so friendliness isn't a huge thing. ALL of my birds, broody raised or not, will come running for treats when I call them. Do I pick them up and carry them around? Not usually. I consider my birds friendly, but they have zero interest in being grabbed and picked up.

Good info, thanks!

I completely agree! My birds all come for treats so I can count heads and make sure everyone is moving properly.

And if something needs more investigation I do it when they have gone to bed. Personally I feel that if I wanted a lap dog, I would have bought one!

I take the opportunity to go and talk to my broody every day and stroke her fluffed up feathers. This way even the most flighty will become used to me and the babies will be fine with me.

And mama doesn't mind too much so long as I don't try to take the little ones away!

 

[Roree-23]

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With our chickens it has never been a problem. Our hens were fairly well handled and didn't mind us handling their chicks. Most of our chickens will follow you around the garden hoping for food but wouldn't want to be picked up. But three of our biggest orpingtons think they are lap dogs and if you sit down they will perch on you and are happy to have a quick nap; they were all from broody hens.

I think you do probably have to work harder because you will have less direct contact, but as long as your broody hen is friendly you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[broodytood]

Thanks Fluffy and Roree-23!

I do like to handle my girls. Not all are happy with me when I pick them up but I do have some that enjoy sitting on my lap. All come running for treats. So I guess we will wait to see who if any will eventually go broody.

 

[gretamae]

Thank you everyone for this great thread!

My black orpington mama has been sitting on 8 eggs for 3 weeks, and yesterday I saw a little fuzzy chick face! I left mama in her chosen nest box in the coop with the rest of the flock, but I have a rabbit hutch ready to move her and babies into. A few weeks ago this seemed like a good plan, but now I'm wondering when to move them. The nest box is about 24" off of the coop floor, but there's a ledge on the box, so I'm hoping no babies will tumble out. I was planning on moving them after mama got up off the nest, but now I'm wondering if I should move them now.

Any advice?