Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Fuffy]

Quote:
How precious! Congratulations!!!!

Interesting that you use the pelleted bedding in the nestbox. Do you find it works well? Do you use it all year round? I would think it would be cold in the winter.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
is she a first timer? I notice with mine they aren't really sure why they have set so long then it's like a light bulb goes off. oH yeah chicks. maybe she is just getting use to being a mama. or like they said better look for a predator

 

[countrygirl911]

well my hen has been on the nest now for 4 days so i guess this time she has decided to stay put. last time she stayed on the nest for about a week and a half and decided no more once she gets past day 12 i will feel more comfortable in saying she is actually going to stick with it this time

 

[smallcitychick]

Quote:
How precious! Congratulations!!!!

Interesting that you use the pelleted bedding in the nestbox. Do you find it works well? Do you use it all year round? I would think it would be cold in the winter.

I actually started out with aspen shavings in the nest boxes for all my hens (last year). Then I experimented with some hay in one of the nest boxes with shavings in the other to see if they preferred one over the other. Hay was right out, they used it more as a bathroom than a nest box

Then I tried the pellet bedding one time because the tractor supply had 2 bags on sale because they had been ripped open when unpacking them. The chickens LOVED them! They completely stopped using the nest boxes unless there were pellets in the bottom. In fact, after I had used up the 2 bags i went back to the aspen shavings and they started laying their eggs outside on the ground instead of the nest boxes!

No problem with me, the pellets were cheaper and easier to clean the coop, plus when I clean it out the pellets just go directly onto my garden and don't blow all over like the shavings did. We had an EXTREMELY cold and long winter here this year. I didn't take out the pellets and replace with new pellets like I normally do, I just kept adding a new layer on top until it was about 4 inches thick (hoping that it would help insulate). Everyone survived.
We're now up to 7 chicks! How long should I let her sit on the remaining eggs? No new pips this afternoon. I guess I can take them away tomorrow if there are still no new pips.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
How precious! Congratulations!!!!

Interesting that you use the pelleted bedding in the nestbox. Do you find it works well? Do you use it all year round? I would think it would be cold in the winter.

I actually started out with aspen shavings in the nest boxes for all my hens (last year). Then I experimented with some hay in one of the nest boxes with shavings in the other to see if they preferred one over the other. Hay was right out, they used it more as a bathroom than a nest box

Then I tried the pellet bedding one time because the tractor supply had 2 bags on sale because they had been ripped open when unpacking them. The chickens LOVED them! They completely stopped using the nest boxes unless there were pellets in the bottom. In fact, after I had used up the 2 bags i went back to the aspen shavings and they started laying their eggs outside on the ground instead of the nest boxes!

No problem with me, the pellets were cheaper and easier to clean the coop, plus when I clean it out the pellets just go directly onto my garden and don't blow all over like the shavings did. We had an EXTREMELY cold and long winter here this year. I didn't take out the pellets and replace with new pellets like I normally do, I just kept adding a new layer on top until it was about 4 inches thick (hoping that it would help insulate). Everyone survived.
We're now up to 7 chicks! How long should I let her sit on the remaining eggs? No new pips this afternoon. I guess I can take them away tomorrow if there are still no new pips.

If you don't have any pips by tomorrow I'd go ahead and remove the last eggs unless it was a staggerd hatch like NellaBean had, but after 48 hrs she will probably need to leave the nest anyeway and show chicks where food and water is. Congrats on the hatch..

 

[Miss Lydia]

On the N.C. thread, there was a poster that tried the pellets got them from where they were made here in N.C. first time to use them in her brooders, her chicks started dieing, found out the pellets smelled like they had some kind of chemical in it. it said use for horses and pet bedding. any way she was going to try and find out what this was all about. just thought I'd share it. might have gotten mixed up in the wrong bags.

 

[gretamae]

Quote:
is she a first timer? I notice with mine they aren't really sure why they have set so long then it's like a light bulb goes off. oH yeah chicks. maybe she is just getting use to being a mama. or like they said better look for a predator

Well, no predators to be found. No mites or ticks either, although I've seen TONS of ticks already this year (eek!)

Mama seems to have calmed down. All my birds are from a family down the road a ways, and they were all 12-24 months old when I brought them home, so this is the first time she's gone broody for me, but she may have had a clutch before I had her. I'm guessing it's her first time.

When I came home from the grocery store today I could hear extra loud peeping all the way from the driveway. One chick had taken a tumble out of the nest and was peeping his/her little head off. I couldn't believe how loud it was! I stuck the fuzzy little thing back up with mama and all is peaceful for the moment.

Thanks, everyone!

 

[featherz]

My first broody is doing great with her four chicks and thankfully her comb and wattles are no longer so pale. I have a question on my second broody, a black australorp. She's been in the nest box for over a week, has already torn out all of her belly feathers and walks around like a poofball when she takes her 'constitutional' each day. Even screeches, etc. However, she has lousy memory and keeps going back to the wrong nest. I had her sitting on two 'live' eggs, but after she left them for over a day and night and was sitting in the wrong nest I tossed them (candled clear anyways). So now she's sitting on fake eggs. I have chickens hatching out in a bator this weekend which would put her at day 15 or so of sitting. Think it's worth a shot to stick some chicks under her even though it's a week early?

 

[Sudsy Chick]

I'm sooo happy to report that both broody mommies are sitting on their nests and have at least three chicks between them.

I would LOVE to see what is going on under them! But I am going to be patient and wait for mommies to show me.

I watched them both all yesterday; and she got down to business once I removed the dead chick. I wonder if that's what she wanted all along? Hard to say...she really didn't want to go back to the nest! But once she was in it - she's stayed.

Here are the pics so far - not much to see yet!

Juno's first (that I know of) Black Ameraucana chick. You have to look carefully - it's a silver fuzz ball

Good mommy!

Panda's Blue or Splash Ameraucana chick, one of at least two that I've seen. (Although there is a LOT of noise down there!) This little chick (or one that looks just like it) comes out far too often for mommy's taste.

Many thanks to everyone, especially Miss Lydia for all your support & suggestions - I don't know if we would have tried without a resource like this

 

[Sadiew]

Hi all its day 24 and still no sign of any hatching out, I am new to keeping chickens and this is first time breeding, but I am loving it, Mother Hen has been really good sitting on her eggs 6 in total and is still sitting patiently waiting, she has only come out once a day for toilet etc and have never seen her at food feeder so I have been feeding her by hand each day which she is loving

how much longer should I leave her on eggs if no sign of hatching? I had my friend who I got chickens from to check the eggs a week ago and he said they were fertile. Also if I have to remove the eggs do I just take them away and will she then give up and leave nest? I love reading this thread and forum so much information for a newbie like me it is great.