Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Monkie_777]

Alright So I have 2 Broody Silkies. They are sitting together very nicely sharing a combined 12 eggs. All Silkie eggs. The first egg was put under the first broody on the 30th of April..That first one got trampled on and smooshed around day ten or so.....Anyways along the way within that first 10 days or so more eggs were added and I didn't think to mark them until that point. So I could have hatches between now and who knows...

My question is that I am pretty positive that the second oldest should have hatched now since it has been under the mommy since the 1st of may..At least I think.....I candled yesterday and saw definite movement in 9 of my 12 including the one I had marked as the second oldest....Three were just too dark to tell....

I haven't heard anything yet..we made a nice broody box for them today and put chicken wire in the middle of the chicken yard to separate them from the other chickens....

I am JUST CONCERNED BECAUSE I HAVEN"T HEARD ANYTHING OR SEEN ANYTHING...HELP...FIRST TIME HATCH....

 

[foxinachickenhouse]

Sad news today. One of our two chicks, the RIR, got taken by a blue jay. It must have gone into the broody house to get the chick as momma's have not taken them out yet. I feel awful, it was my fault for not covering the door overhead better. Just didn't think of it. Realized what happened when we were looking for the chick and the jay came back and tried again! So sad, poor baby

Went a got another Speckled Sussex. The store was out of RIR's. Going to bomber up the broody house and let them back out there in a few days.

 

[Lyssa]

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congrats on the broody and yes to your question.

Thank you! That makes me feel really good right now... that and the red wine!

 

[LadyWoodsong]

Oh I'm so glad I found this thread! I have lots of questions....

I have a broody hen whose eggs will be hatching about June 5th. I currently have her sitting on her eggs in an unused utility sink in the coop. Once the eggs hatch, there's no way the chicks will be able to get out of this sink, the edges are quite high. My nesting boxes are up on the wall so their up too high for any chicks to get in and out of too. What should I put mama and chicks in? Obviously they're going to need to get in and out to eat.

Can I just keep mama and chicks right in the coop with the regular flock? That is, if there aren't any problems? Have you had any experience with mama raising her chicks right in the same coop as the others?

Thank you in advance!

 

[hokankai]

Thank you for this! As of tonight mommy and babies are fine (in fact I added a Maran chick after going to Wilco for VetRx

) and thankfully, there have been no symptoms related to their eyes so I don't think it's coryzia. However, how the HECK do you get them to drink when they're not interested? The sick GLW is not interested in food or water. She is coughing (or at least I think that's what it is) and also has a creamy/pus-colored substance dripping from her vent...

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[Fuffy]

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Well if she is producing that from her vent, I would say she has an infection somewhere along the oviduct. Poor girl!

Can you get hold of a syringe (without the needle!)? I had a sick pullet and the vet got me to kind of clamp her under my left arm and open her beak just enough to get the syringe in. You have to be REALLY careful not to get too much in or to get it too far on so it goes down the wrong way. It worked in as much as I got the stuff into her....Unfortunately she didn't make it.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Aww fox so sorry that happened.

but thank goodness you were able to get another SS for the mommy. how is she doing with it? yep sometimes we have to learn the hard way it's always been that way for me

anyway hope all goes well here on out. Blue Jays can really be a pain. [and we are always looking for the bigger preds].

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Well if she is producing that from her vent, I would say she has an infection somewhere along the oviduct. Poor girl!

Can you get hold of a syringe (without the needle!)? I had a sick pullet and the vet got me to kind of clamp her under my left arm and open her beak just enough to get the syringe in. You have to be REALLY careful not to get too much in or to get it too far on so it goes down the wrong way. It worked in as much as I got the stuff into her....Unfortunately she didn't make it.

Good luck and keep us posted!

might have a case of vent gleet, which is yeast infection. does it have an order? https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1986213 http://www.birdhealth.com.au/bird/chick-fowl/ventgleet.html

 

[Miss Lydia]

hokankai, be sure to get them to eat ,drink, some kind of probiotic while you have them on antibiotics. you can get a good quality plain yogurt or buttermilk or plain kefir. And you can make a mash out of any of these and put some baby chick food in it. My adult chickens love it when I make a mash for them I use kefir since I make it and add chick feed to it, might be a way to get your sick ones to get their meds. mix meds in the water put a little chick feed into a bowl add some water with meds and mix it up. just do it small and see if they eat it. but they really do need the probiotics even the chicks need it. All the best.

and if they will eat the mash with the meds added then you can add some probiotic to that.

 

[hokankai]

They are not interested in eating or drinking right now. I'll check them this afternoon and pick up some plain yogurt later. Could the white be diarrhea from coccoidosis? There isn't really a smell to it and I had my face up to her bum while I took the pictures.

Both girls are raspy and feeling terrible. Where do I find a vet that sees chickens? I have a normal vet, but I don't think they see livestock.