Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[phasianidae]

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Often the eggs simply expload. I have used many broodies, even x-egg eaters and none have ever broken an egg to eat it. Once broodyness sets in they get a lot of brains.

 

[hokankai]

I'll try and get them to drink, I'm just really afraid of causing them to aspirate. I'll try with a insulin syringe before I leave.

No blood in poop, two are showing signs, we have a total of 7 hens and 18 chicks (8 in the brooder and 10 with the broody). I checked the others today and they all appear fine. I did have to take out two of the brooder chicks for sneezing and crackly sounds, but I think that's separate and I'm not sure I want to treat them with antibiotics if I don't have to. Chicks and mama are on medicated feed.

The reason I thought cocci is because she was sitting around puffed up yesterday, doesn't want to eat/drink much, and has the white/watery diarrhea (if that's what it is).

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Its very important that they have fluids, pedilyte or gator aide or electrolytes for chickens. try to get them to drink some by dribbling it along their beaks, be careful not to get into their nostrils. I didn't know they had cocci. is that one of the symptoms of cocci? Have you seen any blood in their poop? call your vet and ask if they know someone who see chickens. is it just 2 of your chickens showing signs of being sick. How many birds do you have total? alot of questions I know but are you feedinbg mama and chicks med. feed? if they have cocci, you need to treat asap with corid or sulmet. but sounds like they may have https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2880325#p2880325 . you can get injectable antibiotics at the feed store too. keep us updated. if your chickens have cocci and crs they may get help with sulmet
.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Its very important that they have fluids, pedilyte or gator aide or electrolytes for chickens. try to get them to drink some by dribbling it along their beaks, be careful not to get into their nostrils. I didn't know they had cocci. is that one of the symptoms of cocci? Have you seen any blood in their poop? call your vet and ask if they know someone who see chickens. is it just 2 of your chickens showing signs of being sick. How many birds do you have total? alot of questions I know but are you feedinbg mama and chicks med. feed? if they have cocci, you need to treat asap with corid or sulmet. but sounds like they may have https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2880325#p2880325 . you can get injectable antibiotics at the feed store too. keep us updated. if your chickens have cocci and crs they may get help with sulmet
.


if you just dribble the water or what ever your trying to get them to drink along the outside of their beak they won't aspirate. that is the safest way to get them to drink. most of the time they will drink that way.

 

[hokankai]

I found one of them drinking the water this morning! I also got the other to "drink" my adding water to chick food and making it into mush. The both LOVE it! Hopefully that'll stimulate them to eat/drink normally.

She still has white stuff running down her bum, it wasn't dripping when I saw her, but she did have a dribble trail down her bum.

Now to figure out where they got it from...I've brought in chicks from several places but I don't see any sick chicks and mama is fine. I'm going to be disinfecting the coop today and might move them back in today or tomorrow depending on how the 4 remaining girls look.

Edit: I'm giving the antibiotic water to the 4 "healthy" ones right now, is this a good idea? I'm also going to be providing plain yogurt to EVERYONE, including the chicks. I'd also like to give ACV in the chicks' water, but how should I go about giving them their vitamins/electrolytes then? Can I sprinkle it in their food? Or should I skip the vitamins/electrolytes and stick with the ACV. I am NOT giving antibiotic to the chicks (except for the two I brought into the house for sneezing...it's in mush form as well) unless I have to.

 

[Fuffy]

Well my eggs got here yesterday. They were only 24 hours in the post.

I let them sit for 24 hours in normal cardboard egg boxes, not the polystyrene, and put them under Hermione while she was out doing her morning ablutions today.

I wish I could have got a picture of the look on her face when she realized that the 3 'falsies' had turned into a dozen real eggs!!!

She just shut up and got on with it: No fuss, no bother...Just a bit of a bigger wriggle and all the eggs were covered up.

So, with a bit of luck, there may be some buff sussex in Jersey on June 15th ... I just have 3 weeks to panic!

 

[haTHOR]

my broody was off the nest for several hours yesterday. eggs were cold. she went back to them when i found her (got spooked off her eggs and over a tall fence, then couldnt get back). candled and found life in 2 of 4 at random. hoping several are still good! anyone else had this happen?

 

[Miss Lydia]

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yep It has probably happened to most of us, mine went and got into another nest where someone had laid an egg. the eggs were cold, but hatched so hopefully yours will too.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Way to go Hermione, and hopefully this hatch will be sucessful fuffy, keep us updated on progress!!

 

[LadyWoodsong]

Ok, so I'll shorten up my post. Maybe someone will answer?

Can I just keep mama and chicks right in the coop with the regular flock?


Have you had any experience with mama raising her chicks right in the same coop as the others?


What should I keep mama and chicks in so that the chicks can get in and out of?

Thank you.

 

[featherz]

Quote:
I did. It was my first broody hatch. THankfully momma was nesting on the floor already, so I didn't have to try a move, but so far she and her four chicks are doing fine with the other chickens, 10 hens and a roo. They just nest in the pine shavings on the floor!