Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Fuffy]

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Broody setup by FuffyKing, on Flickr[/img]

My mamma and her babies are in here, away from the flock until about 4 weeks. Then they go next to the flock into the teenage pad (with pizza oven and i-pod docking station) until mom wants to start laying. Then I let the little ones join the flock

 

[hokankai]

That's a neat setup! I decided to just leave mine in with the other girls in a pen with a nest, food, water setup away from the other girls' food. I let mama and chicks roam the coop during the day so far nobody has cared about the chicks at all. The chicks couldn't get out of the coop without a step and I'm afraid they wouldn't know how to get back in using the ramp. They might be fine now because they have feathers on their wings and can jump onto mom's back now, haha. I had to separate everyone due to a respiratory illness outbreak but since everyone has it or has been exposed to it now I want to put everyone back; I'll have to see if everyone still gets along okay.

 

[featherz]

Well, grafting my brinsea chicks on to my two week + broody appears to be a success so far. She hadn't eaten the chicks by the time the sun came up today and was all pancaked on top of them. I put her in a box on the floor of the coop with the two chicks and she didn't hop out and jump back in the nest box like she's tried every other time when I attempted a move on the fake eggs. She stayed on top of the chicks, like she should.

Now.. Question is.. I have 7 or 8 (have a possible late hatcher) chicks left in the brooder - only put two under her JUST in case. How long should I wait before sticking the other chicks under her? Can I do it during the day? (she's friendly towards me). She only had two fake eggs under her so I hope she can't 'count'. LOL. I figure I'll wait at least a half day to make sure she doesn't run off and leave the chicks, and keep a brooder ready just in case.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Some would wait till night like you did but I have seen others do it during the day, so it's up to you, you know your hen better than we do. thats so neat that she has accepted the chicks and she will the others too. If she is sitting on the 2 you took her you could gather the others and kinda just very undemonsttive slip the others under her and she how she reacts. once they are in the mommie mode it's very unusual to break them out of it. Or wait till this evening again. what ever please post and let us know. how it's going.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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very sweet pictures and video, they sure look healthy and happy. and mama looks so proud taking care of her brood.. Glad to hear they are recovering!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

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[URL='http://www.flickr.com/photos/...tic.flickr.com/1226/4606681404_2da32337f2.jpg[/URL]
Broody setup by FuffyKing, on Flickr[/url]

My mamma and her babies are in here, away from the flock until about 4 weeks. Then they go next to the flock into the teenage pad (with pizza oven and i-pod docking station) until mom wants to start laying. Then I let the little ones join the flock

Fuffy I bet you have a hard time getting them out of the teenage pad.

 

[featherz]

I decided to risk it. So far she has taken it in stride and just tucked the new ones under her. Thankfully (for her, anyways - the rest of my chickens hate the heat), it's almost 80 outside already so she really doesn't need to cover them all that well.

It's so humid my camera was fogging up! SHe has a very glassy eyed 'wha? where did these come from?' stare...

 

[stonykill]

ohh they grow so fast! My oldest broody chicks will be 6 weeks old on Wednesday, and today looks like the day, Mama has decided, they can handle the daytime by themselves. I watched her sneak out back by herself. I have to wonder if she is starting to lay again, and being a Sumatra, is hiding her nest.....

 

[stuckinthecity]

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18!!

That reminds me of a friend's "yellow buff" (buff orp) hen who covered 25 eggs. I just don't see how! Hope her hatch goes well!

Well I doubt that I will have 18 vertile eggs, but we shall see. How many of your friends 25 eggs hatched?

I think he got 21 chicks from that hatch. It was a ton! It was funny watching her try to keep up with all those babies too.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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stony, my oldest will be 8weeks this coming week and she is still keeping them close, but..... I saw the roo get her this morning so it won't be long till they will be on their own. Some of the mamas quit at 3 weeks and some at 5 weeks, but they all hang out together in a little flock of their own, it's so cute. yep the hens who have stopped being mama are laying again. 2 still broody and ducklings due on Thursday, whew what a spring eh?