Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[perchie.girl]

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Those fans have very low settings that make very little noise. I don't think it would be too scary but then I don't know the size of your coop. Even placed in an upper corner pointing toward the nest would help.

If the coop and run are shaded and the humidity is high running more water over the top isn't going to help except to raise the humidity. Humid air has less oxygen. Air circulation is the only way I know of to help cool things down. Milk cartons may help though. The plastic jug kind with handles would be perfect Hung near the entrance to the nest boxes. They will also help precipitate the moisture from the air. Helping to bring the heat index down in a very small micro climate.

 

[CayuseRanch]

I thought I would share something that I read the other day in the magazine Popular Farming Magazine; Chickens. Some of you may already know this but to a newbie like me it is pretty darn amazing!

The article is titled, Psych 101 by Carol Ekarius

"When a hen is brooding eggs, itis very desirable for the hatching of those eggs to be synchronized," says Dr. Mench. "There is communication going on between the hen and the chicks (or chick embryos at this point) that ultimately leads to the eggs development either speeding up or slowing down so that they hatch around the same time."

Scientists have discovered (using tiny microphones connected to eggs and placed in the nest) that the hen hears vocal responses from the embryos to her vocalizations. These responses give her clues as to how the embryos are developing compared to each other. Based on that communication, she turns the eggs at different rates, moving one that is maturing a little more quickly out to the edge of the pile to cool off and slow down, while moving one that is maturing more slowly to the center of the nest to speed development.

 

[perchie.girl]

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Oh this is Waaayyy cool

Thanks

 

[Youneek Farm]

Thanks for all the encouragement. Tomorrow I'll put 6 fertilized eggs under her, though I think I'll move her to a private box as the other ladies are currently squeezing in to lay their eggs.

Wish me luck!

 

[Fuffy]

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How very interesting!!!!

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Fuffy]

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Miss L

Did she come home?

Glad the chick and duckling are doing well! You must have THE TOUCH!

 

[HHandbasket]

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Congratulations and I think we all love hatch day, it's so exciting.

I mis-counted. TODAY is day 21. Yesterday, all day I kept thinking it was Tuesday. I was all thrown off. I peeked this morning & she still only had the 2 as far as I could tell, but I did not want to disrupt her too terribly much so I was just quick and then let her be. I'm leaving her alone for the rest of the day and just letting her do her thing and will look in on her and her babies tomorrow.

She made her nest in an old scooter trunk. It had just been sitting in the yard at our old place & they started getting into it and hanging out, and it became part of their permanent nesting repertoire when we moved here. The chicks will be safe up off the ground, away from the larger chickens. I want to clean the coop floor one more time and make sure she and the chicks have access to plenty of chick starter & that the in-coop waterer has fresh water and is low enough for the bebes to get to it when she starts taking them out of the nest. Her first hatch, she had them out of the nest at probably 4 or 5 days of age. It was pretty neat.

She's a good little mama hen. I may consider getting another American game or two. This is her second hatch in 4 months. Get me a few hens like this & I can sell my incubators for feed money. LOL!

 

[Lyssa]

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That is amazing, Thank you so much for posting it!

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Thanks so much that is very interesting.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Miss L

Did she come home?

Glad the chick and duckling are doing well! You must have THE TOUCH!

Ya'll aren't going to believe this, Just kidding! Sophie came home this morning. We have no earthly idea where she was, but He did. I just hope she stays. We live in the Mountains with lots of woods and lots of places to hide.

opened up Mama ducks last egg yesterday, just before it probably would have exploded. yuck stinky. she is going bonkers now trying to figure out how to get back into the nest box, I showed her her duckling again this morning she hissed and started towards it so I scouped up Hope and cuddled her, mama doesn't know what she is missing.

Little chicken is still hanging in, but won't eat or drink. I have been putting food and water along it's beak trying. It really doesn't look like a 2 day old chick well 11/2 day. Hardly any feathers on it's neck or head, feathered on it's back and wings. It's little head doesn't look good at all. don't know if mama did it or if it was born this way. Now it won't open it's eyes, I have been using silver and also vetrycin and put some antibiotic salve on it skin where the feathers haven't come in on it upper wings. I can try to post a pic if anyone would like to see if they think it hatched to early. It's very pitiful. But Thank the Good Lord the little minute of a duckling is doing so great. Don't think I could handle much more. Still hoping for lil chicken though. Congrats on all the hatches in the last couple of days. Them broodys are awesome. I have one more due to hatch around 21st of June, American Game HHandbasket, she was an awesome mommie before. First time broody since 09