Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Cindilou]

Which day do hens go into their own "lock down" and do not get off the nest until hatching occurs? My gal is on day 15! She zipped out for a dust bath and bite to eat just now.
Just wondering.

 

[stonykill]

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Mine get off the nest everyday until the pipping starts. For my Sumatra's that is usually day 19. I think others have said the same. Broody's don't really have a lock down. At least mine don't.

 

[stonykill]

and #8 is Broody. That's 8 out of 10 Sumatra hens broody so far. I've only let 6 sit....as the others were in unsafe spots. And one of them" lil blue" I had to break TWICE. More broody chicks on the way! Once I remove her golfballs tomorrow when she gets up to do her angry broody dance

at least I think it's 8...... I'm confused.... that's a lot of broody's to keep track of....

 

[daytonfarm]

I have a question that may have already been addressed here but I haven't read the whole thread. I have a hen that just went broody yesterday and I have chicks that have just hatched today and probably tomorrow also. Is there an amount of time I need to leave the broody on the eggs before I can safely slip the chicks under her. I don't want anymore chicks so I figured I would just add a chick and take a couple eggs and keep doing that until all the eggs are gone and the chicks are out of the bator. Do you all think that will work or do you have other suggestions?
Thanks
Carolyn

 

[Crabella]

These two broody hens are going to make me nuts, and I wasn't that sane to start with.
I moved the two hens and their respective sets of eggs from the main coop because they were in the favorite nest boxes. I gave each of them their own comfy quarters in the storage area... Ha! funny me. They managed to get all the eggs in the same area and co-nested. OK, that works, until the first set hatches. Three cute little biddies. Both hens cluck and fuss over them, but they are spending so much time stealing the remaining eggs from each other that I will be surprised if any of them hatch.

I moved one of the hens and the remaining eggs (minus 3 duds from the first batch) back to the 2nd area. I blocked her in and left the chicks with the other hen and a golf ball. I gave her the golf ball because she kept looking for the eggs. Now just

and hoping for a couple more chicks this weekend.

Oh, and it looks like I do have broody number 3. She has been on golf balls for three days now. May slip a few eggs under her this weekend.

 

[jeepchick]

Hello everyone on the broody thread! I have my first broodys....3 of them as it turns out....and today was hatching day! I have 2 girls in the house in seperate dog crates and one is still outside in the coop with everyone else but for some reason the darn food delivery humans keep stealing her eggs

The girls started out with way too many eggs under them so I decided I needed to rein them in a little bit. Long story short they ended up with 6 each after candling half way through and the remainder I put in the bator with my RIRs and guinea keets (this was my first hatch in an incubator). I wish I had known that I was going to end up with broodys before I bought the bator....Im not sure if it was due to the fact that I bought the uber crappy LG bator that can't seem to hold a steady temp if someone even breaks wind in its general direction or if I just messed it all up but WOW....I ended up hatching 2 guineas out of 12 and 1 japanese bantam out of 18.....Broody hen #1 hatched out all 6 of her eggs and Broody #2 hatched out 5 of her 6 eggs and the last egg is pipped and peeping still!

Oh....yeah and Broody #1 is also taking care of my 2 guinea keets that hatched Monday and Broody # 2 is taking care of the japanese bantam that I hatched in the incubator. When that poor little thing finally came out of his shell he was covered in blood and horrible looking. I cleaned him up a little andlet him dry before I gave him to her and was afraid as a 1st time mommy she would kill him or something being all weak and still kinda gross but she cooed at him and grabbed him with her beak and tucked him under. I sat there and watched her for about 15 minutes to make sure I wouldnt have to intervene with her and she had him under her front with her head burried under herself taking care of him....it was really kind of touching to watch

Tomorrow I will be building a real broody box with a run attached...would be nice to not have huge dog crates in the livingroom and kitchen....and possibally putting the stupid Little Giant in the box and then in the shed.

 

[Fuffy]

So the final count is

Five ... yes FIVE bouncing baby buff sussex chickies!!!!

That's

Am so excited I can hardly speak!

Have been trying to get me some buffies for 1 1/2 years now. So finally there is a chance!

Will do piccies later

 

[CayuseRanch]

Wooooohooooo.

Went to check broody momma this am and I hear chirping!!!!!!

 

[stonykill]

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[Fuffy]

FIVE BOUNCING BABY BUFFYS