Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Chiko]

I really hope my Cochin Bantam goes broody soon! She'll start laying in a few weeks so maybe next month I'll have another broody!!!

 

[stonykill]

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I always wait until one of 2 things has happened. Either I am sure the hatch is over, or mama brings them off the nest. If I am sure the hatch is over, I lift the entire nest (when possible) or at least move them one by one (gloved) to the floor. My experience with mama bringing them down is....she will make her own new nest.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Yep!! Congrats!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

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I always wait until one of 2 things has happened. Either I am sure the hatch is over, or mama brings them off the nest. If I am sure the hatch is over, I lift the entire nest (when possible) or at least move them one by one (gloved) to the floor. My experience with mama bringing them down is....she will make her own new nest.

Can I just add one more thing? when my broody hatched out her chicks last year the nest box was about 8" off the floor, I am pretty sure one of the chicks fell out of the nest box, I really don't think she pushed it out, anyway when i found it it was cold and I thought dead, but it moved slightly so I put it back under mama and watched till rest were hatched then got that nest on the floor. Your right stony mama made her nest and all was well after that. Chick made it.

 

[Tiss]

My broody's nest is about 10" off the ground. I put a piece of 2x6 at the edge to provide a little barricade and added a little ramp. There are 2 eggs left to go, one with a pip and one with nothing going on that I can see. You think I should move them all to the ground once the last 2 hatch or wait for mama to do it?

Here is the latest pic of my little fuzz balls. I couldn't get all seven in the picture.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Thats adorable!! is the ramp wide enough so that they can manuver up it okay? since you have a ramp you might try it, and just watch to make sure all can go up and down okay. If you see them struggling then step in and move them to ground level, the most important is that once out of the nest box they can get back in an under mama.

 

[stonykill]

Quote:
I always wait until one of 2 things has happened. Either I am sure the hatch is over, or mama brings them off the nest. If I am sure the hatch is over, I lift the entire nest (when possible) or at least move them one by one (gloved) to the floor. My experience with mama bringing them down is....she will make her own new nest.

Can I just add one more thing? when my broody hatched out her chicks last year the nest box was about 8" off the floor, I am pretty sure one of the chicks fell out of the nest box, I really don't think she pushed it out, anyway when i found it it was cold and I thought dead, but it moved slightly so I put it back under mama and watched till rest were hatched then got that nest on the floor. Your right stony mama made her nest and all was well after that. Chick made it.

I always worry about that. That's why I try to move them 1st. It just doesn't always work out that way.

I also try to put up some form of barricade to prevent them from falling out.

I find newborn chicks can barely scale a 3 inch barrier, so I don't know how well they would handle a ramp. I've thought about tyring it, but haven't yet....

 

[Tiss]

I'm concerned they won't be able to make the ramp either. I just opened up the egg that had pipped because it didn't move at all when I touched its beak. The poor thing was fully formed and dead and a doornail. I candled the last egg she has and don't think I see any movement. I do see a large chick in there, so I'll give it another day.

Now I just need to decide whether to move them this evening or tomorrow. The little fuzzballs are tripping over themselves all over their nest box to the food and water and back, so maybe this evening would be best.

 

[stonykill]

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sounds like this evening might be best. If they are moving around that much, mama will probably want to walk them around at sun up.

 

[Tiss]

I put them in a corner on the floor of the coop. Mama wasn't too pleased with me, but after she made a man-sized poop

she settled right down.