Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Don't know how to sex them but they are adorable and so are their mamas. Congrats..
found this on youtube, didn't watch it so don't know if it will help. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zbkkkn_PxE
okay just watch this video, you have to see this.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Aren't they just too cute!?

X2 very cute!!!

 

[Gulfstream]

Been a long few days. We have 11 so far. One hatching now. One didn't make it out of the shell.

I have 21 eggs left. Momma bailed to care for the newbies. Whats the old saying....a bird in hand?

So I am going to do a float test on the remainders.

Anyone close to Lake Worth, Florida that wants some eggs? I do not have a bater.

 

[Niss]

Wow, Miss L, that video is crazy! I had to laugh at what those poor chicks go though, and seemingly unfased.

Gulfstream--I love ducklings! Thanks for sharing the pics. I really hope to get a broody duck next spring. Please tell me a little about your set up. I have my 16 in a coop over night and they free range in the day. The coop is just a 4'x8' box and I would worry the others will bother perspective broodies and they might try to nest outside. All my duck were hatchery born this spring and have just started mating/squating for the dog (

of all things, silly pekins--at least the mallards are getting it on with eachother), but I've yet to see an egg.

 

[Gulfstream]

Hey Niss,

Got 6 from hatchery. Around the 3rd month something snatched one. Of the 5 left 3 were boys 2 were girls. At around 7 months the girls starting laying daily. My daughter got some chickens so in an afternoon I built a 12 by 8 house attached to my barn for the ducks. About a month after they moved in one of the girls picked a corner and went broody. That was right around the end of June. She was not joking around. The routine never changed here. I always open the door in the morning and they free-range til just before dark. She was free to come and go. She would come out for a few in the a.m. and again in the evening. Friday was the first pip and hatch. Over the weekend I got 9 more. This a.m. another was hatched...with the 12th now half way out and drying. On Saturday I added a simple 8 foot piece of wire with zip strips just to separate the two sides of the coop. Front by the door the adults come and go. The back is the nursery. They are all up and eating/drinking and causing holy hell.

I was left with 21 eggs. I float tested them all. 4 floated correctly I put them under the heat lamp and she seems interested. The rest all sunk. 2 had not begun to vein so I stuck them in the fridge. I felt definite movement in one of the floaters. the other 3, well, natural selection.


I am a new duck grandma and am loving this. The momma is incredible. When the newest was still in the egg but squirming she actually went over clucking gently and started to help it. Thats when the head came out. She promptly starting gathering nesting material and layed on it. Good girl.

Its raining here now so I will probably take the wire down tomorrow and see if she ventures forth with her new brood. Can't wait to get pictures of their first pond experience.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Thats so exciting!! and Congrats to you and mama for such a great hatch. looking forward to pics...

 

[SussexInSeattle]

I'm replying to a post that was maybe 3rd in this whole thread where someone asked if they should leave a broody and her chicks with the whole flock. I have set eggs under 3 different broodys, 2 went broody together and then maybe a year later another went broody by herself. I left all the chickens always together. The two that went at the same time seemed to be the top chicken of that flock and the bottom chicken. I bought one dozen fertile eggs and split them up between the 2 girls and they both set to completion. The alpha chicken was the only one in the whole flock to give any problem and it was basically that she kept trying to steal the low chickens kids when they were free ranging. I did end up marking the chicks to be sure who's was whos. The top chicken didn't seem as loving a mom as the low chicken was and possibly because she had no other friends being the bottom chicken in the flock?

The next year I had a giant blue cohin go broody and she was also bottom of the flock and I found that the rest of the flock left them alone other than continuing to treat mom as low girl on the totem pole.

My suggestion is to leave everyone together if you have one flock already since IF you do seperate everybody, it will be way worse when you ever attempt to put that flock back toigether again.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
I totally agree.

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Ok, I am on page 244 of this thread, and I haven't seen this question posted, anywhere, yet.

*Do you feel storing your collected fertile eggs in the kitchen, near the microwave oven is inadvisable? I have a very small kitchen space, and the spot they have always been is a basket atop the microwave, and under the counter.
My compass goes wonky every time we fire up the micro, so does anyone suppose my eggs are being negatively affected being stored there, as well???
Am I watching too much telly, before bedtime?
I know...get help, right?

Brightest Blessings

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

Quote:
I know this was weeks and weeks ago, but I just, finally, got to this part of the thread. I have been hanging on ur every post

, praying for your Hermione and her brood!
Congratulations (tho way late!). Cannot wait to get to the part with ur pics!!!!