Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

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Hey stony, we have missed your imput, Congrats on the hatch, wow 11!!

I've been swamped with work and getting in the house late. So I have just been reading...not posting.

Yes 11...lol. Blue "mama" Sumatra, had her 2nd brood of the year. And my 1st broody of the year, a Black Sumatra had her 2nd brood of the year. "Mama" had 4 blues this time, and 3 blacks. Well she had 5 blues, but killed one as soon as it hatched. My girls have been very busy this year....

They sure have been, when you get a chance post some pics I always like to see your birds. I really like those blues

 

[stonykill]

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I've been swamped with work and getting in the house late. So I have just been reading...not posting.

Yes 11...lol. Blue "mama" Sumatra, had her 2nd brood of the year. And my 1st broody of the year, a Black Sumatra had her 2nd brood of the year. "Mama" had 4 blues this time, and 3 blacks. Well she had 5 blues, but killed one as soon as it hatched. My girls have been very busy this year....

They sure have been, when you get a chance post some pics I always like to see your birds. I really like those blues

will do. I'll get some over the weekend

 

[Miss Lydia]

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They sure have been, when you get a chance post some pics I always like to see your birds. I really like those blues

will do. I'll get some over the weekend

see you then

 

[Faith Hope]

Hi! I have been following this thread off-and-on. It has been very informative.

I have a question. How often does your broodiest bird go broody?

We have only had chickens a little over a year, and I have a silkie that is just over a year old (hatched April 2010). She is now broody for the 3rd time. She has had successful hatches each time and raised her chicks to about 6 weeks. She will lay for 2 to 4 weeks and then go broody again. Is this what I should continue to expect her to do? Will she keep up this pace forever?

 

[Fuffy]

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Hi Faith Hope

Firstly...An extra special HI, coz I'm a Faith too...there are not many of us!

As to your question: I don't know about 'forever', but it seems to be the norm for my silkie cross.

She'll be broody, then come out of it with or without babies, lay about 9 eggs and go broody all over again. Although she does a wonderful job of laying over the winter, at the first whiff of

Spring, off she goes again! Bless her!

 

[BooBear]

Hi All
Figure it is time to post update. Yesterday was day 18. This morning one egg was smashed under Saphire. The embryo was already dead and appeared to have quit mid term. Another egg has pipped. I scooped out the crushed egg as quickly as possible as I did not want to put the pipped egg at to much risk of drying out.

Hopefully I will come home to a cute fuzzy butt hanging out with the 2 mommas.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Congrats and looking forward to hearing and seeing about this hatch...

 

[Elphaba2140]

Hi. I have never had a broody before this summer. I have been reading this thread and want to thank all for posting their good ideas and stories. I had the surprise and pleasure of having two 1st time mommies (both bantam RLW Cornish) this past few months. My first hen hatched her two out on July 4th and 5th. The second was 3 weeks later. They are just surrogate moms but they have done wonderful. I had already reintroduced the old chicks and mom back into my flock. It went flawlessly.
I was very worried today as I placed the second mom into the coop last night with her kids. She didn't seem to be as aggressive as the first hen. I heard the chicks peeping loudly out the window first thing. I quickly went out to find them on opposite ends of the pen. Mom is feeding her face. Not at all like the first hen. I stood out there for a while protecting them and finally got them both with the hen.
And then it happened. Finally mommy mode kicked in. I have a particularly aggressive LF Rock that was checking out the chicks. Mom stood up and bumped her chest. The Rock bumped back - neck feathers out. Cornish bumped her back. Rock countered again. Then Mommy grabbed the Rock's comb and jumped on for a ride. She rode her around the pen all the while scratching and yelling. Jumped off and went back to the chicks like nothing had happened. Amazing. Everyone has backed off several feet now and is leaving them alone.

This is so much easier than hatching them out in an incubator and raising them yourself.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Wish you had got that on video, funny. Glad to hear everything is working out and you got some little fuzzy butts. Congrats!!

 

[BooBear]

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Wish you had got that on video, funny. Glad to hear everything is working out and you got some little fuzzy butts. Congrats!!

Yeah, that would have made a cool video. That is one tuff little momma.