Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

Fastest brooding period ever? LOL

So, my silkie hen, NeeNee, is on her 3rd broody cycle since spring. Started yesterday. Wouldn't leave the nest, grouchy, stealing eggs, the whole 9 yards. I gave her 6 eggs last night and secluded her in "Chateau le' Broody", my little broody brood box. I'd had 6 chicks hatch in the incubator yesterday morning and decided bright and early this morning to move them outside to the second brooder on the porch. The moment I went outside (the broody brooder box is on the porch as well) I heard/saw NeeNee go NUTS! She started cluck clucking softly, pacing, almost peeing herself with exuberance upon seeing "her" new arrivals..."Ummm...NeeNee, you do realize you've only been sitting on eggs for about 12 hours, right?", I asked patiently. To which she replied "Bucka bucka, coo coo". Very quietly. So, I set a chick in front of her, expecting bloodshed. Instead I watched her gently stand slightly and using her head/wing, urge the baby under her! She is now egg-less but coaxed all 6 babies under her wings and is now protecting them mightily...well, as mightily as a 2 pound (give or take..probably take) silkie hen can. They seemed a bit bewildered, but I have a baby monitor at the broody box and have heard only the soft cooings of a new mother hen discussing her love for her new hatchlings....

So, 12 hours from set to hatch with a broody?

And if you read my post on this thread late yesterday, my andalusian is now broody as well. But I am breaking her because the last time she went broody it completely changed her personality and took me over a month after she gave up her chicks to get her re-established in the pecking order so that she was not being brutalized every time she tried to go out the coop door... And she isn't firm in her broodiness yet...

 

[Cindilou]

12 hours! That's awesome!

 

[Majestic Lane Poultry]

BigDaddy'sGurl :

Fastest brooding period ever? LOL

So, my silkie hen, NeeNee, is on her 3rd broody cycle since spring. Started yesterday. Wouldn't leave the nest, grouchy, stealing eggs, the whole 9 yards. I gave her 6 eggs last night and secluded her in "Chateau le' Broody", my little broody brood box. I'd had 6 chicks hatch in the incubator yesterday morning and decided bright and early this morning to move them outside to the second brooder on the porch. The moment I went outside (the broody brooder box is on the porch as well) I heard/saw NeeNee go NUTS! She started cluck clucking softly, pacing, almost peeing herself with exuberance upon seeing "her" new arrivals..."Ummm...NeeNee, you do realize you've only been sitting on eggs for about 12 hours, right?", I asked patiently. To which she replied "Bucka bucka, coo coo". Very quietly. So, I set a chick in front of her, expecting bloodshed. Instead I watched her gently stand slightly and using her head/wing, urge the baby under her! She is now egg-less but coaxed all 6 babies under her wings and is now protecting them mightily...well, as mightily as a 2 pound (give or take..probably take) silkie hen can. They seemed a bit bewildered, but I have a baby monitor at the broody box and have heard only the soft cooings of a new mother hen discussing her love for her new hatchlings....

So, 12 hours from set to hatch with a broody?

And if you read my post on this thread late yesterday, my andalusian is now broody as well. But I am breaking her because the last time she went broody it completely changed her personality and took me over a month after she gave up her chicks to get her re-established in the pecking order so that she was not being brutalized every time she tried to go out the coop door... And she isn't firm in her broodiness yet...

This cute story requires cute pictures!​

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
This cute story requires cute pictures!

Ditto!!!!

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

Awww...I didn't take any before the broody madness started happening, but I will try to take some of NeeNee with them tomorrow (camera batteries dead and I am NOT going to the store today...lol). I do have a couple pics of NeeNee with her last brood group:

This is the same chicken who I got as a 4 month old last summer and BEFORE she ever layed an egg she went broody and adopted some week-old chicks and kept them for almost 2 months before laying her first egg, LOL

 

[BarnGoddess01]

NeeNee is obviously a VERY intelligent chicken! No point sitting on somebody elses' eggs for 3 weeks when somebody elses' chicks are right there, ready to go!!! She must truly like the mothering part rather than the growing in the egg part. Very cute.

 

[Miss Lydia]

BigDaddy'sGurl :

Fastest brooding period ever? LOL

So, my silkie hen, NeeNee, is on her 3rd broody cycle since spring. Started yesterday. Wouldn't leave the nest, grouchy, stealing eggs, the whole 9 yards. I gave her 6 eggs last night and secluded her in "Chateau le' Broody", my little broody brood box. I'd had 6 chicks hatch in the incubator yesterday morning and decided bright and early this morning to move them outside to the second brooder on the porch. The moment I went outside (the broody brooder box is on the porch as well) I heard/saw NeeNee go NUTS! She started cluck clucking softly, pacing, almost peeing herself with exuberance upon seeing "her" new arrivals..."Ummm...NeeNee, you do realize you've only been sitting on eggs for about 12 hours, right?", I asked patiently. To which she replied "Bucka bucka, coo coo". Very quietly. So, I set a chick in front of her, expecting bloodshed. Instead I watched her gently stand slightly and using her head/wing, urge the baby under her! She is now egg-less but coaxed all 6 babies under her wings and is now protecting them mightily...well, as mightily as a 2 pound (give or take..probably take) silkie hen can. They seemed a bit bewildered, but I have a baby monitor at the broody box and have heard only the soft cooings of a new mother hen discussing her love for her new hatchlings....

So, 12 hours from set to hatch with a broody?

And if you read my post on this thread late yesterday, my andalusian is now broody as well. But I am breaking her because the last time she went broody it completely changed her personality and took me over a month after she gave up her chicks to get her re-established in the pecking order so that she was not being brutalized every time she tried to go out the coop door... And she isn't firm in her broodiness yet...

That is such a sweet story, look forward to seeing pics of mama and her new brood. Congrats..​

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
I'm not sure if you need to take her out to eat/drink, but that's what I did for my broody. I was just so worried about her since it was my first one

I went out every afternoon about the same time and picked her up and set her outside where she could take a dust bath, eat & drink. I stayed with her and gave her about 20 to 30 min and put her back in. She still lost a lot of weight though, even doing that! And her legs were wobbly for the first minute or so every day too. So, I figured she really needed the food and the exercise each day.

Here's a photo of my broody Myrtle:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/82974_img_1143.jpg

She is a beautiful hen, and I did take my broody off the nest 1 time a day to make sure she was at least dust bathing and getting some exercise, she had food and water right next to her. Which she didn't eat or drink alot, but I just trusted her judgement on that part.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
JP have you already removed the chick from mama Millie? if you are worried for it's safety I would, and if you think mama Miesha will accept it then by all means give it to her but I would confine her or she might leave egg to take the chick outside. just keep a close eye in case Miesha decideds to reject the chick. Hopefully she won't. let us know how it goes.

 

[JP101010]

Quote:
JP have you already removed the chick from mama Millie? if you are worried for it's safety I would, and if you think mama Miesha will accept it then by all means give it to her but I would confine her or she might leave egg to take the chick outside. just keep a close eye in case Miesha decideds to reject the chick. Hopefully she won't. let us know how it goes.

Thanks miss lydia- We removed megan the chick because Millie wouldnt stop. we took miesha inside and set her up with her nest in a cage... when we tried to put them together she rejected the chick (as if it were a threat to her egg). we might try again with miesha tonight but for now we have megan setup beside mieshas cage... Im not sure when mieshas egg is due but now i wish it would hurry up lol. when megan peeps i can see miesha looking at her side and underneath her so maybe the second time will be more successful. (she also has a history of "2nd times a charm" when sneaking days old chicks under her)
The room there in is not air conditioned (i live in FL) so during the day the room stays around 95... i am really hoping miesha will accept her tonight because i dont want to have to setup a the heat lamp