Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[slurrywidow]

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Wow, it's amazing how each broody is so different. Mine is a wuss! She seems to be doing well with the teaching, warming, loving side of things but when it comes to protecting...not so much. I finally had to just let it go today and realize that since I'm not actually a chicken and I don't plan on sleeping in the coop, I can't be there 24/7 protecting. And I certainly can't keep them locked in that crate for 22 hours a day. Sooo, today I just opened the door to the crate, decided that I'd just let the rest of the girls gorge themselves on the baby food and walked away. Ok well, about 20 feet so I could watch those bums of fuzz.

There was a moment later in the day when I found one baby shrieking outside the coop while Mona and the other babies were all inside but other than that I guess it went ok. At least they are all alive. Mona's comb is a wee bloody but I have no idea what happened there.
So I find myself actually jealous of your insanely hormonal Momma, BarnGoddess. I love the idea of letting broody stay with the flock but it's not working out quite the way I'd hoped here at my little farm.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:
Wow, it's amazing how each broody is so different. Mine is a wuss! She seems to be doing well with the teaching, warming, loving side of things but when it comes to protecting...not so much. I finally had to just let it go today and realize that since I'm not actually a chicken and I don't plan on sleeping in the coop, I can't be there 24/7 protecting. And I certainly can't keep them locked in that crate for 22 hours a day. Sooo, today I just opened the door to the crate, decided that I'd just let the rest of the girls gorge themselves on the baby food and walked away. Ok well, about 20 feet so I could watch those bums of fuzz.

There was a moment later in the day when I found one baby shrieking outside the coop while Mona and the other babies were all inside but other than that I guess it went ok. At least they are all alive. Mona's comb is a wee bloody but I have no idea what happened there.
So I find myself actually jealous of your insanely hormonal Momma, BarnGoddess. I love the idea of letting broody stay with the flock but it's not working out quite the way I'd hoped here at my little farm.

With the temperatures here right now (just barely above freezing this morning!!!!!

), I'll be lucky if my little ones - even at 5 weeks - get more than a couple of hours out from under mom!! They need just a few more feathers ....

Although it WAS the picture of cuteness last night with mom providing heat for 3 not so tiny chicks. I don't know how she does it. I'm actually very lucky that she hasn't given them up because with these temperatures, I would have to move them into a brooder!!!

 

[Jloeffler]

BG, I bet they were cute! I hope my broody mama is as dedicated as yours or I'll have inside birds for the winter!!

 

[Moochie]

It's day 22 and the biggest egg under my broody hasn't hatched yet. Not even a pip. Normal? No bad smell coming from it either. The 3 other chicks have hatched and were all set on the same day.

I'm worried she'll get up to go scratch with the chicks and forget about the egg. I don't have an incubator so I don't know what to do for helping.
It's fertile too, I candled on day 16 and I saw some black thing in there bobbing around and veining.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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I think, normal. Hang in there! No point in worrying until/unless mama does leave!! My girl sat for days after the first ones hatched ...

Good luck!!

 

[Moochie]

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I think, normal. Hang in there! No point in worrying until/unless mama does leave!! My girl sat for days after the first ones hatched ...

Good luck!!

Oh jeez Mama took a big poop in her nest. If I wasn't there to clean up and replace the bedding, the egg would have gone cold. Nasty

The smell was blegh and she was scratching outside her nest. She got poo all over the feathers under her vent too. I thought they didn't go in their nests?

 

[slurrywidow]

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Now I'm worried about my second broody. For this broody I decided not to leave her with the flock. I built her a little coop of her own and am going to work on the run today. If our temps decide to take a plummet before the chicks are fully feathered would adding a light inside the coop work? I really don't want to have chicks inside the house ever again if I can help it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Now I'm worried about my second broody. For this broody I decided not to leave her with the flock. I built her a little coop of her own and am going to work on the run today. If our temps decide to take a plummet before the chicks are fully feathered would adding a light inside the coop work? I really don't want to have chicks inside the house ever again if I can help it.

Mama will keep her chicks warm as toast.

 

[Jloeffler]

Quote:
Now I'm worried about my second broody. For this broody I decided not to leave her with the flock. I built her a little coop of her own and am going to work on the run today. If our temps decide to take a plummet before the chicks are fully feathered would adding a light inside the coop work? I really don't want to have chicks inside the house ever again if I can help it.

Mama will keep her chicks warm as toast.

Lord, I hope so!

And by "in the house" I actually mean in the garage. DH would definitely Never go for in the house.


Edited for brain lapse...

 

[stonykill]

Quote:
Now I'm worried about my second broody. For this broody I decided not to leave her with the flock. I built her a little coop of her own and am going to work on the run today. If our temps decide to take a plummet before the chicks are fully feathered would adding a light inside the coop work? I really don't want to have chicks inside the house ever again if I can help it.

Mama will keep her chicks warm as toast.

no need to worry. Chickens were hatching eggs for 10,000 years or more before electricity was invented.