Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[glowgirl]

I have a white leghorn who has been on her first clutch of eggs for two weeks. In a week I will have chicks! But it is my first time so I am a little confused. She is in the nesting box now. After the eggs hatch should I move her to the small coop and should I put down chick feed and layer feed for momma? Should I keep the door open so she can go outside or keep her locked up with the chicks? If I move her and the chicks how soon should I do it? Any helpful info would be appreciated. I have no idea what I am doing.

 

[Animalian]

Quote:
Chick starter feed for mumma and chicks, she doesn't need layer feed, she doesn't need the extra calcium from it because she won't lay eggs till she's done raising. I'm planning on keeping mumma and babies separate from the rest of the flock till they're bigger. Some people keep them with the flock no problems but others kill the babies as soon as they see them

 

[glowgirl]

Thank you so much. So how soon should I move them after they hatch? Will the momma get upset? I

 

[Animalian]

Quote:
Not sure, my first baby hatched today! I'm just letting you know what I've learned asking the same questions on here. I plan on moving my mumma and babies once she has the chicks up and moving about properly so maybe when they are two or three days old?
My girls very tame and happy to let me mess with the chicks, but yours may have a major problem with it. I doubt they'll care much once they are moved, as long as they get to keep their babies

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Not sure, my first baby hatched today! I'm just letting you know what I've learned asking the same questions on here. I plan on moving my mumma and babies once she has the chicks up and moving about properly so maybe when they are two or three days old?
My girls very tame and happy to let me mess with the chicks, but yours may have a major problem with it. I doubt they'll care much once they are moved, as long as they get to keep their babies

Great advice Animalian, and Congrats to you for the first chick. very sweet pic. hoping for great hatches on the others.

as soon as the chicks hatch if your going to move hen and babies do it before she decides to take them on their first outing which is usually a couple days after hatch. I move nest material with mama and chicks in it sometimes I cover lightly with a towel just to keep mama from getting too upset. you can put them in a box to move if you have to go very far. Keep us posted!!!!

 

[suburbanchickymama]

Quote:
glowgirl - I have my 1st broody too! Someone at the beginning of this thread gave this link which I found very helpful! http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html Good luck with the hatch!!!

Animalian - adorable!!!

 

[Jloeffler]

Anamalia:

. On your chick!! Yay!

Glow girl: Congratulations on your broody and welcome to the club!

Well, everyone made it to today! A couple of the chicks like to live on the wild side. I swear they wait for the cat to come around before escaping from the fencing. They are gonna give me a heart attack !!

 

[stonykill]

Quote:
all of my broody's so far are free range. When my mom's main coon cat comes around mama (he only did this once this year) she tree'ed her 2 week old babies (they were 7 feet up a tree!) and attacked the cat. This is a cat that pounced on a Grouse once in front of me. He was absolutely terrified and ran away with his tail between his legs. He no longer comes around mama's with broody's!

Now next year I hope some of my penned Sumatra's go broody. They are from incubated eggs, but from hens who went broody this year. So I'm hopeful!

 

[azpenguin]

Quote:
Wow. Take out one of those eggs and that's our current nest. Same color eggs, chick and everything.

 

[glowgirl]

Thank you all so much for the advice. This is a great forum!!