Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[HetaChick]

Yeah mine wouldn't stop going broody so we gave it a shot. I think it's her breed though, she's an EE/Silkie so she's just got that in her.

She went broody outside but I took her in the house because it got so cold at night. I wish all of you luck! Some hens are faster than others... Silkies are just crazed broodies though, like a universal (but small) incubator.

She's a good mom but I've seen her dust bathe on them XD poor things went flying out of the nest box. Oh well, she's new haha.

 

[lswatson111304]

I brought one of my silkies in the house today to hang out. She is about 4 months old now. My little boy decided to put his chicks under her and called her mama. The babies were so cute they tried to snuggle up against her. She just stood there with a different look on her face and make some noises I've never heard her make. It was cute. I thought she would peck them but she seemed to like them. It makes me super excited for my broody to hatch some babies!

 

[HetaChick]

They just look at the babies with that different expression! Hens that want to eat them look like they are looking at grasshoppers but the mama type hens seem to just admire them.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

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How VERY sweet!! I brought one of my chicken books along for reading on the 2 hr ride to the PA Farm show today and they mentioned Seramas as a top notch chicken, very personable. Then we get to the farm show... No Seramas.

 

[lswatson111304]

Just wanted to share some pics of my kids playing Mama bird with our silkie. LOL

These are NOT her chicks. I sure hope "she" really is a "she" considering she is only 4.5 months old! I really hope that one day she will hatch me out some chicks...and not be crowing... LOL
She had her mouth open in "awe" in 90% of the pics I took while she was playing with the babies. It was the funniest thing!

And DS put this on on her back. LOL Those poor chickens will have no choice but to be kid friendly.

 

[pixie546]

Here are the babies and mama- left baby (EE/Orpington) 5 days old, right baby((Buff Silkieton) 3 days old

I gave them some collards and rice, they went nuts on them!! Since I didn't have any "chick grit" on hand, I used dirt.....Ya think it will work??

And as of this evening Henrietta was sitting on the blue eggs. They seemed warm enough to me! Since she has chicks she's standing more and it seems like the eggs may be pushed around by the babies.. If she can sit on them for another day, maybe the chicks peeps will encourage the little eggies to hatch out quickly!!! From what I can remember when I set them, they should hatch Sunday or Monday. I'll be away all day tomorrow, so I hope I come home to 2 more little peepers!!!!

 

[pixie546]

Henrietta "killed" the rice for them, and they ran around doing the "ive got a worm and you don't" dance!!

 

[artsyrobin]

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i am almost positive thats a hen, look at her head feathers going forward- by this age you should see streamers going backward in a cockeral

the left is the pullet, right is the cockerel

this is staypuff, close to the age of yours- see how the feathers on her head are starting to point forward?

 

[lswatson111304]

Yeah, I'm really thinking that she and her "sister" are both girls but I realize that silkies are hard to sex, so I'm still a little cautious. This one has looked more girly all along, her sister used to look a bit boyish, but both now have a big puff ball on top of their heads and no streamers so I'm cautiously hopeful!

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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PARTY AT MISS LYDIA'S