Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[countrygirl5]

Sounds like you have too many roo's for your numbre of hens. I have read that you only need 1 roo for every 12-15 hens. So sounds like your roos are just trying to figure out who's top dog. I would keep the one that is the most "aggressive" because he will be most likely to protect your flock, since you do some free-ranging. We had 3 roos in the beginning too. We butchered all but one, cause I want to hatch eggs (hopefully with my two buff's soon who appear to be broodyish). And I'm glad I kept the one I did. He is very protective of his girls. Whenever I come in the coop to feed/water he is right in there, just watching me. He knows I'm the "bread winner", so he puts up w/me. But he has pecked at the dog through the fence whenever he gets too close. I am going to try to free-range them this spring and see how my 10mo old lab does with them. Hopefully between me and the rooster, we'll have good luck!

I have 8 pullets and 3 roosters. Of the roosters, Foghorn is the oldest he's 39 weeks old. Francis and Daisy are both 20 weeks old.

 

[countrygirl5]

I do!! My plan is to put a milk crate with straw in the nest box that they always lay in for a day or two, then when the broody sits and she has enough eggs, that night I'll put a towel over the whole thing and move her to the greenhouse. I'll leave the towel over the whole thing for a day or two to make sure she stays too. The next day I'm going to do the same thing for the other broody. Whenever I try to take eggs from my broodies, they constantly peck and sqwack at me, but as soon as the eggs are gone, they take off sqwacking through the coop and run. Don't know if they'd come back cause I've not left eggs there long enough to find out, but my guess is they would. It'll be interesting to see how they are together. One more week to go, and I'm getting very excited!!!

Does anyone else have a hen that has a broody buddy?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Congrats on the new chicks!!! some hens just poop on their eggs, I have no reason. don't wash them with soap and water though you'll wash off the protective covering, I would start the transformation as soon as all have hatched, place the dog crate inside the coop closed up for a few days, then start opening it up during the day and giving her the option of coming out with her brood. more than likely she will bring them out then you can go in and clean out the nasty coop putting fresh bedding in and stuff, she'll either take them back into the crate that night or find a quiet corner for her and her chicks. I am sure most of the flock will be very respectful of her, there maybe a few that might get close but she'll let them know her chicks are off limits. I will be changing from Flock Raiser pellets to FR crumble during hatch time this year that way I don't have to worry about chicks trying to eat pellets, and I just keep oyster shell out for my layers. last year I ended up feeding everyone starter/grower but I went on Purinas web site and read that FR crumble can be feed from hatch till so thats what I'll do this year and on. Hoping all the eggs hatch and everything goes smoothly. Remember unless someone is going to be seriously injured don't interfer with the flock they have their own way of dealing with issues. All the best!!

Hi everyone!! I'm chiming in to say that my lil red has two babies hatched and tucked under her. I am sooooo excited. Our first broody hen and she is just 7 months old hatching her own eggs. She has I think about ten more eggs under her and every egg I've candled has been alive. I'm excited to see what hatches out overnight. Yay!

So... I was wondering what to do with her and her chicks after the hatch is done. She can stay in my garage for as long as she needs, but that might get boring for her. When will it be safe to allow her back in the coop with the other birds (with her chicks, of course)?

Also, she does poop at times and we clean it up. A couple of times she has pooped on her eggs and I have cleaned up and washed them off and put them back. Tonight, she was eating the poop trying to get it off. Anything I can do about that? She is in a very large dog crate. She doesn't leave her nest for anything. Is she pooping on her eggs because she doesn't have to get up for anything else?

 

[countrygirl5]

My hubby made a chicken tractor last summer, but we've never used it. So he's going to convert it. We're gonna cover three sides and the top to protect them from the elements and the dog and put the open side right next to the chicken run, so that the other hens and roo can see them, and get used to them being around, but not have access to them. I think that will be the safest way to introduce them to the flock.

Hi everyone!! I'm chiming in to say that my lil red has two babies hatched and tucked under her. I am sooooo excited. Our first broody hen and she is just 7 months old hatching her own eggs. She has I think about ten more eggs under her and every egg I've candled has been alive. I'm excited to see what hatches out overnight. Yay!

So... I was wondering what to do with her and her chicks after the hatch is done. She can stay in my garage for as long as she needs, but that might get boring for her. When will it be safe to allow her back in the coop with the other birds (with her chicks, of course)?

Also, she does poop at times and we clean it up. A couple of times she has pooped on her eggs and I have cleaned up and washed them off and put them back. Tonight, she was eating the poop trying to get it off. Anything I can do about that? She is in a very large dog crate. She doesn't leave her nest for anything. Is she pooping on her eggs because she doesn't have to get up for anything else?

 

[countrygirl5]

I was wondering how ya'll feed the baby chicks when they are in the coop with the other hens? Don't they need the starter food for the first two months? How do you get them what they need w/out the other hens eating it all? Or do you keep them seperate till they're old enough to eat the same food as the hens? I plan to put the mamma and her chicks in a converted chicken tractor that will sit right next to the run during the day so the flock gets used to them w/out them being in danger, but there's no grass there right now for them to forage so I'll be able to put their food and water in there for them, but do I continue to do that for 2 mos. and then introduce them into the flock?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I just wanted to tell everyone, Boy did we have some storms last night, the wind sounded like a frieght train coming through and rain I don't know how much because our guage is put away for winter but it came down in torrents, thank goodness no tornadoes, So sad about all the states that experienced them and loss of life. We get floods but haven't ever had a tornado. My little EE's are doing so good, it's been since last year that I had chicks in the house and a duckling, and I was a nervous ninny getting up during the night to check on them and making sure they were warm. I'll get some pics of them today. So thankful we didn't loose power it would have been miserable in here if I had to started up the wood stove at 50 degrees out side. Now the cold front is going to be coming in and we'll have lows in the lower 20's for a few nights, it's a bummer too because we have things budding out since we've had such nice weather here. Hope noone else had to deal with weather. So looking forward to seeing more chicks and hearing about broody mamas. What a life... Hey stony No broodys yet?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I was wondering how ya'll feed the baby chicks when they are in the coop with the other hens? Don't they need the starter food for the first two months? How do you get them what they need w/out the other hens eating it all? Or do you keep them seperate till they're old enough to eat the same food as the hens? I plan to put the mamma and her chicks in a converted chicken tractor that will sit right next to the run during the day so the flock gets used to them w/out them being in danger, but there's no grass there right now for them to forage so I'll be able to put their food and water in there for them, but do I continue to do that for 2 mos. and then introduce them into the flock?

I use Purina Flock Raiser and read on their website that it can be fed to hatchlings on up so I will do that this year, last year everyone ate starter because I Have no way to separate them. All my flock loved the starter so it's safe to feed to everyone, but I think for my flock FR crumble will be best.

 

[artsyrobin]

so good to hear you are ok, we missed the storms here in oklahoma, but they are warning us its going to be a 'busy' spring...


a cute one for you all... lacy has her one chick, so i took the nonhatching egg and put it in the bator, since it still has a week to go, so i go in and she is still sitting with chick running around, i look under her and see an egg- huh??? so pull it out, it was a half shell from her hatchling...but she is bound and determined to hatch another egg...

 

[Miss Lydia]

so good to hear you are ok, we missed the storms here in oklahoma, but they are warning us its going to be a 'busy' spring...


a cute one for you all... lacy has her one chick, so i took the nonhatching egg and put it in the bator, since it still has a week to go, so i go in and she is still sitting with chick running around, i look under her and see an egg- huh??? so pull it out, it was a half shell from her hatchling...but she is bound and determined to hatch another egg...

Aww she takes her job seriously. glad to hear ya'll didn't have those storms robin.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I keep a mixed age layer flock - in my coop right now I have 33 weeks, 29 weeks and 20 week olds. Now of course I also have 4 week old chicks and 3 day old chicks to add to the flock.

I use MannaPro Chick Starter medicated in the inside brooder for birth to 4 or 6 weeks of age depending on outside weather. I move them to the outside brooder and they get Purina Grower Starter medicated crumbles from until they are 16+ weeks in one feed dish on the ground under the coop and in one inside the coop tucked under the manure box. I feedly offer Purina Layena with Omega 3 Pellets for the 16+ week olds in a hanging feeder that is high enough that they have to be old enough to reach it. The taller younger chicks have tasted, but won't keep eating the layer feed. I have noticed the chicks will start eating the oyster shell and layer feed around 17 weeks old as they start to approach point of lay. The ones who don't eat it aren't ready to lay yet.

You can choose to feed them all the same feed - like a grower or a flockraiser - and eliminate the need for multiple feeders. But it's been my experience that they will choose the right feed for themselves. I also like offering the different feeding stations so I have more confidence everyone is getting some nutrition and no one is hogging it all

I was wondering how ya'll feed the baby chicks when they are in the coop with the other hens? Don't they need the starter food for the first two months? How do you get them what they need w/out the other hens eating it all? Or do you keep them seperate till they're old enough to eat the same food as the hens? I plan to put the mamma and her chicks in a converted chicken tractor that will sit right next to the run during the day so the flock gets used to them w/out them being in danger, but there's no grass there right now for them to forage so I'll be able to put their food and water in there for them, but do I continue to do that for 2 mos. and then introduce them into the flock?