Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

cool!

discovered a cool thing this morning. I go out to take care of the girls and boys. "Mama" will hear me, and get off the nest and bang on the sides of the tin shed for me to let her out 1st. "Mama" AND one of her blue offspring from last year came charging out angry at the world! So mother and daughter are sitting on eggs in the same building! Pretty cool! They walked around together, ate together, drank together, preened together, then in a row, walked back in their shed.

 

[stonykill]

so that brings me to 4 broody's sitting in safe places, that I know about anyway

. These sumatra's are the masters of hiding. The one I broke last night (her 11 eggs are in the incubator, I was reloading it anyway) was in a spot I walked within 12 inches of 3 times a day. I only found her because her rooster was in nearly the same spot all day! Near her! I knew she was going broody, just had no idea where her nest was. Iknow she spent one night on the ground under those pine branches.

 

[featherz]

so that brings me to 4 broody's sitting in safe places, that I know about anyway

. These sumatra's are the masters of hiding. The one I broke last night (her 11 eggs are in the incubator, I was reloading it anyway) was in a spot I walked within 12 inches of 3 times a day. I only found her because her rooster was in nearly the same spot all day! Near her! I knew she was going broody, just had no idea where her nest was. Iknow she spent one night on the ground under those pine branches.

I still can't find mine. I know she's somewhere nearby as I've caught her eating food near the barn, but I have no clue where she's hiding. This I believe is the same chicken that went broody last year in an old cat cubby that had blown onto the compost heap. If I find her, I'm moving her - if she breaks, the incubator is already up and running. But she's only been missing a few days so the eggs won't be that far along. Today I'm trying another search, but I have 26 acres of tick infested woods so not going TOO far.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Today my hen and the chicks she hatched we're killed along with 16 other chickens. My kids are the most upset about Cupcake our blue maran. She hatched 4 chicks a couple of weeks ago. I can't find their bodies so I'm assuming whatever it was drug them off. I have another broody sitting on eggs so I'm hoping they hatch soon. I will sefinity keep them locked up now.

I am so sorry to hear this..

 

[Miss Lydia]

discovered a cool thing this morning. I go out to take care of the girls and boys. "Mama" will hear me, and get off the nest and bang on the sides of the tin shed for me to let her out 1st. "Mama" AND one of her blue offspring from last year came charging out angry at the world! So mother and daughter are sitting on eggs in the same building! Pretty cool! They walked around together, ate together, drank together, preened together, then in a row, walked back in their shed.

too bad you didn't get that on camera.

 

[stonykill]

I still can't find mine. I know she's somewhere nearby as I've caught her eating food near the barn, but I have no clue where she's hiding. This I believe is the same chicken that went broody last year in an old cat cubby that had blown onto the compost heap. If I find her, I'm moving her - if she breaks, the incubator is already up and running. But she's only been missing a few days so the eggs won't be that far along. Today I'm trying another search, but I have 26 acres of tick infested woods so not going TOO far.

I really hate it when they insist on doing that, and mine do it a lot. I've had some I never found and they hatched their brood just fine. I still don't like it. I've already broken 4 this year in unsafe places, and currently have 4 known broody's. With a few more acting broody. There are a lot of angry women in my front yard

 

[Miss Lydia]

I still can't find mine. I know she's somewhere nearby as I've caught her eating food near the barn, but I have no clue where she's hiding. This I believe is the same chicken that went broody last year in an old cat cubby that had blown onto the compost heap. If I find her, I'm moving her - if she breaks, the incubator is already up and running. But she's only been missing a few days so the eggs won't be that far along. Today I'm trying another search, but I have 26 acres of tick infested woods so not going TOO far.

I hope you can find her I lost 2 hens who thought the woods was a better place to brood than the safety of their coop.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Thought you might like to see how big the babies are now at 6 weeks old. Here the Wellie goes up for 2 points - or a bug on the wire.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thought you might like to see how big the babies are now at 6 weeks old. Here the Wellie goes up for 2 points - or a bug on the wire.

Now that is standing on your tippy toes. So cute.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Hey guys!!! I'm baacccckkk. Have you missed me???

Just hatched out 11 Silkies which brings me up to 12 Silkies now. SURELY one of those will be female and be a future broody for me. Anyway, that's not why I'm here. Question for the broody experts. I have a coming on 4 year old Barred Rock hen that hasn't laid an egg in over a year that appears to have gone broody. She just savagely stole 3 eggs from one of my Ameraucanas. This girl brooded for me her first year (and not very well!) but then suffered (and survived) a hawk attack. She is now quite over-weight because of her life of leisure and quite arthritic, I believe, from her troubles with the hawk. I'm sort of thinking I'm going to HAVE to let her sit on some eggs because if I don't, she's going to keep harrassing my layers. Peg still runs things in the coop .... Am I nuts???? (Fertile eggs are in abundance around here so I certainly don't have to worry about the eggs.)

This is Peg her first time brooding with her one and only chick ....