Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[stonykill]

UPDATE: Well, I was losing hope that either egg was viable after 25 and 23 days. BUT... just now... I lifted her off to confirm and remove her... and... a PIP!

So, when should I check again? Should I not touch her at all? Or should I make certain it's making progress tonight?

if she were mine, I would leave her alone to have her hatch. Always remember chickens hatched chicks for 10,000 years without human help

 

[Atomic Ranch]

Well today was not a happy day, I had blocked off my nesting box so my bantie could get some privacy. One of the big girls tore it up and killed all her chicks I wanted to cry so much. As soon as I opened the coop she ran to me screaming, then she ran to the first peeping baby with a broken neck. I scooped up all the chicks in an empty treat dish and removed them immediately from her sight. I then grabbed a few live chicks that I had and put them in place of the dead chicks. I brought them back to her sight and showed her they were all okay, she immediately bit me and jumped in the treat dish and sat on them.

Now she is in a cage away from the other girls. I can't believe my big girls did this.

Here she is with the new batch of chicks. I put them in an outside cage first so they could get acquainted and they spent about 45 minutes out there in the fresh air.

Wow... unbelievable

. Good thinking on your part. Pretty chickadees!

Why do the others sometimes do this?

 

[bobbieschicks]

UPDATE: Well, I was losing hope that either egg was viable after 25 and 23 days. BUT... just now... I lifted her off to confirm and remove her... and... a PIP!

So, when should I check again? Should I not touch her at all? Or should I make certain it's making progress tonight?

Congrats on the pip! Check before lock up then in the morning. I dont remember, but are they ground level? If not you may have issues of chicks falling out. Yeah!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Thanks guys, she's settled in with them nicely.

I'm so sorry for the loss of the chicks. Chickens can be so beautiful and so cruel at the same time. Glad you had some replacement chicks for her.

 

[bobbieschicks]

UPDATE:

All eggs were covered at lock-up time, and Hermione was in the zone

Yeah! Great job!

 

[Atomic Ranch]

if she were mine, I would leave her alone to have her hatch. Always remember chickens hatched chicks for 10,000 years without human help

Okay, cool! Exactly what I wanted to hear since this is a first, and I don't really know how to help if necessary (aside from reading about it here). Thanks! (Wow, 70 chickens??? Holy cow!

)

 

[stonykill]

Okay, cool! Exactly what I wanted to hear since this is a first, and I don't really know how to help if necessary (aside from reading about it here). Thanks! (Wow, 70 chickens??? Holy cow!

)

yw. Actually with the chicks I hatched so far I'm over 100. plus the broody's are just starting!

 

[Atomic Ranch]

Congrats on the pip! Check before lock up then in the morning. I dont remember, but are they ground level? If not you may have issues of chicks falling out. Yeah!

Thanks!

Will do, and report in. They're in the nest box, which is about 10" above the coop floor, which is 3' above the ground. Future mom hopeful and eggs are fenced in though, so baby can't fall out. I figure I'll do a ramp when I remove the hardware cloth.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I'm not sure if Smokey is going broody after all. She has been spending more time in the nest box to lay. That's what she did the last time right before she went broody. Time will tell. I'm not sure if I will take advantage of her broody or not. Our eggs aren't getting fertilized right now. Good old Davy barely gets on one of the lavender orpingtons and I know he's not been on Smokey. She'd sooner kill him then let him on her back. So I'd have to get chicks or eggs.

I fear that all five of the recent chicks I've hatched are roosters, three from Smokey and two from a bator.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Quote:
Thanks!

Will do, and report in. They're in the nest box, which is about 10" above the coop floor, which is 3' above the ground. Future mom hopeful and eggs are fenced in though, so baby can't fall out. I figure I'll do a ramp when I remove the hardware cloth.

Great!