Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[karlamaria]

Quote:
Honestly, they will not starve themselves to death, it would be counter productive.. Put the food and water right outside the nest and leave her alone. she will come out to eat, drink and poop when she needs to and when she feels safe and comfortable. In other words give her some privacy. If you MUST move her do it at night and make sure she is shut in to her "area" to encourage her to stay. I have never had a broody who was penned (after showing she was TRUELY broody by setting tight for at least 2-3 days and being growley) come off the nest. I have had broodys get bullied off or frequently go to the wrong nest when they were left in the communal nest area.

her food is by her nest, so is the water she eats none of it. We let her go three days and she still would not et off the nest to eat. We finally lifted her off the nest ,took her out side and she went potty, ate well and drank a ton. We put her right back on the nest, 2 days later the same thing, she drank nothing or ate nothing. So we lifted her off, fed her gave her fresh water and again she pooped and we set her back on the nest. She will not leave that nest for any reason. When she has these babies, I'm carrying the hutch with her nest out to the new pen and she can go in and out at will. She is one die hard broody girl!

Smokey never seemed to leave her nest either. I put her on the ground every day at least once to eat, drink & poop because I didn't think she was moving. I'm still not convinced she did move voluntarily. However, I do know that she ate and drank because the food dish was disturbed and she was the only one in that area. So even if it doesn't look like she moves, she moves. But if it eases your mind go ahead and move her each day. That's what I did and I'm sure Smokey was fine with it.

we thought she would get hungry or thirsty, we watched through the window to see if she moved, nope and the dish was never touched. She refuses to eat from our hands either, nope not a drop. But just lift her out and she is all over the food lol she is so committed she s wonderful . She will be a good mama . But I'm going to fatten her up again before ever setting again, she went from fat and sassy, to very slim.

 

[stonykill]

Stony I meant to ask you. Do you use incubators? If so what kind? Or what kind do you prefer. You seem like you have a good bit of knowledge about all this.

I do. I use the LG little giant. I built a plywood box around it to keep drafts down (keeping it ia a large cardboard box would probably do the same thing) and I use a small space heater to keep the temp constant in the room. I get pretty good hatches from it. Ducks and chickens. I'm actually going to pick up a 2nd one by tuesday to use as a hatcher. The incubator currently has eggs of different lockdown days in it.

The knowledge I have is from experience using them and broody's. All of the reading you can do helps, but the only real way to learn is to do it yourself.

I have hatched out 44 little ones so far this year from the little giant. And there are eggs in it again.

I would love to try other brands, but funds being what they are, I use what I have available reasonably. I do plan on making my own hatcher some time real soon. If time permits and I have what I need at home, tomorrow may be that day.

 

[Tripp16]

I do. I use the LG little giant. I built a plywood box around it to keep drafts down (keeping it ia a large cardboard box would probably do the same thing) and I use a small space heater to keep the temp constant in the room. I get pretty good hatches from it. Ducks and chickens. I'm actually going to pick up a 2nd one by tuesday to use as a hatcher. The incubator currently has eggs of different lockdown days in it.

The knowledge I have is from experience using them and broody's. All of the reading you can do helps, but the only real way to learn is to do it yourself.

I have hatched out 44 little ones so far this year from the little giant. And there are eggs in it again.

I would love to try other brands, but funds being what they are, I use what I have available reasonably. I do plan on making my own hatcher some time real soon. If time permits and I have what I need at home, tomorrow may be that day.

Ok I think thats what Im getting. Its a still air though but I am ordering a fan to go in it to circulate the air. I may have to do what you have done. Does it get enough oxygen for the eggs or do the eggs not need that much? I have heard putting the incubator in a close boxed makes it overheat. How do you control this?

44? Wow! I bet you have chicks everywhere!

My friend is selling me two for a very good price. I cant wait! I have only hatched twice in a bator and it was a borrowed one.

 

[stonykill]

Ok I think thats what Im getting. Its a still air though but I am ordering a fan to go in it to circulate the air. I may have to do what you have done. Does it get enough oxygen for the eggs or do the eggs not need that much? I have heard putting the incubator in a close boxed makes it overheat. How do you control this?

44? Wow! I bet you have chicks everywhere!

My friend is selling me two for a very good price. I cant wait! I have only hatched twice in a bator and it was a borrowed one.

I borrowed an LG with fan last year. Then bought my own still air. I did not add a fan kit. I always have planned to add a PC fan, but it never seems to be off long enough to add one.

Open top box. No lid on the box you put the bator in. I'll try to get pictures of my enclosure. The top of the box I built is about level with the top of the bator. I did not want to mess up air flow. I also use the auto turner.

I sold 10 Sumatra chicks, so I have 34 lil ones of my own. The hens will be for our egg laying crowd, with most of the roosters going to freezer camp.

The Sumatra eggs in the bator now are pre sold. As are most of the Fawn and white Indian runners eggs in there.

 

[Aumlet]

I gave my broody the 3 one week old chicks I had in a brooder. I'm keeping an eye (well, more like an ear) on things but so far so good!

I know that its best to it at night, but I noticed that the 3 new chicks had just started moving about and exploring, and it seemed like it would be a good time to slip in the older chicks. I'm glad its a little cool today, because at first two of the older chicks seemed confused, but under the broody is clearly the warmest place available to them right now.

As long as the older chicks "get" that this is now their mama, I'm confident she'll gladly take them. If they don't bond to her, she may not be so nice .... It's been about 30 minutes though and its been good. Yay!

 

[bobbieschicks]

I gave my broody the 3 one week old chicks I had in a brooder. I'm keeping an eye (well, more like an ear) on things but so far so good!

I know that its best to it at night, but I noticed that the 3 new chicks had just started moving about and exploring, and it seemed like it would be a good time to slip in the older chicks. I'm glad its a little cool today, because at first two of the older chicks seemed confused, but under the broody is clearly the warmest place available to them right now.

As long as the older chicks "get" that this is now their mama, I'm confident she'll gladly take them. If they don't bond to her, she may not be so nice .... It's been about 30 minutes though and its been good. Yay!

Hope it works out

 

[bobbieschicks]

Topsy was on the nest tonight at lock up. Yeah!

She did lay an egg today so she's still not officially broody right?
Doesn't she have to stop laying to be truly broody?

She has five silkie and one lav orp egg under her.
I decided not to rush back out in the pouring down rain to put the WL egg back under her.

Tomorrow I'll work on trying to find her a safe broody spot.

 

[aoxa]

Smokey never seemed to leave her nest either. I put her on the ground every day at least once to eat, drink & poop because I didn't think she was moving. I'm still not convinced she did move voluntarily. However, I do know that she ate and drank because the food dish was disturbed and she was the only one in that area. So even if it doesn't look like she moves, she moves. But if it eases your mind go ahead and move her each day. That's what I did and I'm sure Smokey was fine with it.

My broodies were the exact same way.. Neither EVER left the nest to eat/drink/poo. I had to do it manually. I've had one that would poop if I didn't move her in time.. I will never forget the smell.

 

[aoxa]

Topsy was on the nest tonight at lock up. Yeah!
She did lay an egg today so she's still not officially broody right?
Doesn't she have to stop laying to be truly broody?
She has five silkie and one lav orp egg under her.
I decided not to rush back out in the pouring down rain to put the WL egg back under her.
Tomorrow I'll work on trying to find her a safe broody spot.

I'd wait one full day of no eggs laid by her before calling her officially broody

 

[bobbieschicks]

Quote:
Ok I think thats what Im getting. Its a still air though but I am ordering a fan to go in it to circulate the air. I may have to do what you have done. Does it get enough oxygen for the eggs or do the eggs not need that much? I have heard putting the incubator in a close boxed makes it overheat. How do you control this?

44? Wow! I bet you have chicks everywhere!

My friend is selling me two for a very good price. I cant wait! I have only hatched twice in a bator and it was a borrowed one.

I've used a Hovabator still air and added a fan. It worked fine.