Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Tripp16]

Day 7 down! We are on day 8!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hey Tripp how is Henrietta? do you still have Mr. Willy? What is your hatch date? mine is 23 and 24th of may.

 

[Glasshen]

The RIR hen who raised the possibly Buff Orpinton chicks for me is being broody again. But her RIR sisters are playing at it. Kinky sometimes stays in the other favorite nest box for a few hours at a time, and sometimes fluffs up her feathers and walks around clucking. But she turns it on and off. Yesterday she was totally normal until the ten minutes that Mama came outside for a drink and a dust bath. Then Kinky puffed up and did the broody voice, and was acting meaner even than usual. But on the whole, things have calmed down si ce Mama decided she really was broody. Now I must find her some chicks and move her and all that good stuff.

Am intrigued by Speckled Suffolk, maybe there are some locally.

Since things are calmer, I let the teens BO 11weeks old out with the big girls. They were dust bathing happily when Mama took her break, she screamed and flew at them, then started dusting herself. Family dynamics around here are bad. Lotta rudeness.

The 5 week olds are getting used to the outdoor dog crate. Today no one is paying them any attention. Stewie is standing in front of the favorite box and Mama staring...like she's watching TV.

And Im gonna look for even younger hens?

 

[mstricer]

My Marans hatched out 3 babies little over 24 hours. I got her moved to the brooder house and now she is much more relaxed and has babies out, already digging in the sand. Last year I had the problem of her scratching to much and killing all but one silkie, she sat all summer might I add. This time she only sat a total of 24 days. I gave her the eggs right away and she is doing great will post pic's after the camera battery charges up.
Michele

 

[Miss Lydia]

My Marans hatched out 3 babies little over 24 hours. I got her moved to the brooder house and now she is much more relaxed and has babies out, already digging in the sand. Last year I had the problem of her scratching to much and killing all but one silkie, she sat all summer might I add. This time she only sat a total of 24 days. I gave her the eggs right away and she is doing great will post pic's after the camera battery charges up.
Michele

Looking forward to pics..

 

[Tripp16]

Hey Tripp how is Henrietta? do you still have Mr. Willy? What is your hatch date? mine is 23 and 24th of may.

Mr Willy is going to his new home this afternoon. I found a home where he will have 30+ hens to play around with!

Henrietta is doing much better, her is back to norma skin color now if she can just get some feathers to grow in. I feel bad for her. Everytime she hears/ sees Mr willy she clucks louder and fluffs up bigger. Poor girl is traumatized of him! Good thing he is leaving before the chicks come.

My Hatch day is May 20th. I am counting down the days!

 

[bayvistafarm]

Sounds like everyones having fun with hatching chicks and poults!! My black broodie gave me 5 babies out of 6 eggs on Saturday past. I cracked it open, and there was a developing chick in it, but it quit somewhere along the way. Funny how they know. These chicks are eggs from her and her brown sister, who is brooding on mutt eggs (from my shaver red layers, and a crossed up rooster. All are good egg layer breeds) and due May 25. I also have 5 chicks from eggs from these two that are a week old today, that I gave to a teacher to hatch in the classroom. So, I have 10 very colourful chicks from black and brown broodys, lol. I have 18 eggs that candled good a week ago, due on Wed. And, the above 2 broodies foster mother (who hatched them out), is sitting on those shaver hens' eggs, and shes due to hatch May 10th. Shes living with 3 guinea's... whom she hatched out btw. I sure hope they don't grab a baby and hurt them. As you can probably tell, I am running out of space for all these birds! I wish they were all the same age, and could be grouped together now!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds like everyones having fun with hatching chicks and poults!! My black broodie gave me 5 babies out of 6 eggs on Saturday past. I cracked it open, and there was a developing chick in it, but it quit somewhere along the way. Funny how they know. These chicks are eggs from her and her brown sister, who is brooding on mutt eggs (from my shaver red layers, and a crossed up rooster. All are good egg layer breeds) and due May 25. I also have 5 chicks from eggs from these two that are a week old today, that I gave to a teacher to hatch in the classroom. So, I have 10 very colourful chicks from black and brown broodys, lol. I have 18 eggs that candled good a week ago, due on Wed. And, the above 2 broodies foster mother (who hatched them out), is sitting on those shaver hens' eggs, and shes due to hatch May 10th. Shes living with 3 guinea's... whom she hatched out btw. I sure hope they don't grab a baby and hurt them. As you can probably tell, I am running out of space for all these birds! I wish they were all the same age, and could be grouped together now!

Sounds like your being kept on your toes, and what is a shaver? Congrats on all the babies.

 

[bayvistafarm]

I have no idea what one is really, lol. Thats what they call them at the hatchery in Elmira Ont. Canada. I suspect they are a cross between a RIR and something else. All I know, is these girls started laying last June 29th, and seriously been laying full tilt since! I have 15 of them, and I get at least 14 or 15 a day! They are great. Heres a picture, maybe you can tell me whats in them ,lol.



Here are the roosters that they are crossed with.





And, here they are, a month old already!!



Here are the classroom chicks



Heres the black broody and her babies



AND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought I would lift the two broody turkeys.... and I saw a broken shell!! After a few bruises on my poor pecked arms, and lifting 2 birds, I found a lone poult! I sure hope that the wee thing survives 4 pairs of legs all over it. The one thats done all the work, suddenly in the last 3 days, has company to help her... the only other hen. Hopefully there will be more. Maybe I should take it and give it to the black broody. Does anyone know if chicks can eat medicated turkey starter? Would the extra protien hurt them? Because I tried to raise turkey poults on chick starter once, and the turkeys just didn't thrive at all.

Well, the more I thought about it.. the more I thought it would be better off under this hen. I don't know if she will kick it out or not, but right now, it crawled right under her, like it was hers. Hes abit more wobbly, just hatched today, but the chicks will teach it to eat and drink anyway. I have no more chick waterers, or feeders to put in the turkey pen anyhow. I may just have to take them all away from the turkeys (if theres more) , with the 2 hens in there.

 

[Tripp16]

I have no idea what one is really, lol. Thats what they call them at the hatchery in Elmira Ont. Canada. I suspect they are a cross between a RIR and something else. All I know, is these girls started laying last June 29th, and seriously been laying full tilt since! I have 15 of them, and I get at least 14 or 15 a day! They are great. Heres a picture, maybe you can tell me whats in them ,lol.



Here are the roosters that they are crossed with.





And, here they are, a month old already!!



Here are the classroom chicks



Heres the black broody and her babies



AND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought I would lift the two broody turkeys.... and I saw a broken shell!! After a few bruises on my poor pecked arms, and lifting 2 birds, I found a lone poult! I sure hope that the wee thing survives 4 pairs of legs all over it. The one thats done all the work, suddenly in the last 3 days, has company to help her... the only other hen. Hopefully there will be more. Maybe I should take it and give it to the black broody. Does anyone know if chicks can eat medicated turkey starter? Would the extra protien hurt them? Because I tried to raise turkey poults on chick starter once, and the turkeys just didn't thrive at all.

Well, the more I thought about it.. the more I thought it would be better off under this hen. I don't know if she will kick it out or not, but right now, it crawled right under her, like it was hers. Hes abit more wobbly, just hatched today, but the chicks will teach it to eat and drink anyway. I have no more chick waterers, or feeders to put in the turkey pen anyhow. I may just have to take them all away from the turkeys (if theres more) , with the 2 hens in there.

The hens up top look to be Golden Comets. They are great layers! I had one and she never missed a day of laying except maybe once or twice. But sadly she was killed last summer.

Very cool looking chicks BTW. I cant wait to see what my little mutt babies look like. I love mixes!