Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

Of course it has to be a rainy week and raining all day today - since I just want to hang out at the coop and watch things develop.

 

[stonykill]

What a beauty - and how many bantam eggs can you squeeze under that RIR!

thank you! and LOL. Not sure what to do with that RIR yet. I have new Sumatra's hatching now and again at the end of the week. Not sure if she is going to go full term, or if I am going to use "birth control" and just give her a few chicks to raise. Leaning toward the later.....

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Maybe, I would try cause the chick would be better off, he may get left behind, maybe not...I slipped one back under the hen, she had left the nest but still took him/her, and though she seems anxious to go for a walk, she is babing the new one and staying put while the other chicks are scoffing up the food and running here and there..she is being a good broody.
Pepper, the first broody weaned her chicks today, at four weeks...wow. she had them roosting at three weeks, so maybe she's taught them all they need to know. I heard the chicks calling, and calling, and calling...and went to look, scared me, I figured a predator had gotten her, because my dog chased something off early with hackles up...but didn't hear any commotion. Found hen in a place she'd not taken the chicks! She gave them the slip!
The hen in the picture gets to be moved into peppers old spot, two feet down onto coop floor, it will be easier for her to take little rocky outside, into the chick pen. I just realized I have not named my hen, nothing comes to mind, any ideas? She has alot of copper around her head (doesn't show in the pic) and the pinstripes don't show in realty. !!

 

[Tripp16]

Maybe, I would try cause the chick would be better off, he may get left behind, maybe not...I slipped one back under the hen, she had left the nest but still took him/her, and though she seems anxious to go for a walk, she is babing the new one and staying put while the other chicks are scoffing up the food and running here and there..she is being a good broody. Pepper, the first broody weaned her chicks today, at four weeks...wow. she had them roosting at three weeks, so maybe she's taught them all they need to know. I heard the chicks calling, and calling, and calling...and went to look, scared me, I figured a predator had gotten her, because my dog chased something off early with hackles up...but didn't hear any commotion. Found hen in a place she'd not taken the chicks! She gave them the slip! The hen in the picture gets to be moved into peppers old spot, two feet down onto coop floor, it will be easier for her to take little rocky outside, into the chick pen. I just realized I have not named my hen, nothing comes to mind, any ideas? She has alot of copper around her head (doesn't show in the pic) and the pinstripes don't show in realty. !!

I may just try it. I think she would accept it and the chick looks like the others so how would she know it didnt hatch under her? Although she did sit on it for the first 19 days it just was laid later by one of my other hens who stole her nest while she was up to use the bathroom, thats how we got this one...

 

[hokankai]

I have another question for you guys. My hen is looking a little pale in the face and I'd like to treat her with Piperazine in case she has worms...but she has 5 baby chicks now. Is it ok for the chicks to have dewormer for a few days? And if not, how the heck do I get her to drink the medication?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just thought I would let everyone know, Henrietta left a egg in the nest yesterday. It was cool by the time I got to it. I candled it and its beak was in the air sac. So I stuck it in the bator. It pipped 2 hours later and is now in the bator drying.

I have 4 chicks so far and 3 more are pipped! Lets hope the darn humidity will last and wont drop like it was doing...

Does anyone think when the chick is stable if I could put it back with momma? She already has them out roaming so Im worried since this one is about 2 days late she wont accept it / it wont be able to keep up. What do you guys think? Put it under her tonight?

I'd wait till tonight Tripp that will give it a little more time to get it's feet under it. Congrats on saving it..

 

[Miss Lydia]

Really my big fear is that she will abandon the eggs to go and raise the new chicks. She should be moving out of the egg house early this week and moving into the new coop. I will just make sure to leave her some food water and some eggs she can lay on. Plan on ordering eggs so they get here 5 days before I go to the co-op to get the ranger chicks.

I'm sorry i thought you said she was sitting on dummy eggs, and you were thinking about putting your new chicks under . My mistake.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Maybe, I would try cause the chick would be better off, he may get left behind, maybe not...I slipped one back under the hen, she had left the nest but still took him/her, and though she seems anxious to go for a walk, she is babing the new one and staying put while the other chicks are scoffing up the food and running here and there..she is being a good broody. Pepper, the first broody weaned her chicks today, at four weeks...wow. she had them roosting at three weeks, so maybe she's taught them all they need to know. I heard the chicks calling, and calling, and calling...and went to look, scared me, I figured a predator had gotten her, because my dog chased something off early with hackles up...but didn't hear any commotion. Found hen in a place she'd not taken the chicks! She gave them the slip! The hen in the picture gets to be moved into peppers old spot, two feet down onto coop floor, it will be easier for her to take little rocky outside, into the chick pen. I just realized I have not named my hen, nothing comes to mind, any ideas? She has alot of copper around her head (doesn't show in the pic) and the pinstripes don't show in realty. !!

I think you just named her Copper, I like that. !!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have another question for you guys. My hen is looking a little pale in the face and I'd like to treat her with Piperazine in case she has worms...but she has 5 baby chicks now. Is it ok for the chicks to have dewormer for a few days? And if not, how the heck do I get her to drink the medication?

I wouldn't give her wormer, she probably looks pale from sitting 21 days. maybe wait till they are a little older before worming. can you give your girl some extra protein to see if that will boost her.
some canned salmon in water drained would be good or scrambled eggs even the chicks can eat stuff like this as long as they are eating grit.

 

[Miss Lydia]

here is a pic of Miss Splash. Not the greatest pic, but it's a pic

and one of our RIR's is officially broody. She moved her eggs yesterday about 1 foot from where they were and set up nest. This morning she ran out of the coop puffed up and screaming

. Now we are used to seeing 3 to 4 lb mama's. So the sight of an 8 lb hen all puffed up and angry is quite a funny sight!

stony that's lovely how did that come about?