Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

Gosh I hope she perks up - that is a long time and it can be very stressful on their systems. I was getting worried about Topsy since I think it's been abour 35 days for her - but at least now she has a chick and will hopefully stop being broody! Smokey on the other hand seems to love to go broody - so the challenge with her will be keeping her healthy between broods.

Thanks for your kind words - it was so much fun. I NEVER thought I could do a half - but my friend talked me into it and she entertained me enough to get me through it all. I told her I would walk it - not run it. We only ran a little bit - downhill when I felt like I could. I had knee surgery for a torn minuscus in January and was sick for most of April so I missed out on a lot of training. The furthest I ever walked was 9.5 miles so I felt the 13.1 was too much. She assured me it would be fine. And you know - it was. I'm still a little sore, but in another week I will be back to normal and training for the next one!

I hope she does too. My chickens like tuna and salmon I don't feed it too them often but at times like these when they have been sitting for so long it is good medicine. You might want to get to have on hand Poultry Nutri Drench you can get it at TSC but i order online since i have so many in my flock I use it for broodies, newly hatched chicks or ducklings molt or just generally don't look like they are feeling that well. i just wormed all my flock for round worms did the epsom salt flush on them all so now they are getting yogurt, scrambled eggs and nutri drench to boost their systems back up. Heres a link to the ND just in case you might want to check into some. http://barnyardsandbackyards.org/2010/09/18/review-nutri-drench/
and bobbies thats what you were talking about a marathon I asked the question the other day because it sounded interesting but guess you didn't see it. Good for you !!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Sweet!!! I need to go check on my frizzle and see if anything is going on under her since Issabelle hatched hers early. It's raining

Oh you might have something hatched! It finally stopped raining today and the sun is out. Of course everything is still sopping wet - but at least I'm not getting soaked standing at the coop.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Miss Lydia - this was on page 1003 for you. I think it just got lost in all the new postings of baby chicks - go figure. haha.

Yesterday I ran/walked in the Marine Corp Marathon Historic Half (13.1 miles) - it was my 1st half marathon and a couple of friends of mine did it with me. I had so much fun and remarkably today I'm not that sore. When I got home I had to clean the coop, check on everyone and gather eggs. I was worried I wouldn't have the agility to do it - but I was fine. Smokey & Topsy came out for their afternoon break and WOW was their poo large & pungent. I am continually amazed at the size of the poo that comes from such small broodies.

Anyway - I'm wondering if I will have chicks today since they are due tomorrow.

Here we are after finishing. I'm the one on the left - still struggling to loose those last few (60) lbs! But I'll get there.

 

[hokankai]

Ugh, I need help again. This morning I went out to check on mama and found the polish cold and lifeless in the coop. It was alive, barely, but I managed to resuscitate it enough to put it back under mama. It looks to be a little runty, and it had runny diarrhea when I had it with me. I didn't have any food on me when I had it, but I can't tell if it's eating or not, although it did seem to have a strange odor coming from its mouth, like fermented food. I could see its little crop, but it was soft and I couldn't really feel any food in there. There were no symptoms aside from a sneeze here or there.

Any idea why she would reject it? I managed to get her to take it back, but what the heck? And any ideas on how to get it eating well and stronger? I put sugar and poly vi sol in the waterer for a boost, and I'll be keeping an eye on it for the rest of the day.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Miss Lydia - this was on page 1003 for you. I think it just got lost in all the new postings of baby chicks - go figure. haha.

Thanks bobbies, I missed that completely and Congrats, even though my dh and I walk just about everyday except when the weather poops out, I have only walked that far once, we did a walk for Babies way back in early 1990's 10 miles. well only 10 miles not 13.1. But it was so much fun to walk with so many for a worthy cause. You'll get there just keep on walking.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Ugh, I need help again. This morning I went out to check on mama and found the polish cold and lifeless in the coop. It was alive, barely, but I managed to resuscitate it enough to put it back under mama. It looks to be a little runty, and it had runny diarrhea when I had it with me. I didn't have any food on me when I had it, but I can't tell if it's eating or not, although it did seem to have a strange odor coming from its mouth, like fermented food. I could see its little crop, but it was soft and I couldn't really feel any food in there. There were no symptoms aside from a sneeze here or there.

Any idea why she would reject it? I managed to get her to take it back, but what the heck? And any ideas on how to get it eating well and stronger? I put sugar and poly vi sol in the waterer for a boost, and I'll be keeping an eye on it for the rest of the day.

Maybe chick got out of nest some how, i had that happen a couple summers ago, 2 sharing a nest one morning went out to check on everyone there lays a chick looked dead cold lifeless, i didn't even bring it in just tucked it back under mama and lo and behold it made it. Keep up with the vitamins for a couple days just to help it along, won't hurt the others to have some too.

 

[hokankai]

I just went out to watch her and she's definitely picking on the polish for some reason. It's really frustrating me. Why would she occasionally peck at him? She doesn't look like she's trying to kill him, because he usually dives under her after one peck, but she does go at him every once in awhile. I've seen it twice since I revived him and I'm not out there constantly.

If she doesn't get her head on straight I'm just going to pull all of them from her and brooder raise them. I wanted to do this so that they would all be raised together and I've already saved 3 of them from freezing to death. She's a first time mom, but I want these chicks to LIVE more than I want her to be able to be a mom.

Ugh.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I just went out to watch her and she's definitely picking on the polish for some reason. It's really frustrating me. Why would she occasionally peck at him? She doesn't look like she's trying to kill him, because he usually dives under her after one peck, but she does go at him every once in awhile. I've seen it twice since I revived him and I'm not out there constantly.

If she doesn't get her head on straight I'm just going to pull all of them from her and brooder raise them. I wanted to do this so that they would all be raised together and I've already saved 3 of them from freezing to death. She's a first time mom, but I want these chicks to LIVE more than I want her to be able to be a mom.

Ugh.

You have to do what you feel is best, I've seen mamas peck their chicks and it usually has a reason even if we don't know what it is. I hope it will be okay you'll make the right decision I'm sure.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I just went out to watch her and she's definitely picking on the polish for some reason. It's really frustrating me. Why would she occasionally peck at him? She doesn't look like she's trying to kill him, because he usually dives under her after one peck, but she does go at him every once in awhile. I've seen it twice since I revived him and I'm not out there constantly.

If she doesn't get her head on straight I'm just going to pull all of them from her and brooder raise them. I wanted to do this so that they would all be raised together and I've already saved 3 of them from freezing to death. She's a first time mom, but I want these chicks to LIVE more than I want her to be able to be a mom.

Ugh.

Smokey used to peck at one of the Wellies pretty good. He wouldn't listen to her and was often wandering off. Of course I now know he's a cockerel and that explains his attitude. But the momma probably is sending the polish a message.

 

[hokankai]

Smokey used to peck at one of the Wellies pretty good. He wouldn't listen to her and was often wandering off. Of course I now know he's a cockerel and that explains his attitude. But the momma probably is sending the polish a message.

Judging by the fact that he was away from her and everyone else and basically dead, I'd say the message is that she doesn't want anything to do with him. He's definitely runty, but he's trying! He fought hard to come back from near death, and I'm not letting her ruin that will to survive.

I'll give her 48 hours of hourly checks to see if her attitude towards the chick improves, and if it doesn't I'm gonna just pull all of the babies. It would be a shame though, because she'll be in there all by herself until they're old enough to join her now that the rooster is gone.

*sigh*