Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[stonykill]

For those who are in this situation and happy to have the excuse to buy more chicks, just ignore the following.

But the rest of y'all know that a broody hen can manage to get over losing her eggs and/or chicks. If it's early in the set you can give them more fertile eggs, or later if the hen seems in excellent health and you reallyreallyreally need her to hatch the eggs you have. Otherwise, you can remove/block her nest and put her back with her flock, perhaps serve a bowl of everyone's favorite treat as a distraction. The hen may bluck-bluck-bluck about for a day but should soon return to her regularly scheduled programming.

Putting new chicks under a bereaved broody doesn't always take, you need to have a Plan B to brood them if she doesn't want them.

well put!

 

[bobbieschicks]

For those who are in this situation and happy to have the excuse to buy more chicks, just ignore the following. 

But the rest of y'all know that a broody hen can manage to get over losing her eggs and/or chicks.  If it's early in the set you can give them more fertile eggs, or later if the hen seems in excellent health and you reallyreallyreally need her to hatch the eggs you have.  Otherwise, you can remove/block her nest and put her back with her flock, perhaps serve a bowl of everyone's favorite treat as a distraction.  The hen may bluck-bluck-bluck about for a day but should soon return to her regularly scheduled programming.

Putting new chicks under a bereaved broody doesn't always take, you need to have a Plan B to brood them if she doesn't want them.   

What! How could you put that in writing! It's supposed to be a secret! JK

 

[stone_family3]

They are due in two days and they have a large air sack.

You might not see movement if they are close to hatching.

Hmmm, I'd love to have more chicks, but I'm having trouble finding them close by. My BA seems very happy to be taking in chicks from others, but I might put one of the duck eggs under her just to be sure. Thanks everyone.

For those who are in this situation and happy to have the excuse to buy more chicks, just ignore the following.

But the rest of y'all know that a broody hen can manage to get over losing her eggs and/or chicks. If it's early in the set you can give them more fertile eggs, or later if the hen seems in excellent health and you reallyreallyreally need her to hatch the eggs you have. Otherwise, you can remove/block her nest and put her back with her flock, perhaps serve a bowl of everyone's favorite treat as a distraction. The hen may bluck-bluck-bluck about for a day but should soon return to her regularly scheduled programming.

Putting new chicks under a bereaved broody doesn't always take, you need to have a Plan B to brood them if she doesn't want them.

 

[mstricer]

My Call duck got so sick of us opening the coop door to look at her baby, that she built a new nest and even moved all the unhatched eggs with her, just when I was going to take them. I'm almost thinking some more might hatch, because she still wants to sit on them. I now have my third broody hen and will be giving her eggs tomorrow.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My Call duck got so sick of us opening the coop door to look at her baby, that she built a new nest and even moved all the unhatched eggs with her, just when I was going to take them. I'm almost thinking some more might hatch, because she still wants to sit on them. I now have my third broody hen and will be giving her eggs tomorrow.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are due in two days and they have a large air sack.


Hmmm, I'd love to have more chicks, but I'm having trouble finding them close by. My BA seems very happy to be taking in chicks from others, but I might put one of the duck eggs under her just to be sure. Thanks everyone.

 

[JoshU]

My broodie and her man took 2 or days to get back to normal. Now she wont come out of the box unless im outside. I think its because he wants to get it on but she isnt ready. Everytime she comes out he chases her around. Its funny how these animals are. And with silkies its almost free entertainment since they eat next to nothing and just want a dry place to live and some fresh air. Im hoping she gets to laying again and then she can hatch some of her own so I wont have to sell them so early. The last hatch was some of my new hampshire reds and I have a hard time selling them as started birds so I sold them when I had the chance. I LOVE CHICKENS!!! lol

 

[bobbieschicks]

My broodie and her man took 2 or days to get back to normal.  Now she wont come out of the box unless im outside.  I think its because he wants to get it on but she isnt ready.  Everytime she comes out he chases her around.  Its funny how these animals are.  And with silkies its almost free entertainment since they eat next to nothing and just want a dry place to live and some fresh air.  Im hoping she gets to laying again and then she can hatch some of her own so I wont have to sell them so early.  The last hatch was some of my new hampshire reds and I have a hard time selling them as started birds so I sold them when I had the chance.  I LOVE CHICKENS!!!  lol

I know what you mean. Poor Smokey got attacked when she came out to stretch by the 16 week old cockerel who thinks he should be king. She wasn't happy about that. I quickly got her and Topsy back in with their babies.

 

[JoshU]

I know what you mean. Poor Smokey got attacked when she came out to stretch by the 16 week old cockerel who thinks he should be king. She wasn't happy about that. I quickly got her and Topsy back in with their babies.

I have to say that Fred was an excellent dad. He didn't try to mate with Wilma at all once they hatched. And he was so cute with the babies running around and in between his legs. He was more ticked off than Wilma was when I sold the chicks. I was worried how he would treat them but he was perfect.

 

[hokankai]

That's it. I am DONE with broodies. Found two more dead chicks in Violet's coop. Same area, same day. Not acceptable. She's down from 5 to 2, and I'm pulling those two tomorrow because I want them to survive. She'll just have to be by herself for awhile until I can grow these guys out.

Not sure why this has been such a bad experience?!?! Last year everything went perfectly fine with Molly albeit a spread of random disease, but 6 made it. I'm just going to brood everyone else myself from now on so that I have more control. Too many uncontrollable variables. I'm so mad and extremely disappointed. That's a LOT of money and energy down the drain.

I'm done.