Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[ThePendragon]

4 have hatched 1 more has pipped

my broody hen didnt like me putting chicks underneath her either...just could be that she knew they were not hers

 

[kizanne]

I love the pics keep them coming.

I have a question. My girl is in a box high off the ground. I was planning on moving them once everyone hatched because I tried to move them before and she didn't sit on them. Will they have sense enough not to walk off a 3 foot high ledge? should I build a ramp? Do I need to worry about the other chickens, won't mamma defend them?

I've seen where others have built a ramp. Or should I really try moving her again. (Remember she is going on 4 1/2 weeks but has 2 more weeks to go so I'm just praying not to break her brood.) oh and this is her first brood plus we are over her allotted time. yep I walk on the wild side.

 

[bobbieschicks]

You can keep them together if they get along - otherwise I would separate them. My two broodies were separated by a landscape fabric curtain to hatch their babies and now they are doing their best to avoid each other. haha. These two never got along and Smokey keeps going after Topsy every chance she gets. Topsy is the kindest, gentlest mother around. Smokey - a force to be reckoned with! I would definitely put out bowls of food and water throughout the area and close by the momma/babies until the babies are a little larger. What happens with my flock is the bigger ones get to the dish and momma/babies are having to wait until the bigs eat most of the food. I would wait until the hens give up on the eggs - usually what they will do is get up and leave the eggs unattended for a long period of time - or sometimes they might make a new nest near but not on the eggs. You can always candle the left behind eggs. Most likely they won't be any good anymore.

We just had our first broody hatch some chicks today. Two are out of the shells and two more are trying. Right now the 2 mamas are in the big coop with all the other hens. We have a smaller coop with a community nesting box. Can I move the two hens together to the smaller coop or will they fight with each other? This smaller coop has a gate that can be closed to keep the chicks from the rest of the flock (7 hens and a rooster besides the two broodies) Not sure what to do with them all. The eggs were set 3 one day and 5 the next and the hens have been stealing them back and forth from each other. How long do I wait before tossing the rest? Should I put food and water in the nesting box where they are hatching?

Lots of questions tonight!

Thanks,
Kathy

 

[bobbieschicks]

So cute!

thats the first one; 2 more have hatched 6 more on the way!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Yeah! Adorable chicks!

Two hens in their nesting boxes in the main coop


First to hatch!


Still waiting. One more newly hatched is under there.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I have had success moving my broodies if I do it at night in the dark and with a towel over their head. Here is my formula that has worked so far -

1. make the new area ready - make sure it is somewhat dark in the new area and include some of the nesting material from the old area
2. wait until it is DARK not a little but alot - so much so that they would normally be on the roost and couldn't see anything very well. I like to do it right before pitch darkness but not so that I have to use a flashlight.
3. put a towel or handcloth over her head so she can't see anything happening
4. pick up the eggs from the old nest - I carry them in an egg carton if there are a lot - otherwise I just put them in my pocket
5. put the eggs on the new nest
6. put the pullet on the new nest with the towel still over her head
7. remove the towel and close her up in the dark area

check the next day and she should be sitting tight.

I move mine to an area inside the coop that is wired off - I remove the wire around day 7 so that the coop is returned to normal. By that time the mommas and babies are usually out and about anyway. Mommas will defend their babies - but it depends on the momma how good she will be at it. Topsy (lowest pullet) puffs up like a ball and hopes no one will bother her or her babies. Smokey (2nd lead pullet) goes on the attack if she even thinks you are thinking about coming close to her babies.

If you decide to leave her where she is - simply put a piece of wood across the bottom of the nest box when it gets close to hatching or as soon as she starts - the babies will stick close to mom for about 3 days. Once they have wing feathers though - by the end of 5 days - they may try to fly out.

I love the pics keep them coming.

I have a question. My girl is in a box high off the ground. I was planning on moving them once everyone hatched because I tried to move them before and she didn't sit on them. Will they have sense enough not to walk off a 3 foot high ledge? should I build a ramp? Do I need to worry about the other chickens, won't mamma defend them?

I've seen where others have built a ramp. Or should I really try moving her again. (Remember she is going on 4 1/2 weeks but has 2 more weeks to go so I'm just praying not to break her brood.) oh and this is her first brood plus we are over her allotted time. yep I walk on the wild side.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well everyone got along a lot better than I thought they would. Smokey and Topsy both took their babies out of the coop and into the secure run. This was after I put everyone inside the secure run for the night.
I went out to check on the chicks after I had a shower in my ugly red strawberry patterned pj bottoms. I guess the chickens didn't like the pattern because they all scrambled away from me. It was too weird. Went back out in black pants to put everyone up for the night and they were much calmer about being around me.
The automatic door was closed and seveal chickens were still milling about. Topsy was sitting by the fence with her babies under her so I grabbed her and her two babies and put them in the coop. Then I noticed Smokey under the coop with her babies under her. She looked like she was settling in for the night. So I grabbed the rake and shoved her out and the babies followed. I grabbed them up two at a time and Smokey jumped into the coop. When I closed up both sets of broodies had their babies under them and were settling down in a corner for the night.
Hoping to wake up to everyone getting along.

 

[Miss Lydia]

thats the first one; 2 more have hatched 6 more on the way!

Aww what a sweet pic.. Congrats!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well I cant believe it but Henriettas chicks turned a week old tomorrow! Tonight was the first night she got them all in the nest on her own.

I just noticed today her eye is swollen from the second rooster attack.

She can open it but it doesnt look normal. Hopefully it will go down. If it doesnt soon I will have to do some research on how to get the swelling to go down. If its not one thing its another.

Sorry I havent been on all weekend I just realized I have been on since friday! Thats two day!

I just have been SO busy!

Good to be back!

Wash her eye with some warm saline[ salt water] Tripp she could have a little infection going on, also Terramycin eye ointment from feed store.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I wish that were true, but she killed one of her own as well. The two survivors were one of her own and one that she adopted. I'm wondering if she squished them or something? They looked like they died where she had been sitting because they were within inches of each other.

And unfortunately my excellent broody from last year was taken by a coyote so I have one broody hen left to work with and I have no idea what kind of mother she would be

Well your not in that boat alone, when all of us have hens go broody we don't know how it's going to go either. Most of the time no problems but there is always the exception. Maybe you should give her a chance at least.