Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

I tried a saddle for one of my girls. They only help before the damage is done - to prevent the damage. Once your boys have worked their magic, you have to wait for a moult. And I don't think you will want a saddle on her during the moult. (In truth, I found the saddle broke even MORE feathers - where it was strapped on.)

Yeah I figured I would try them and see if successful. I'll keep an eye out for problems.

 

[Katiesduckies]

Awww...I want babies I have a bad feeling my eggs are bad or won't hatch...

 

[bobbieschicks]

My Rhode Island Red hens are broody I'm waiting for baby chicks anytime!! I hope anyways...i'll be really sad if not but she didn't make her nest in the nesting boxes lol she made her nest under our steps!! everytime we walk up or down the steps into our home, she growls!! I tell her to shush and stay on her eggs we arent going to bother her

Congrats on the broody! Can't wait to see chick pics

 

[bobbieschicks]

Awww...I want babies I have a bad feeling my eggs are bad or won't hatch...

Can you get to the eggs to try and candle them?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Temperature in my barn AND in my coop today is approaching 100 degrees! I don't even need a broody to hatch eggs if it stays like this. (At this rate, I'll have chicks in 14 days - it HAS to be 110 degrees under the hen or more ....

)

I have to run fans in all 3 of my coops. We have been having fairly decent weather so far, so haven't had to use them alot. you'll make an all time record hatching chiks in 14 instead of the 21, but they may hatch early because of it being so warm. like day 19.

 

[Katiesduckies]

Can you get to the eggs to try and candle them?

I really don't want to get to the nest she's on under the steps because I can't get to it without her getting POed lol but the others i am going to definantly!! lol if anyone's interested I'll take and post pics of her nesting location under my steps she's been sitting on her eggs ALL DAY today and ALL Last night!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well Miss Lydia I got some Oxine. Thanks for telling us about it. I hope it lives up to its reputation. I have already started using it in their waterers. It smells better then ACV and will hopefully keep germs and slime away. Do you use it in your waterers and do you alternate it with ACV? Or something else?
Tomorrow I will be cleaning my coop for spring (okay I'm a little behind schedule). My 11 yo son said he will help with the job so we can get it done before it gets too hot. We are stripping the place and scrubbing inside & out! Can't wait to smell a clean coop again.
On another note, I've ordered some chicken saddles for the two oldest pullets. They are either rooster ridden or molting, and they are looking mighty bald. So hoping the saddles will help get them back to pretty again. Have you ever used them? I'm sure my DH thinks its nuts. I would never consider dressing my pets so I'm sort of leery of dressing my chicken with anything other then stuffing. Lol

Good for you bobbie, I use it in their water, one night ACV next Oxine. during Molt I also use Poultry Nutri Drench and alternate the other 2 with it. I also wash all my waterers and feeders with it. spray off roosts in the morning a wipe down. also spray bedding. I have some saddles for my girls but since they free range I am leary of them getting caught on something so I don't use them but it's been a couple years since i've seen the girls worn down from the roos. I have never done a complete cleaning out of my coop since I had the mite infestation a couple years ago. I only change partial shaving as needed and spray everything down good with poultry protector one week and Oxine the next. Guess I am lazy

 

[Katiesduckies]

Congrats on the broody! Can't wait to see chick pics

thank you!! I hope they hatch or I'm going to be really sad...I've had nothing but problems with my chickens since I've gotten them...
1.) wont lay eggs
2.) chickens dropping dead
3.) coon problem (egg stealer!)

 

[bobbieschicks]

Yeah chickens are never a dull moment. The kids and I love to watch the little social dramas that go on between them. We've lost a few to unexplained deaths - it made me leery of opening the coop for awhile. lol. Now I take it a little less hard - but I still hate to loose them suddenly like that. I've got one now that's 45 weeks old and hasn't laid an egg. Her days are numbered, if she wasn't so darn sweet she would have been gone by now. I have cockerels that won't sleep on the roost - choosing the safety of the nest boxes because they know their days are numbered. And a pullet who is trying to make a habit of being broody!

thank you!! I hope they hatch or I'm going to be really sad...I've had nothing but problems with my chickens since I've gotten them...
1.) wont lay eggs
2.) chickens dropping dead
3.) coon problem (egg stealer!)

 

[jtbrown]

Here are my babies. I have seen all 5 and there were 5 eggs under these guys. There is one red one, one all black with black legs, and 3 fuzzy footed ones. It is my dual sitting hens. I got these eggs of Craig's list locally. Met the guy in Walmart parking lot, I cannot believe this worked. I feel like I hatched those babies. How do you guys do this without going crazy!? I am so excited, my husband and boys are cracking up at me.

There are 3 more eggs under a bantum OEG, and 2 more under D'uccle. But I can't believe all 5/5 under the two girls hatched.


The first pic is hard to see the little black fuzzy there is a chick, and the second is obvious the white one!