Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[dlynne1123]

So here is my final head count! Got six beautiful chicks from my first ever hatch! Had some minor faults, and will learn from those for next time! Yes there will be a next time! Had a lovely broody hen, and ended up with two when my Bantam Cochin decided she wanted to help. Now they are taking turns eating and leaving the coop to forage, while one is always with the babies. Too cute! Any one care to guess on my breeds? I wasn't able to save the broken egg c hick on Saturday but I was able to help another that broke and shrick wrapped under mom. I did wait two days, and by the time I chose to help out the poor little one was in cement but screaming away. Used a moist wash cloth and kept it warm and within the half hour the little buddy was busting out! Later I smuggled it back under mom! Now, my question is that my coop is 3 feet off the ground. I put shelved 2x4s in there to kind of gate them in, in case they decide to try to fall out. However, they will eventually try to follow mom right? Should i start moving them to a ground level crate? Or will they know how to climb up and down the ramp? I don't want them to fall and get hurt.
Thanks again everyone for your help!

 

[msmechanic58]

So here is my final head count!  Got six beautiful chicks from my first ever hatch!  Had some minor faults, and will learn from those for next time!  Yes there will be a next time!  Had a lovely broody hen, and ended up with two when my Bantam Cochin decided she wanted to help.  Now they are taking turns eating and leaving the coop to forage, while one is always with the babies.  Too cute!  Any one care to guess on my breeds?  I wasn't able to save the broken egg c hick on Saturday but I was able to help another that broke and shrick wrapped under mom.  I did wait two days, and by the time I chose to help out the poor little one was in cement but screaming away.  Used a moist wash cloth and kept it warm and within the half hour the little buddy was busting out!  Later I smuggled it back under mom!  Now, my question is that my coop is 3 feet off the ground.  I put shelved 2x4s in there to kind of gate them in, in case they decide to try to fall out.  However, they will eventually try to follow mom right?  Should i start moving them to a ground level crate?  Or will they know how to climb up and down the ramp?  I don't want them to fall and get hurt.
  Thanks again everyone for your help!

Cute! She'll get them down. Ours were 2 feet up. She carried some and the others followed.

 

[chooniecat]

So here is my final head count! Got six beautiful chicks from my first ever hatch! Had some minor faults, and will learn from those for next time! Yes there will be a next time! Had a lovely broody hen, and ended up with two when my Bantam Cochin decided she wanted to help. Now they are taking turns eating and leaving the coop to forage, while one is always with the babies. Too cute! Any one care to guess on my breeds? I wasn't able to save the broken egg c hick on Saturday but I was able to help another that broke and shrick wrapped under mom. I did wait two days, and by the time I chose to help out the poor little one was in cement but screaming away. Used a moist wash cloth and kept it warm and within the half hour the little buddy was busting out! Later I smuggled it back under mom! Now, my question is that my coop is 3 feet off the ground. I put shelved 2x4s in there to kind of gate them in, in case they decide to try to fall out. However, they will eventually try to follow mom right? Should i start moving them to a ground level crate? Or will they know how to climb up and down the ramp? I don't want them to fall and get hurt.
Thanks again everyone for your help!

from my recent 1st time brood experience they go up and down ramp beautifully by 3rd day(when I ALLOWED them out!) and given you only have 6 seems safer to me(I had 10 so it was a crowded/hurried event) Can't hurt to block sides of ramp temporaily with some cardboard or something in CASE they dive off when coming out.Very cute chix! I can't guess breeds but sure some will. Great luck!(1 up front looks like bb penguin!)

 

[ChikeeMomma]

I have two broodies right now! A black Australorp and a Buff Orpington.

I do have a question as to how and where to house the two of them. I do have a small area in my coop where I can house them. Can I house them both together? The area is about 4x8 or keep the two separate?

 

[Pele]

Ok, I have a very odd situation, and a couple of similarily odd questions for all you broody champions out there.

After two attempts at incubating turkeys, I have to admit that I'm terrible at them for some reason, and I can't risk bumbling my third order. (I've successfully hatched chickens, I have no idea why turkeys thwart me around day 24).

Now, my good friend down the street has a bunch of little banties that she loves, but endlessly drive her nuts by going constantly broody. She always has at least 3 to 4 at all times. Lightbulb for me! I'll stick one to two turkey eggs under their little overly fluffy butts! It's a win win for both of us because it'll break the brood at least for a short time.

So my question is: A.) is this a good idea, because turkeys make a different sound than baby chicks. I don't want the hens trying to kill the poults during hatch. B.) will the broody stick it out the extra 7 days it takes? C.) These girls are ALWAYS brooding, is it best to pick one that just started, to preserve her health and not chance that she'll drop her brood? (I would really like to take advantage of her most reliable broody, but don't want to risk her health. I've never seen this hen not in the nestbox immitating a pancake, so I don't know if sticking eggs under her changes anything).

I've heard of cross-species brooding before, so I'm probably safe, but I just wanted to pass it by the experts.

 

[perchie.girl]

Ok, I have a very odd situation, and a couple of similarily odd questions for all you broody champions out there.

After two attempts at incubating turkeys, I have to admit that I'm terrible at them for some reason, and I can't risk bumbling my third order. (I've successfully hatched chickens, I have no idea why turkeys thwart me around day 24).

Now, my good friend down the street has a bunch of little banties that she loves, but endlessly drive her nuts by going constantly broody. She always has at least 3 to 4 at all times. Lightbulb for me! I'll stick one to two turkey eggs under their little overly fluffy butts! It's a win win for both of us because it'll break the brood at least for a short time.

So my question is: A.) is this a good idea, because turkeys make a different sound than baby chicks. I don't want the hens trying to kill the poults during hatch. B.) will the broody stick it out the extra 7 days it takes? C.) These girls are ALWAYS brooding, is it best to pick one that just started, to preserve her health and not chance that she'll drop her brood? (I would really like to take advantage of her most reliable broody, but don't want to risk her health. I've never seen this hen not in the nestbox immitating a pancake, so I don't know if sticking eggs under her changes anything).

I've heard of cross-species brooding before, so I'm probably safe, but I just wanted to pass it by the experts.

Not an expert from personal experience with cross species hatching here, but Chickens historically are pretty good at hatching just about anything poultry as long as they can cover the eggs. Dad used to hatch out duck eggs with a broody hen even. And Guinea Egg hatching is quite common. Both take an extra week I believe of incubation time.

Good luck.

deb

 

[JakRat]

Sorry about the chicken wars - my DH just rolls his eyes now and knows better than say anything. lol   

I have a 16 week old Wellie that just started to crow today after we rehomed his brother and a slightly older cockerel that both crowed all the time.  I love those first couple of crows they do - reminds me of when I was learning to play the flute.  Starts out rather weak and off key - but ends up being a sweet sweet sound.

Luckily I think we have a home already for him. Its so cute that he is soooooo young and already crowing. I just hope that we get some ladies with this next hatch. Luckily roosters atent an issue in my neighborhood. In fact I seem to have started a movement here. There are 3 other coops that have sprung up since ours.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I would LIKE to sex them now but from my experience and various breeds I am usually 50% wrong. My delaware pullets all have monster combs early on(have never had delaware cockerel to compare to tho)and I am holding off "guessing" for a couple of weeks. It would be nice if we could tell right now because that would mean they're mostly pullets!!!!!!! Pray so!

Yeah I usually wait for crowing or eggs before confirming my guesses.

You should know within the next four weeks if they are cockerels.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I have two broodies right now! A black Australorp and a Buff Orpington.
I do have a question as to how and where to house the two of them. I do have a small area in my coop where I can house them. Can I house them both together? The area is about 4x8 or keep the two separate?

Housing is what you feel comfortable with doing. If they get along it's fine to let them sit together. If they don't get along you can still keep them together in the space but physically divide it somehow. I used landscape fabric stapled down the middle to keep my broodies happy. They hate each other but needed to share space.

 

[mnferalkitty]

I have my first broody hen and she has been sitting for 4 days now in the favorite nest box, but the other hens are laying in that same box still, I have the ability to close off that section of the coop to the other hens. Should I do that? If I do that the broody won't be able to go outside though but that side of the coop is pretty big and has good ventilation.