Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

You know, I've been wondering about that - if you could put eggs that are almsot due to hatch under  a hen that just went broody!  That's really good to know. She's cute!  I just hatched a little splash NN in my incubator.  Love them!

That's what I did with Smokey's first brood, she got day 16 incubator eggs to finish up and brood. Worked out great for me.

The second time she went broody I had some eggs in the bator due in 14 days, so she got those to hatch.

 

[Wynette]

Thanks so much for the feedback, guys. I guess I just sort of hate to block her off from the feed/water....maybe I'll have DH make a ramp from the nest box out & down the 12" span to the coop floor after work...

 

[bobbieschicks]

Well my broody experiment didn't work out. Thankfully tho, no chicks were harmed. I went back to the coop after she had the chick for about six hours and it was wandering around the coop peeping loudly while she was on the nest. She didn't seem concerned so I think she's not 'into' chicks yet. Ah well! I'm going to give her TWO eggs I guess and let her try and hatch them.  Poor neglected chick is back in the brooder waiting for his or her buddies to hatch. 

Oh I'm so sorry to hear that, at least no chicks were harmed in the process.

 

[Wynette]

That's what I did with Smokey's first brood, she got day 16 incubator eggs to finish up and brood. Worked out great for me.
The second time she went broody I had some eggs in the bator due in 14 days, so she got those to hatch.

Wow - that's SO good to know! If I'd have known this a week ago, I could have given my silver penciled rock eggs to one of my Giants who went broody & is a proven really good one. Sigh. Thanks!

 

[bobbieschicks]

adorable.....

Xs2!

 

[bobbieschicks]

dragon the nn bantam went broody, so i took one of the eggs from the other broody due to hatch in a couple days, and she got this baby.... she is a ferocious mom...will take on anyone that looks at that baby

I love it when the babies stand on the mom's back, adorable!

 

[bobbieschicks]

I've got a LOAD of Silkies growing out now so hopefully my "lack of broody woes" will soon be over!!!!!

On the plus side - I've got eggs like mad around here. The girls are in the midst of laying madness here right now. I can hardly keep up with them!

And Broody Naima has accepted some food from me two days in a row now so I'm feeling better about her. And it has cooled off just a bit.

Yeah, you'll soon be overrun with broodies

 

[bobbieschicks]

You know it's iffy leaving chicks in a nest box 12" off the ground, there have been some who have posted 1 just this week that caught a chick in mid air falling out of a nest box that just hatched. If they are due to hatch tomorrow maybe you should think of putting up some chicken wire this eve. or in the morning she isn't going to go anywhere if chicks are hatching, then move her when you get your broody hutch setup. Just my 2 cents on the subject. Oh and she is lovely 

Xs2 I'm changing my vote, if she's due to hatch tonight putting up the wire won't hurt. My broodies usually stay put for the two or three days after they hatch.

 

[bobbieschicks]

The silkie babies are 4 1/2 weeks old and Topsy is laying again. Here she is with her baby just before she laid her 1st egg after going broody for the 1st time. Any odds on how long before she goes broody again? JK!

 

[featherz]

I *think* I know why my Princess would not take the chick.. She's been glued to that nest box for almost two weeks, just getting out to puff and screech at everyone and run back - just like a broody.. stays in the nest box at night, too..

But I caught her today - she's still laying eggs! Maybe she's 'pre-broody' trying to get her nest full? All my other broodies just go broody and that's that.