Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Wynette]

YES!!! She is setting like nothing changed! eeee

AWESOME!

Quote: Kassundra: I've been giving my broody girl feeder insects (dubia's) about 5 every day. I know she gets off the nest at least once every day, I can't tell if she is pooping or not or eating other then the dubia's I bring her, but she doesn't appear to be loosing weight, not that it is very easy to tell w/ all the fluffing up she does. It's her and my first time "broody" so just hoping nature knows what it's doing. My girl is in an open nesting tray, anything I have that would give her more privacy would also block airflow and w/ temps over 100 for the past week or two that is just not an option.


Okay, I'm one of those weenies that thinks most inects are...icky. So what did I do, whent & looked at your bug page.

GREAT job raising, them - I give you a ton of credit! But, no way could I ever do that.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

That may make it even easier! I think the hardest part is moving the broody location, the GPS in their brains sends them back to that location! Now wish me luck, I have to move my poarch broody to the new broody pen in the coop very soon, and another broody has nested in the same flat I had planned for her...should I just lock them both in there together? I'd make a partion but i am out of power cords, and construction is not really my thing...may be I just prop a piece of plywood between them...if I can find a piece already the right size!, geez!

Good luck!

 

[Tanichca]

Well, my turken pullet has been on the nest for 24 hours... which means I can classify her as a broody! Yay! This is to restock my flock, after losing more than a dozen birds to a coyote week before last. She's on 2 of her own eggs (NNxEE) 3 EE eggs, 2 rosecomb eggs, and one phoenix-RIR bantam cross.

Hope she sticks it out!

 

[Chicken Frenzie]

Alright... another newbie question .
But when the eggs start to hatch, do you take them out? Or let the broody's sit on them while they hatch?


Oh wait. Got another question.
After they've hatched, and all fluffy, do you keep them with the broody's, or take them and take care of them like chicks you baught? (heatlamp, brooder etc).....?

 

[JoshU]

Alright... another newbie question .
But when the eggs start to hatch, do you take them out? Or let the broody's sit on them while they hatch?


Oh wait. Got another question.
After they've hatched, and all fluffy, do you keep them with the broody's, or take them and take care of them like chicks you baught? (heatlamp, brooder etc).....?

I think the idea of using a broody is that you have nothing to do for the chicks until mama weens them. I do remove the shells after they hatch and put chick starter and chick waterer in with them. Other than that the mama will do everything for them until they can roost or they are big enough for her to leave them on their own. I dont have to seperate them and dont have to use a lamp. Broody does it all. Some ppl still seperate them and brood them but I dont have to since my broody and her man are in a tractor by themselves and they are great parents.

 

[Chicken Frenzie]

I think the idea of using a broody is that you have nothing to do for the chicks until mama weens them. I do remove the shells after they hatch and put chick starter and chick waterer in with them. Other than that the mama will do everything for them until they can roost or they are big enough for her to leave them on their own. I dont have to seperate them and dont have to use a lamp. Broody does it all. Some ppl still seperate them and brood them but I dont have to since my broody and her man are in a tractor by themselves and they are great parents.

Okay, thank you for the helpful answers!

 

[JoshU]

Okay, thank you for the helpful answers!

I have found that the chicks that broody raises are leaner and not as fat, but they are much more vigorous and healthy. Raising them this way gives them a boost in their immune system because they are in contact with the ground and foraging at day 1. I was so surprised last batch. The broody chicks were half the size at 2 weeks as the ones I had incubated and had in a brooder. But the hen raised chicks were so much tougher. We get used to fat little chicks in the brooder. They get no exercise tho and take longer to develop the foraging skills and hen raised chicks are much less prone to predator attacks because mama teaches them to be on the lookout. I guess nature is better at this than we are.

 

[prairie]

i was worried too but my 2 broody's did fine. We have had temps up int he 100F for a couple of weeks and heat index up as far as 115F here in Kansas. The broody's hatched out a week ago -- 12 little ones for me!

First Timer here. I have a silkie that has gone broody. I am worried because its awfully hot here in south louisiana right now! Also, can I candle when she steps off for her daily "break?"

If so, what day is best? She started setting two days ago... Any help would be greatly appreciated ya'll, Thanks!

 

[Johnn]

OMG!OMG!OMG!, went to my hens today and i got to my orps nest and i didn't hear anything so i thaught when i open this, nothing will be there, well i opened it and there was a chick!!!,i listened to another egg and i could hear the chick peeping and moving around so i gave it to smelly!, (melows nick name!) arghhh!!!!!!! im so happy! after 4 years of trying eventually!!!!

 

[prairie]

Sorry I have missed so much -- been offline for a few days with all the festivities of yesterday.

Did want to show you my broody and her new little keets she hatched out on 6/30 -- so they are 5-6 days old. I finally today opened her little sectioned off area in the chicken house so she could bring them out if she wanted to. Well it didn't take but about 15 minutes and she had them out digging the the dirt floor of the chicken house and within a half hour she had them out the door and in the large pen.

I forgot that I had the little door open on the pen and she took them out to free range. I was panicked because within 15 min I could not find her. So I went back into the house and then saw her about 30 min later -- she had taken the babies back to the horse pasture and the implement buildings! So I run out and tried to shoo them all back towards the chicken house but she wouldn't have nothing of that. I finally gave up and about an hour later she went back in on her own. Those little babies must have been worn out and it is so hot -- already at 100F today.



The mama is the black hen (australorp???) and the gray hen is the only one that the mama will let near her babies!!





It was so funny watching them learn how to eat and boy did they tear into the grass and weeds in the pen. ----------we really do have grass even though it isn't showing in this pic! Been so hot it is dry and crispy!

My other hen has not taken her babies out yet even though they are a couple of days older. I'm thinking she is still scared to because she is a Cornish banty and low on the pecking order. I figure she will when she feels all is safe for her. But the big black hen, Aussie, is high on the pecking order and she tolerates no one around her babies!