Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Mine weaned hers off at four weeks and scared me to death when I heard them calling for her, when i went to look and didn't see broody I thought something had gotten her! She was in a dust bath area she'd never taken them-now, do you think she planned that? So they wouldn't know where to look for her.

 

[dhahn70]

I recently allowed one of my red stars and a black Australorp to brood on their own. The mothers are other red stars and the father is a buff polish. I had really good fertility rates. 24 laying hens, 2 days worth of eggs and I got 18 very healthy chicks hatched on Mother's Day. The cross breed has made some very interesting looks in the chicks. They have mixed coloring of both parents and their father's crest of feathers. I'm anxious to see if they lay brown or white eggs. Another hen has taken it upon herself to start another clutch hidden in the chicken yard. The only down side i'm seeing so far is that the chicks are more skittish and afraid of people than chicks we have bought. I handled them for the first few days but it stressed out the moms so I stopped. It has been really interesting watching the way the mothers raise them. They are very good at it.

Btw, my older flock has been trained to respond when we 'cluck' the Robot Chicken theme. It's very cute and was easy to do. Just clucked it every time we spread scratch grains.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Pepper managed to get herself wedged in between the step and wire at the bottom of the coop, she must has been going after one of the chicks hanging out under the coop. She'd been in there a few hours, and I had to tear the step off, her foot was cramped up, but worked out OK...but I think she thinks I had something to do with it because she acts like I'm the enemy now - worse than ever! I don't think I'm going to be able to tame her chicks at all now...darn. thankfully she's OK though. With all there is to eat, I'm having trouble bribing them with scratch even.

 

[msmechanic58]

  they will be fine. I have 3 that are younger than yous who just lost their mother to a fox. They are perfect healthy happy little chickens at 3.5 weeks old.They are doing just fine living their chicken lives. They are really quite cute runnig around in their little flock of 3. Your lil ones will be fine. We all dislike when mama lets them go, but it has to happen

Thanks so much Stony!

 

[featherz]

My little broody would not take chicks last time I hatched em, probably because she was not broody long enough. I'll have more chicks this w/e and poor thing is still broody. Think I would have a better chance of her taking the chicks if I stuck a few of the eggs under her at 'lockdown' and let her hatch out one or two? (I have more eggs in the bator JUST in case).. Or is that just asking for trouble? I have another broody that I know will take anything I give her, so she'll just get chicks.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I'm so sorry

you have just experienced the worst part about using a broody - when they leave the babies and move on. No, don't move anyone - they will be fine without her and she has prepared them well for this time. They will cheep for awhile because that's what babies do. Since they are fully feathered they will do fine. They will figure out there place in chicken hierarchy and momma is finished with her job. I know this part is hard for me to watch - I always want them to be a family for the rest of their lives.

Feeling sad today. The mama hen left the babies and went into the cop with the big girls. The poor little things were lost when it was bed time. The big girls didn't let her back on the roosting bar and she is sleeping in the nesting box. I want to go get her and move her back to the babies. The babies were hatched May 27th so they are fully feathered and she already took them to the roost. They have two separate areas that are connected by one fence wall so they can see each other. When I let them out to free range, she took off without them and even when they were hollering for her, she didn't pay them any attention. Just sad for me...........I liked watching her take care of them. She had been not sharing her food with them for about a week and started laying again also. I just think she is done.


Should I go put her back with them?????

 

[bobbieschicks]

Some broodies just don't do well with chicks - even ones they hatched themselves. You could try an egg or two and see how she handles them.

My little broody would not take chicks last time I hatched em, probably because she was not broody long enough. I'll have more chicks this w/e and poor thing is still broody. Think I would have a better chance of her taking the chicks if I stuck a few of the eggs under her at 'lockdown' and let her hatch out one or two? (I have more eggs in the bator JUST in case).. Or is that just asking for trouble? I have another broody that I know will take anything I give her, so she'll just get chicks.

 

[Kassaundra]

This isn't my pic but thought everyone on this thread would like it

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

This isn't my pic but thought everyone on this thread would like it

OMG that is too stinken cute!!

 

[farmer boy]

finally i think my bantam hen has gone broody but im not sure i will have to wait 3 days to see i put some more eggs under her or by her i guess i should say she put then under her and she is squawking at me and the other hens if i or them go near her i think this is her first time broody and she is just a small little one .. i can take a pic if anyone wants to see her