Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

I love candling the eggs and seeing the little life inside them - it's such a cool amazing miracle.

Smokey is sitting in the nest box tonight. She has been there most of the afternoon. Under her is 1 Lavender Orpington egg and 1 ping pong ball. LOL! She's trying for her third attempt at broody this year. I think she's wanting to be a professional mom. Her previous clutch of four 8 week old silkies is half on the ground in a huddle and half up on the roost. I believe it's the pullets who have moved up and the roosters who are hanging down - but time will tell for sure.

Meanwhile Topsy is still trying her best to stay broody on those other 2 ping pong balls and she is being squeezed at night by her previous clutch of two now 8 week old silkies! They won't get out of the nest boxes! Driving me crazy.

So now I have to figure out what to do with Smokey since I ordered just 3 or 4 eggs thinking only Topsy would be broody. I suppose I could let them both sit on half each and then candle right before they hatch and split the batch half & half like I tried to do last time. Or I suppose I could order some more hatching eggs. hehehe.

What to do...what to do...what to do...

 

[bobbieschicks]

I was wondering is there a certan age that a chick has to be to learn to get up a ramp to the shed. Also how long does it usually take them to learn how to?

A lot of it depends on the length/incline of the ramp and the size of the chick. My LF chicks got the ramp within the a few days, but my bantams took about a week. Going down always seems faster then the going up part because they can slide down, but they use their wings to help flap back up.

I usually provide them with a "step" up (4x4 on top of a block under the coop door that they hop onto) until they can either navigate the ramp or fly up. And I often will help them learn by guiding them up the ramp a few times. But most will get it by the end of the 1st week.

 

[stonykill]

I gave my newest RIR broody a dozen mixed eggs from my flock. Some RIR eggs, White leghorn eggs and EE eggs all fertilized by Sumatra's.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I gave my newest RIR broody a dozen mixed eggs from my flock. Some RIR eggs, White leghorn eggs and EE eggs all fertilized by Sumatra's.

Why or why am I only getting broodies who are tiny bantams! Just once I'd like my Lav Orps to go broody! Ugh you're making me jealous

 

[stonykill]

Why or why am I only getting broodies who are tiny bantams! Just once I'd like my Lav Orps to go broody! Ugh you're making me jealous

I've had RIR's for 7 years and this year is the 1st year I've ever had them go broody. It took me lot of coaxing to get them to go broody. Before Penelope I only had my small by comparison Sumatra's go broody. Sumatra's are the size of your average game hen I'd say. Small hens. 4 lbs is a big one. I'm happy to have some big girls finally join in. Working on my system that seems to be working for my flock

 

[aaggjg]

I love candling the eggs and seeing the little life inside them - it's such a cool amazing miracle.

Smokey is sitting in the nest box tonight.  She has been there most of the afternoon.  Under her is 1 Lavender Orpington egg and 1 ping pong ball.  LOL!  She's trying for her third attempt at broody this year.  I think she's wanting to be a professional mom.  Her previous clutch of four 8 week old silkies is half on the ground in a huddle and half up on the roost.  I believe it's the pullets who have moved up and the roosters who are hanging down - but time will tell for sure.

Meanwhile Topsy is still trying her best to stay broody on those other 2 ping pong balls and she is being squeezed at night by her previous clutch of two now 8 week old silkies!  They won't get out of the nest boxes!  Driving me crazy.

So now I have to figure out what to do with Smokey since I ordered just 3 or 4 eggs thinking only Topsy would be broody.  I suppose I could let them both sit on half each and then candle right before they hatch and split the batch half & half like I tried to do last time.  Or I suppose I could order some more hatching eggs.  hehehe. 


What to do...what to do...what to do...

I'm glad to know that I don't have the only chicken who wants to be a full time broody!! Popcorn keeps trying to go in the coop and sit on Caesars nest. Caesar is vicious and chases her out .... Feathers fly but popcorn kerps coming back, waiting until she can get in there.....There are a few stray eggs left that I should probably pull out.... Last night when I tucked the almost dead chick back under Caesar popcorn was nesting in a box and not up on the roost..... Yep her babies are mostly up there..... (not the silkies) and she is back in the box....

I put a piece of wood about 4" high across the coop door to keep Caesar and chicks up top.... Its a long way down the ramp .... Well when I got home from work tonight Caesar was in the run nesting with all 4 babies under her!! No idea how they got over the board!! Of course there is no way they could ever get back up the ramp..... crafty little chicks

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

*loud groan*. Every egg is rotten. The whole clutch. Now desperately looking for local hatching eggs that won't be pumbled by the postman.

 

[Chicken Frenzie]

*loud groan*. Every egg is rotten. The whole clutch. Now desperately looking for local hatching eggs that won't be pumbled by the postman.

I'm so sorry! I hope your next clutch of eggs works out well.

 

[bobbieschicks]

*loud groan*. Every egg is rotten. The whole clutch. Now desperately looking for local hatching eggs that won't be pumbled by the postman.

I'm so sorry. I know the feeling about trying to get a few eggs for hatching. I have 3 cockerels, but apparently they aren't active enough yet. Unlike my WL cockerel who was fertilizing everyone's eggs, lol. So I have to order eggs and try for a quantity other then 12 since my broodies have been tiny so far.

I just wish they'd get on the same schedule so I could order a dozen at a time.

 

[3 NH reds]

Here is Buffy Mc Broody with her chicks. I am unsure when to pull her and put her in the egg coop again, she is going to be

. I have Buffy#2 on some eggs now and near hatch time I'll make sure she is alone.