Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

Well, I have four baby silkies! Two blues, a black, and a funky colored one that I think must be a splash but we shall see on that one. I had to help one of the blue Silkies out of his egg last night as momma decided she was done hatching and moved to the other side of the pen with the already hatched babies. We had a little bit of bleeding from the umbilical cord but I got it stopped quickly and the little one seems to be doing great. I'm planning to sneak it under momma after it gets dark tonight. In the meantime he's been a little snuggler and fell asleep in my hand a few minutes ago I also moved one other abandoned, unhatched egg to a makeshift cooler incubator. Despite it being cool to the touch when I found it I thought I could see movement when I candled. We'll see if that one makes it, I've got my fingers crossed.

Since this post is useless without pics:

Very sweet pics. congrats

 

[Johnn]

What did i say?!, i told you all the mama Orpington would go for round to with Floara and guess who is now one place higher in the pecking order? the orp!, although shes is a terrible hen to be under, shes so horrible, i don't know were people get the idea orpingtons are easy to bully!, she has dethroned the top hen so she isn't happy, although its a messed up pecking order, shes above the top hens but that hen is above the rest of the hens which some are above the orpington!

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

What did i say?!, i told you all the mama Orpington would go for round to with Floara and guess who is now one place higher in the pecking order? the orp!, although shes is a terrible hen to be under, shes so horrible, i don't know were people get the idea orpingtons are easy to bully!, she has dethroned the top hen so she isn't happy, although its a messed up pecking order, shes above the top hens but that hen is above the rest of the hens which some are above the orpington!

Sounds like a good soap in the making. The upstart social climber Orphington v the old school debutant!

 

[Johnn]

Haha, it would be a good soap, there would be alot of drama. I cant blame the top hen for being peed off, she was in the battery farm for 2 years, i rescued her then she was the queen for 4 years untill the Orpingtons came and that was it for her...

 

[CarolJ]

Quick question. I have an Araucana that just hatched 9 chicks 7 weeks ago. Today she has been sitting in the nest all day. Can a hen go broody that soon afterwards? Should I break her broodiness or let her brood another clutch of eggs?

 

[stonykill]

Quick question. I have an Araucana that just hatched 9 chicks 7 weeks ago. Today she has been sitting in the nest all day. Can a hen go broody that soon afterwards? Should I break her broodiness or let her brood another clutch of eggs?

yes she can and yes you can let her sit again if she is serious. My best broody "Mama" was sitting on new eggs 6 weeks after hatching her 1st brood. She is currently raising 15 from that clutch

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Yes, they can go right back to broody. It's what mine have been doing since march.

 

[bobbieschicks]

  yes she can and yes you can let her sit again if she is serious. My best broody "Mama" was sitting on new eggs 6 weeks after hatching her 1st brood. She is currently raising 15 from that clutch

xs2! My Topsy and Smokey are guilty as charged. repeat broody offenders.

 

[stonykill]

for the last few weeks a white leghorn hen, now 13 months old has been hanging out on the nest when I collect eggs from that coop. She makes the occasional broody cluck. I largely ignored her. She is a hatchery white leghorn. tonight at lockup I look in and she is on the nest. She will need to prove herself to get eggs. I'll sit back and see what happens.

 

[bobbieschicks]

  for the last few weeks a white leghorn hen, now 13 months old has been hanging out on the nest when I collect eggs from that coop. She makes the occasional broody cluck. I largely ignored her. She is a hatchery white leghorn. tonight at lockup I look in and she is on the nest. She will need to prove herself to get eggs. I'll sit back and see what happens. 

It must be something in your water that makes all your girls go broody