Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Can you move the roo instead? If not I'd definetly move her before the chicks start hatching as she won't be able to defend them AND stay on the eggs.

 

[stonykill]

Do you think the broody will accept the chicks? I hear that it happens, but I haven't had any success with it...

I have had very good success with it. Put them under the broody at dark when her chicks are less than 3 days old. That has always worked for me. Older than that, it works most of the time but not always.

 

[stonykill]

Can you move the roo instead? If not I'd definetly move her before the chicks start hatching as she won't be able to defend them AND stay on the eggs.

x2 on the rooster move.

 

[Johnn]

Do you think the broody will accept the chicks? I hear that it happens, but I haven't had any success with it...

Well it will be the same broody as last year. She had her own chick and i put another hen in with her chick and shes took over to being that ones mother and loves it more than her own....

 

[jlippe]

Those are some really cute chickies...I wish I could post some pics - those pics would look good on the springtime chick thread why don't you put them there too? I agree, those two look like sharing some great secrets!

I'm hoping there sharing there secret about who's a boy or girl... The one with the red tones in the head has given me this gut instinct that its a boy. Regardless of that I can wait to see how he/she feathers out..

 

[TheRookie]

I can move the rooster until the babies hatch and are a few days old, and then switch her to the tractor. It has to be done eventually, shes not in a good place for me to be able to feed and water easily, plus she cannot currently get out to run with the babies.

 

[Johnn]

I have had very good success with it. Put them under the broody at dark when her chicks are less than 3 days old. That has always worked for me. Older than that, it works most of the time but not always.

Do you think it would still work if I left her six duck eggs to hatch her self then i hatched some chicken eggs in the incubator then took the hatched chicks up on the night the ducks hatch? (which should hopefully be the same), then put a couple of infertile eggs still with her incase any late ones hatch.

 

[stonykill]

Do you think it would still work if I left her six duck eggs to hatch her self then i hatched some chicken eggs in the incubator then took the hatched chicks up on the night the ducks hatch? (which should hopefully be the same), then put a couple of infertile eggs still with her incase any late ones hatch.

I have always wanted to have a broody chicken hatch ducks but haven't as I got a broody duck. I'm not sure as I've never tried that.

 

[Johnn]

I have always wanted to have a broody chicken hatch ducks but haven't as I got a broody duck. I'm not sure as I've never tried that.

have you ever give chicks to a hen who already has chicks?

 

[ThiefPouter06]

Herse a fun one. I have a group of wyandottes that will go broody at the sound of newly hatched chicks. They steal each others chicks, help each other brood and set on abandoned eggs. I had (thanks to the hawks) 6 hens go broody this year, 1 twice.