Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Johnn]

Stony is right, if you can leave her alone she will take care of everything. The babies will get down from the nest about the second day with her and she will make a new nest area n the floor for them all. I like to leave crates and obstacles for them to hide behind. She will protect them too.
If you must move her do it at night under cover of darkness and make sure to cover her head with a towel so she can't see what's happening. I've moved my broodies successfully when I followed that advice. But that's because I only have three nest boxes and they were taking up two of them.

I will never risk leaving my broodies to hatch in a high nest again, not after the chick fell out and she left lal the other hatching eggs. What if the same happens to them? a chick falls out so she follows it leaving the remaining eggs exposed :/

 

[bobbieschicks]

I will never risk leaving my broodies to hatch in a high nest again, not after the chick fell out and she left lal the other hatching eggs. What if the same happens to them? a chick falls out so she follows it leaving the remaining eggs exposed :/

In the future you can also put some temporary wire up the day the chicks are due to hatch. Take it down the second day when the hatch is done and let her bring down all the babies herself. Of course moving them is one choice, but it isn't the only choice. I prefer to move mine simply because of limited nest boxes and fat orpingtons who have crushed eggs when they smooshed into the broodies box. If I had enough boxes....oh wait they'd still probably all smooshed into one box! Lol!

 

[stonykill]

I will never risk leaving my broodies to hatch in a high nest again, not after the chick fell out and she left lal the other hatching eggs. What if the same happens to them? a chick falls out so she follows it leaving the remaining eggs exposed :/

life is a what if. I can only speak from my own experience hatching 50 to 100 broody chicks a year. What if she is moved and breaks her brood and all of the eggs go to waste? What if she hatches them all? life is a what if.
Probably 20% of my broody's hatch from high places. All it takes is a few minutes of preperation on the flock owners part to ensure the babies can't easily fall out. A 1x6 at the edge of the nest. A box propped up hardware cloth a few of the things I have used over the years to stop chicks from falling out.
There isn't one blanket answer for anything. But when time and time again I see my girls do these things over and over I can with good faith suggest the suggestions I make. As I hatch A LOT of broody chicks a year.

Johnn, that is of course your choice. If moving works for you fantastic. For me leaving things be unless I ABSOLUTELY have to intervene works for me. Different flocks, different people, different flock dynamics. Different experiences.

 

[Johnn]

I promised my self i would go to sleep early tonight, so would be nice to wake up in the morning to replies,
What hatching eggs should i get for my next broody?
Ancona Bantam
Cuckoo Maran
Goldtops
Silkies
Cream Legbars
Orpingtons
A pure breed mix box
A Hybrid mixed box
My own eggs which non have ever hatched but i will have a new cockerel when my chick is fully grown

 

[bobbieschicks]

I promised my self i would go to sleep early tonight, so would be nice to wake up in the morning to replies,
What hatching eggs should i get for my next broody?
Ancona Bantam
Cuckoo Maran
Goldtops
Silkies
Cream Legbars
Orpingtons
A pure breed mix box
A Hybrid mixed box
My own eggs which non have ever hatched but i will have a new cockerel when my chick is fully grown

Well if you were closer I'd say the marans and then I'd buy some from you

All those options just depend on your goals. I'm going with dual purpose going forward so I'd choose based on that. I love orps.

 

[Chicken Frenzie]

 

[CarolJ]

Thanks for all the suggestions about my broody. The eggs are due to hatch this coming Sunday (day 20) - that's when eggs I've set in the incubator or put under a broody have usually hatched before. I will be home Monday evening - which is day 21 - which means that the hatch probably won't be completely over by the time I get home. It varies so much - I figure anytime between Saturday and Tuesday.

I like the idea of letting the broody handle things. After all, mama chickens took care of their babies long before people started helping them out. The nest box already has a good-sized lip on it. The hens were kicking all the pine shavings out of the nest boxes - so I nailed a board across the bottom so they've have to really kick high to get any of the shavings out. If I were to put a screen over the nest box, it would keep the babies in and other hens out - but it would also keep the mama in. BigDaddysMom - you'll have to explain to me how that would work.

So here is what I think I'll do. I will make sure there are some safe places on the floor for them to make a nest - and then I will just wait and let the broody handle everything. This is her first time to brood - so we will see how it goes.

 

[stonykill]

Thanks for all the suggestions about my broody. The eggs are due to hatch this coming Sunday (day 20) - that's when eggs I've set in the incubator or put under a broody have usually hatched before. I will be home Monday evening - which is day 21 - which means that the hatch probably won't be completely over by the time I get home. It varies so much - I figure anytime between Saturday and Tuesday.

I like the idea of letting the broody handle things. After all, mama chickens took care of their babies long before people started helping them out. The nest box already has a good-sized lip on it. The hens were kicking all the pine shavings out of the nest boxes - so I nailed a board across the bottom so they've have to really kick high to get any of the shavings out. If I were to put a screen over the nest box, it would keep the babies in and other hens out - but it would also keep the mama in. BigDaddysMom - you'll have to explain to me how that would work.

So here is what I think I'll do. I will make sure there are some safe places on the floor for them to make a nest - and then I will just wait and let the broody handle everything. This is her first time to brood - so we will see how it goes.

 

[aoxa]

  life is a what if. I can only speak from my own experience hatching 50 to 100 broody chicks a year. What if she is moved and breaks her brood and all of the eggs go to waste? What if she hatches them all? life is a what if. 
     Probably 20% of my broody's hatch from high places. All it takes is a few minutes of preperation on the flock owners part to ensure the babies can't easily fall out. A 1x6 at the edge of the nest. A box propped up hardware cloth a few of the things I have used over the years to stop chicks from falling out. 

    There isn't one blanket answer for anything. But when time and time again I see my girls do these things over and over I can with good faith suggest the suggestions I make. As I hatch A LOT of broody chicks a year. 

    Johnn, that is of course your choice. If moving works for you fantastic. For me leaving things be unless I ABSOLUTELY have to intervene works for me. Different flocks, different people, different flock dynamics. Different experiences. 

I'm up to 55 broody chicks the past two months, and none have had issues with falling. My hen right now is teaching them to roost (seems too early at 2 weeks, doesn't it?) but the ones that don't make it up to the roost, are covered by another broody hen. I love when they share the responsibility.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Smokey got up and left the two remaining eggs so I pulled them and tucked them under Topsy. If they hatch I'll be surprised. But at least now Smokey can focus on her two new Maran chicks which is what she started doing. She's a very good momma.

Topsy is another story. I guess I will need to get her some chicks. If she hasn't hatched anything by tomorrow I'll have to look around for day olds. So hoping she hatches a Maran or two as well. I just want her to have two chicks to be done with this hatch.