Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[HighNDryFarm]

If its back under momma and she is being quiet there's not much more you can do for it. It will either live or it wont. Usually momma knows more than we do. She may have kicked it out for a reason How it does well.

She's really good, so I could take it out from under her......???

 

[yo burrill]

I dont know.... I think I would have it in the house... but I have a bator. Speaking of eggs I should go check my Broody.

 

[Stacykins]

I need HELP, I just found an egg my broody must have pushed out of the nest, stepped on, chick is still alive. I wet the membrane and covered in a wet towel. Broody is off the nest, two more pipping. No incubator, what do I do???

Maybe if you can keep it warm for the day, pop it under her when she settles in for the night? Sort of make a hot water bottle type setup to keep the little one warm while it finishes hatching?


I know this is totally unrelated but...

What is the pattern on the bowl the chick is in? My grandmother used to have dishes with that exact same pattern, I really loved them, and I have been wanting to find a set someday! I just don't know what it is called, or who made it.

 

[bobbieschicks]

She's really good, so I could take it out from under her......???

I'm so sorry. Sometimes the broody will kick out or abandon the eggs she deems not hatchable. She may have deemed that one to not be good and that is why she kicked it out. I would trust her to know best and just tuck it back under her when she returns to the nest. It may hatch or may not. Either way at least you did what you could.

My Smokey kicked out a crushed egg this past hatch I made the mistake of tucking it under Topsy to finish hatching. It was rotten and stunk up the place. Yours at least seems developed if you could see its eye, so it may still hatch.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Can anyone say what to do? Im asking for some one on fb, This girl has a hen who has one hatched chick and one egg still under the hen, she said the chick is sitting out of the mam peeping at her and she wont let it under her because she is more bothere about the egg, what do they do?

She can leave it alone and let the broody do her job or tuck it under the broodys wing and let it get warm there. The broody will allow the baby back under her but she probably won't force it if the other egg is still hatching.

 

[Johnn]

After today i think the maran chick will be leaving the orp before she does it, today when i went in the feild to feed them it ran away from it's mam to come to me for food and when she noticed she shot of after it clucking (at teh same time making sure the orp chick was behind her), then when every one had finished eating there was a few hens cleaning up the left over whilst other hens left, the maran chick left and went with the other hens and the orp was not happy and went running after it clucking again!

 

[bobbieschicks]

After today i think the maran chick will be leaving the orp before she does it, today when i went in the feild to feed them it ran away from it's mam to come to me for food and when she noticed she shot of after it clucking (at teh same time making sure the orp chick was behind her), then when every one had finished eating there was a few hens cleaning up the left over whilst other hens left, the maran chick left and went with the other hens and the orp was not happy and went running after it clucking again!

Oh poor momma, I know how she feels, my kids are growing up too fast as well.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I'm glad I went back out tonight at sunset. I found Topsy's last clutch 12 week old silkie cockerel wandering the perimeter fence trying to get back inside the run. Don't know how it got out there as it was inside with the rest of the flock earlier. Poor baby would have been a goner for sure as there has been a large owl in the trees close by at night.

 

[yo burrill]

My teenagers decided to roost in the tree tonight instead of in the tractor. They roost to high to get them back down once they decide to sleep there. I may be a missing a few in the morning. My luck the hens will be gone.... I need to go back to standard size hens instead of the banties.

 

[HighNDryFarm]

Well, bad news, the chick didn't make it. I shouldn't have given it back to mom. I think she pecked the half of the broken shell away. Went back to check and she had pushed it aside. Perfectly formed but too soon. I hope this doesn't mean I have a bad mom on my hands. Two have pipped, I hope she won't peck at them while they're hatching. Anyone have experience with a bad broody? All my girls, so far have been great. Should I worry?

I've had the bowl forever, I'll check and see if it says the pattern name on it.