Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

Haha - she's the perpetual momma. That definitely looks like a pullet to me- at that age she would have a much larger and redder comb if she were a he. Then again sometimes they are late bloomers.

chicks are 11 weeks old tomorrow, guess who still hasn't left them -__- and she is still doing the broody cluck

hoping my orp chick is a girl!

 

[bobbieschicks]

If I have a hen hatch some eggs for me, and then I hatch some in the bator, how late is too late to give the chicks to her? the hatches may be off by a couple days.. I will have a brooder ready just in case but Id like her to raise them to give them more natural immunities if possible.

Whether the chicks will imprint depends on how quickly they get to her after they hatch. A few days after hatching is the window of opportunity. But adding newly hatched in with a few day olds will probably still work - judging by my own attempts at adding new day old chicks in with a newly hatched one in the brooder. Having a brooder ready is a good idea, just in case.

Some have had no problems adding week olds to their broody and others had issues with day olds. It really does come down to how much the broody wants to be a momma. And sometimes breed helps - my silky Topsy is a great loving momma to all chicks (which gets her in trouble with Smokey), while my EE Smokey is great with her own chicks she is less nice to Topsy's. Although there was one time that Topsy's newly hatched baby made its way over to Smokey's broody area and Smokey was clucking at her - so she might have adopted that chick if I hadn't intervened and moved it back over with Topsy. The mothering instinct is really strong in most broodies - there is however the occassional girl who couldn't care less about the newly hatched babies and certainly wouldn't want any more added to her clutch - I believe those girls are few and far between.

I haven't given either of my broodies day old chicks, they have just had shipped eggs to hatch. So no personal experience - hope it goes well!

 

[bobbieschicks]

My Silkies are excellent Broody hens. Helped me to hatch to ever hard to hatch Silver and Golden Sebrights. Love my Silkies

So true! I just wish they could cover more But I suppose a silkie the size of a BO would be odd looking to say the least.

 

[3 NH reds]

Don't bother to wash off the eggs - my Topsy hatched the blue egg that was covered in poop and it was just fine. Smokey hatched one that had egg on it and the chick did just fine. I'd leave them alone - don't candle and don't listen to them - just leave them undisturbed until Day 25 and then I would do candle them - but not open them.

Hope you get some chicks soon!

I did just leave things alone. She was so upset by my going in she bit screamed etc, it was obvious I was told to leave now or else. Turns out I was off on the age of the Rangers, they are only 17 weeks old. I put a Red in with the Rangers just to see if the rooster aka Godzilla would give her some attention and she could show the Rangers what a nesting box is for. As far as the eggs Buffy is on I will leave them until day 25 then toss them, kinda hope Godzilla and Red can get things going.

 

[bobbieschicks]

It got down to 31 degrees last night. There was a nice coat of ice on the waterers, and a frost on the ground. But guess what? My broody with chicks that are less than a week old did great! I know broodies do well when it is quite cold out. It was comforting when this morning each of the little fluff balls were running after her, as if nothing was different.

Yes - I know what you mean - we didn't get nearly that cold yet (56F) but the silky babies haven't had any trouble handling the weather. My favorite part of watching the broody with her chicks is when they get cold and dash under her - only to pop their heads out from between the feathers. LOL!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Lots of cute chicks here!

Aris- What a great hatch!

We are on day 22 today with our broody bantam cochin. This was her first time being broody so I hope some hatch. I bought 7 fertile eggs to place under her, candled at day 12, and threw out 4 of them so we were left with 3. The 4 I threw out we opened and there was no development in them at all. I haven't heard any peeping at all. How many days should I wait before pulling the eggs if they don't hatch?


-----------------------
Ashley

It's not unusual to have Day 22 or 23 hatches happen. I would not disturb the eggs or lift the hen until Day 25 as you can interfere with the humidity and temps she is trying to regulate - at that time you can candle and open if to see where they were in development. Hope you get your hatch soon!

 

[bobbieschicks]

I did just leave things alone. She was so upset by my going in she bit screamed etc, it was obvious I was told to leave now or else. Turns out I was off on the age of the Rangers, they are only 17 weeks old. I put a Red in with the Rangers just to see if the rooster aka Godzilla would give her some attention and she could show the Rangers what a nesting box is for. As far as the eggs Buffy is on I will leave them until day 25 then toss them, kinda hope Godzilla and Red can get things going.

Oh, poor momma. Will you give her another clutch or try breaking her? My Smokey sat for me the longest so far - I had given her some eggs that were about to hatch (or so I thought) and when they didn't hatch I ordered shipped eggs for her and she managed to finally hatch those. I think it was around 6 weeks from start to finish. She did great and I babied her with treats & protein. Then she went broody again after those chicks were just 6 weeks old!

 

[bobbieschicks]

The babies are 6 weeks old tomorrow. Smokey is still mothering her two, but Topsy hasn't been hanging out with her babies in the yard lately - they've been hunting her down but she manages to move away from them a bunch. Now I see why.
This is what I found this morning.





and here is what she triumpanting bok boked about afterwards - the one on the right is hers

 

[3 NH reds]

Oh, poor momma. Will you give her another clutch or try breaking her? My Smokey sat for me the longest so far - I had given her some eggs that were about to hatch (or so I thought) and when they didn't hatch I ordered shipped eggs for her and she managed to finally hatch those. I think it was around 6 weeks from start to finish. She did great and I babied her with treats & protein. Then she went broody again after those chicks were just 6 weeks old!

At this point I might just give up. Obviously the eggs I got are not fertile, The one broken one I saw had no development. So far the rooster has no interest and I don't know at what age this happens, he is 17 weeks and crows but shows no interest in Red. I don't think the Ranger hens are ready. I don't know where else I could get good fertile eggs. I might try leaving her there with the fake eggs if she will do it and hope the Rangers start up. This has my wife in tears this being what probably will be 3rd no go.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

At this point I might just give up. Obviously the eggs I got are not fertile, The one broken one I saw had no development. So far the rooster has no interest and I don't know at what age this happens, he is 17 weeks and crows but shows no interest in Red. I don't think the Ranger hens are ready. I don't know where else I could get good fertile eggs. I might try leaving her there with the fake eggs if she will do it and hope the Rangers start up. This has my wife in tears this being what probably will be 3rd no go.

Last ditch effort... Ranger Joes carries fertile eggs. Some other stores do too. Sorry you are having such rotten luck. :/