Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

Can i get some more information on broody's and hatching eggs? My broody hens still have another 18 days till their eggs are due to hatch but i want to be ready for the chicks. I know the hen does it all basically but can i do anything???

You can be as involved with the process as you would like. I prefer to keep hands off and let the hens do all the work - but sometimes I will intervene. For instance if I don't see the mom responding to the chicks cries I will help the chick find the momma. Would the chick have found her without me - of course - so I don't have to help. I also can't keep my hands off the broody waiting for them to hatch - and that's a bad thing. If you mess with the broody a lot you are messing with the temps and humidity and of course could lead to hatching problems.

Your job is to provide some chick or grower feed and water for them all so that momma can teach the little ones how to eat & drink. You won't need to dip their beaks in the water - they will watch momma and do it themselves. I usually put a small dish of water with rocks in it so that the babies would fall in and drown. I also put a small plate of chick feed and scatter some around so that they have to scratch for it.

No heat lamps needed. Also no need to isolate unless you have a particularly agressive flock. Best to keep hands off and let momma teach them everything - she will keep them warm and safe! Post pics when they finish hatching

 

[bobbieschicks]

Had a visitor at the coop this morning - glad I didn't let them out to freerange before taking my son to the bus. I glanced out the window and took this pick of a hawk watching my flock! He flew off when I opened the door. This is the one that ate my beautiful little 10 week old black silkie mix chick. I'm sure he was thinking this was another chicken day - NOT! They are staying inside today!

BTW - when I went out later I saw him at the top of some very tall pine or cedar trees about 100' away. He was just perched there. Also - when I was cleaning the coop Topsy wasn't on her nest - she was out eating & drinking. But I did hear chirps coming from one of the eggs on the nest - it had not pipped - what I thought was a pip was just a brown flake of poo. So she may have one chick afterall.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

oh, mixing up the poo for pips, been there, done that.

YIKES on the hawk!! Next year I am most definitely investing in some guinneas (sp) to sound the alarm!

My favorite hen(Popcorn) is at it again, I tried to break her brood -honest! But she just wouldn't have it. So what else could I do? I gave her some EE eggs covered by my BC Marans, Olive Eggers, YAY

 

[Johnn]

Had a visitor at the coop this morning - glad I didn't let them out to freerange before taking my son to the bus. I glanced out the window and took this pick of a hawk watching my flock! He flew off when I opened the door. This is the one that ate my beautiful little 10 week old black silkie mix chick. I'm sure he was thinking this was another chicken day - NOT! They are staying inside today!

BTW - when I went out later I saw him at the top of some very tall pine or cedar trees about 100' away. He was just perched there. Also - when I was cleaning the coop Topsy wasn't on her nest - she was out eating & drinking. But I did hear chirps coming from one of the eggs on the nest - it had not pipped - what I thought was a pip was just a brown flake of poo. So she may have one chick afterall.

I went to my hens today, what ever gets mine dosne't seem to know were they are if they are in the feeding pen, but if they are free ranging it finds them. I hope the hawk dosen't get anymore of your hens, good luck with Topsy!

 

[Johnn]

The weather is terrible over here!!, my hens are so miserable!!, also the orpington went off with the cockerel chick and left the girl chick, who looked quite sad after!, i don't know why the hens wont go sit in the shed, i even cleaned it out for them!
miserable faces: (please note that orpington in the pic is not the mama one! it's her sister )

the chick left alone!:

 

[naturespace]

Can i get some more information on broody's and hatching eggs? My broody hens still have another 18 days till their eggs are due to hatch but i want to be ready for the chicks. I know the hen does it all basically but can i do anything???

 

This is what I did. I'm not sure it what others have done
I fed my broody some scrambled eggs every other day and put a small bowl of feed in with her too.

Is your broody in with the flock?
Once the chicks were born, I made her a nest on the ground. She was brooding in a box 2feet off the ground. I put chick starter feed and water with vitamins (poly vi sol without iron, drops).

I would also be ready in case she decides not to be a good mom. This means a brooder with heat. I got lucky and mine is wonderful, but I've heard of some broody hens trying to sit on a new set of eggs right away. What breed is your broody? Some are more reliable than others.

Hope this helps.

 

[shellyk]

This morning we found that our broody australorp hen who still has 5 week old chicks with her has laid an egg!! She has started acting strangely this week, pecking the chicks on the behind every once and a while. I've been keeping an eye on her in case I need to separate her from the chicks but they seem ok, the've got lots of places to run and hide in the barn where she can't get them if need be. Yesterday I thought I'd try separating her from the chicks and put her on the other side of the wall from them in the barn, they starting peeping she was doing a broody cluck and then after a few minutes she flew back up through the window to her chicks instead of heading outside to the green pasture beckoning beyond. So I'm guessing she wants to stay with them a bit longer which is fine with me but now she's laying again too?? Is this behavior normal??

 

[aoxa]

This morning we found that our broody australorp  hen who still has 5 week old chicks with her has laid an egg!! She has started acting strangely this week, pecking the chicks on the behind every once and a while. I've been keeping an eye on her in case I need to separate her from the chicks but they seem ok, the've got lots of places to run and hide in the barn where she can't get them if need be. Yesterday I thought I'd try separating her from the chicks and put her on the other side of the wall from them in the barn, they starting peeping she was doing a broody cluck and then after a few minutes she flew back up through the window to her chicks instead of heading outside to the green pasture beckoning beyond. So I'm guessing she wants to stay with them a bit longer which is fine with me but now she's laying again too?? Is this behavior normal??

Yes. She is teaching them she is to be respected I believe. I see this at about 5 weeks.. Right around the time they start laying. However, my 'chicks' are now 15 weeks old, and mama has full opportunity to go back to her regular flock, yet she sticks with her kids. It's adorable

 

[shellyk]

ok thanks, that's reassuring. This is the first time I've dealt with a broody that's a laying breed. My other broody is a bantam cochin and she acts very differently but she's a much more gentle bird. She takes months and months to start laying again too.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Yes. She is teaching them she is to be respected I believe. I see this at about 5 weeks.. Right around the time they start laying. However, my 'chicks' are now 15 weeks old, and mama has full opportunity to go back to her regular flock, yet she sticks with her kids. It's adorable

Xs2 my broodies have generally started laying again around the 5th week. They also have pecked away the chicks by that time. Of course the chicks don't always stay away. :/