Question about a couple of broody chickens about to have hatches

[Fredster]

I've got two broody Buff Orpingtons right now. I candled both clutches today and removed the clears, so now one is setting 5 and the other 6. The first is due to hatch on Tuesday or Wednesday and the other should go about a week later.

Is there anything I need to do, like separate the two broody ones from the rest of the chickens? Will my rooster kill his own chicks when they're hatched? I haven't let the broody ones hatch before and I want to make sure I don't mess it up. I'd hate to have to eat my rooster for killing chicks.

I'm thinking chickens managed to make it for eons without our intervention, and that I probably should just let nature take its course, but I thought I'd check with the people who've been down this road before.

 

[morelcabin]

I've only had one experience with this...two broody hens with chicks. First I seperated them into a pen and put both of them into it, but when the chicks hatched the broodies were trying to kill each others chicks so I had to divide them from each other as well as the rest of the flock. Whether that is normal I don't know but you might want to be prepared just in case...

 

[Frizzledhen]

Unless your hens and chicks have a LOT of room to keep away from the others, they will need to be protected from not only the roo but the other hens. The chicks need a week or two to learn how to keep out from under foot of the other birds. I kept my hens and their brood penned in the coop with their flock. After a week I let the moms and babies out but the roo kept picking on the chicks so I put them back in their pens. At 2 weeks everyone was happy and getting along. The chicks learned to keep mom between them and the roo. It was really neat to watch the chicks as they learned who they could go up to and who to stear clear of.
Good luck with your broodies and their new little families.

 

[Ga Chicken Mom]

I can't answer your question 'cause I never had a broody - lucky you. How old are your BOs and do you think it is the breeding of your girls or did you just get lucky?

 

[Fredster]

Quote:
There are 13 chickens in a 10x12 coop at night, and the chicken yard is somewhere around 3/4 of an acre. Is that enough room? No one's ever in the coop during the day except to lay eggs.

Quote:
They're 14 months old, and came from a hatchery. I guess I just got lucky (but I've read that they're a broody breed). I have four total, and am pleasantly surprised to have two of them broody.

 

[ginasmarans]

Most of the time my broodies refuse to be separated and I have had as many as 8 setting at a time. The danger comes when you have laying hens trying to ge in to lay,so I put a screen across the opening and let them out 1/day. When it is close to hatch day,I just leave them closed up. My hens set tight until their chicks are hatched and don't pay much attention to what is going on in another nest. I have noticed them getting more vocal(I think excited)when they hear little peeping. I have had 2 hens leave their nest and steal another hen's chicks (if I didn't close them up), but that's all. The other hens and roos don't pay any attention.

 

[Frizzledhen]

Quote:
There are 13 chickens in a 10x12 coop at night, and the chicken yard is somewhere around 3/4 of an acre. Is that enough room? No one's ever in the coop during the day except to lay eggs.

My coops are 10 X 12 also. I had 1 roo and 3 hens plus pens for 2 broodies and their babies in there. Mine are banties also. I would say no, it is not enough room for the moms and chicks to stay out of trouble. The new chicks are totally dependant on their mom and have no idea who will hurt them and who won't. They need time to gain strength so they can run away from a hen or roo who wants to do them harm. I think it is better to be safe than sorry.

Quote:
They're 14 months old, and came from a hatchery. I guess I just got lucky (but I've read that they're a broody breed). I have four total, and am pleasantly surprised to have two of them broody.

 

[Fredster]

My first one is hatching, woot!

I heard peeping underneath her, and felt around and touched a warm wet chickie. There's also at least one egg that's pipped.

It's going to take every bit of my will power not to hover around her like a...mother hen.

 

[Standard Hen]

Yippeeeeeeee

 

[mel58]

last summer I had two chickens go broody in a small coop ( 3x4 doghouse). one abandoned her eggs when the other hatched. one little chick had two obsessive mothers. they kept it in the coop a few days before they finally let it come out and then kept it in the tall weeds of their pasture for weeks until maybe at 4 weeks or so finally brought it up around other chickens.

they had a rooster in that doghouse with them and he never bothered the chick.

this year, I bought a chain link dog kennel and put a doghouse in it. once someone went broody this spring I put her in there. I'll leave her and her chicks in there for at least 4 weeks and then let them out with the others. am letting one part of their pasture grow up tall to give the chicks cover. the mothers last year didn't bring the chick out of the tall weeds for weeks (except at night to go back in the coop). nobody messed with it's two mothers!