She Actaully Did It!!! Good news and Bad news.

[storminthenight]

Wow, ok so a few weeks ago we had a couple of are game mix hens start going broody, we really didnt think they would actually hatch anything, but I go into the chicken house tonight and see a little chick staring at me from under mom.

Is there anything we need to do? we are going to get some food for them tomorow, will the chicks be ok out with all the other chickens?

We have hatched chicks from an incubator before, but never had a hen hatch out any, so this is totally new to us.

Any help/advice is appreciated

.

 

[desertgirl]

Wow! What a surprise!

Nothing to offer, but congrats!

 

[storminthenight]

Lol, yeah.

We have had chickens in the past go broody, but they wouldnt do the job properly and we would just end up with rotten eggs.

We bought a game hen a couple of years ago and she hatched out 8 chicks, which we found and raised (we think she got attacked/eaten protecting them). So these would be her daughters.

I just candled the other hens eggs, and just by comparing them with pics ive seen, I think they are developing, but probably have at least a week to go, but she looks like she is doing good so far too.

I didnt write down any dates when they started, since I didnt think anything would come of it, so it was a suprise to find the chicks tonight, she has at least three, and one that a saw was still wet, so they are obviously still hatching out.

 

[Judy]

She'll do fine with them Read here:

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

 

[storminthenight]

Thanks ddawn, thats really good/interesting info. I have a couple of other hens being broody, I might try using giving them some eggs, with the advice from that website.

Here are a couple of pics, of mom and two of her babies, I wanted to get you guys pics, but mom was hiding the chicks for a while, lol, I went back in and these two were peeking out . . .

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t199/storminthenight/Chickens/Chicks003.jpg

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t199/storminthenight/Chickens/Chicks001.jpg

I'm gonna go back out and check on her.

Thanks again

 

[SimplyForties]

How cute!

 

[storminthenight]

After reading that website, I think I have at least three other hens that are broody, so . . . . ive moved them into a seperate part of the chicken house, and I'm going to collect eggs to give to them, lol.

Does anyone know how many eggs I should give them? I was thinking about 10.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Depends how big the hen is. My broody is sitting on 9 and barely covers them. She is not a bantam but she is a small chicken. I think games are usually bantams so 10 might be a little too much, and you said game mixes.... They do kind of fluff out and use their wings to help cover the eggs. You'll be able to tell what a good number is.

 

[gocrow77]

How cute is that??!! Congrats and good luck with your babies and your other broodies!!

 

[shaggy]

Quote:
that is by far the greatest article on broody hens i have ever read

... i don't have any roosters - so none of it really applies to my situation - but i read it twice anyways