Sitting on the egg

[Gary palmer]

This is my first flock. One of the hens is staying in a nesting box on an egg. She makes a different noise then I've heard and puffs up feathers when I touch her and also when other birds get close. Am I correct in assuming she is trying to hatch a chick? This is day two of this behavior. I have a mixed flock of 18 hens and two roosters. What should I be doing? If she hatches, will she protect and care for the baby?

 

[theoldchick]

Yes, she is broody. If you don't want a chick remove the egg. If you want a chick allow the broody to hatch the egg and see what develops. Most broody hens do protect and tend to a chick quite well. Just remember a lone chick may attract unwanted attention from other members of the flock if confined in a coop. I usually make a 'room' in the coop by using a wire cage to keep mom and chick safe yet able to see the flock.

 

[Gary palmer]

Ok that sounds good. I have a cage I built back when my birds were young and had to separate two sick birds from getting pecked at.

 

[Gary palmer]

Do I need to get chick feed and how do I keep mom from eating baby's food?

 

[theoldchick]

Mom can eat the chicks Food.

 

[chickenmeadow]

Yeah a broody! Hatching should be around day 21 of the 1st viable egg. Be sure to candle all the eggs at day 14 so you can remove the non fertile ones that could explode by hatching time with an ickly mess. Some people mark the 1st egg, & slip other eggs under her all at once so she has a few instead of just one or so & if needed, just scrap the 1st egg/s if too far apart. I just tried putting one egg at a time in front of my broody in the nest, she quickly tucked them under her like magic. Try to have eggs of the same day or two to hatch at around the same time, so there's no chance of getting up with chicks that hatch, leaving the other eggs behind. Click on the Forums button above & see what others have going with their broodys. There's so much fun things to learn & experience.

My broody had her 1st time in Jan. & it was amazing to see how she instinctively knew what to do along the way, she did it all. My part in it was to keep her & eggs safe from the other nosey hens by putting her in a separate area in coop. I fenced my hen off in the last few days, with food & water, until the 1st chick hatched, then moved them to their area. The chicks are healthy & around 3 wks old now; she won't leave them when they all come out 2x's a day, but I suspect she will find the right day to separate from them when they are a little older. A fun experience for all. Best wishes.