What should I do once they start to hatch?

[ebertschic]

I'm new to broody hens, but read sometimes if you move them to another location, they won't sit on the eggs.

Thus far, my SLW has been sitting on 10 eggs in the corner of the coop where all my other 4 ladies lay. Every day, the other hens plop down on top of her and lay their egg and then at night I have the joyous task of trying to reach under her grumpy butt and get all the new eggs out.

Day 21 will be Monday. I can't have the other girls messing with her and that nest on Monday and every day thereafter. I don't want to move her for fear she won't continue laying on those eggs and I also don't want to segregate her from the others because I want them to be easily integrated into that flock.

What do I do?

Thanks,

~j~

 

[foreverlearning]

Do you have a wire cage or can you make one out of chicken wire? If so just place it over her with the opening facing down so you don't need to move her. She will still be able to see and talk to the other girls but they won't be able to reach her. Keep feed and water near her because on hatching day she will not get up for the first hatched but still needs to teach them how to eat and drink by day three (in case you have a late hatcher). By time she gets up you can remove the cage and she will defend the chicks and ensure their position in the flock. Good luck!

 

[ebertschic]

Thanks so much for the help. I have a couple questions. If I make a cage and put it over her and the eggs/babies, how will she get out to eat and go to the bathroom? I would have a chick proof water feeder and mediated chick food in there for them, but what about her? When can she come out?

 

[LTygress]

If she has let the other hens stand on her, and she isn't leaving the nest... then don't worry about it.

Continue reaching under her for the other eggs. It won't hurt the eggs to have her off of them for a couple of seconds, even during the final days before hatch.

I am always picking my hens up to check for pips, check to make sure the babies hatch fine, moving egg shells out of the way of hatching eggs, etc. Mommy doesn't like it, but she tolerates me.

And keeping her WITH the flock now, prevents problems from reintegrating them later.

 

[foreverlearning]

Put it all with her. Give her the chick feed because she won't start laying again until after she stops taking care of the chicks and doesn't need the calcium. Depending on the mother she is this is usually 6-10 weeks. Some nurture longer than others. If you have any layer feed and they get hungry she will scrap it out onto the ground for them so keep this in mind when figuring out the feed arrangements. I can't remember at the moment when chicks can go on layer but I can look it up for you.

 

[gilcamp4]

we had one set on 5 eggs, plus we had egg in the house incupated them, we move her to a corner then built a cage so the babies could move around when finished she had 13 babies, we are taken it apart now but will keep it to put back up if we need to, right now we have 31 chickens 2 are roosters rest are hens, we have 8 red sex link and 7 black sex links which are beautiful a few rir and 2 that lay blue eggs.

 

[gilcamp4]

as for when to let her go back on layer feed, one day she was walking back and forth in front of door and I asked her if she wants out. I opened the door she turned to peeps and said something, then at about 4 she was back at the door, so I opened it she went in, the next day I went out and there she was at the door, I said oh you need to walk around again so I opened the door she looked back and started talking to her babies went outside, I went out at 4 to let her back in but she was on the roost, I told my hubbie it was like she told them they need to take care of each other, she started eaten the layer feed the first time she came out.