Broody hen clutch day 20 🙌

[oneoftheflock4]

Hey community,

Have a mamma hen who has been sitting strong on a clutch of 17 eggs and we’re at day 20! She’s been amazing, rarely leaving the nest, but doing well. I’ve fed and watered her nest-side every day and made sure she’s stayed healthy. Not sure how she’s been managing the broody poops but I saw the nest a few days ago and it looked great.

Today before chicken bedtime I heard little chirps under her so pretty sure hatching has begun, though haven’t seen the chicks yet. Will be excited to see in the morning, and hopefully can share some cute chick photos.

Have a concern about tomorrow as the hatch continues and hoping for some input here…

There is some untimely chainsaw work planned on the property tomorrow, and I’m wondering if that noise could disrupt the hatch process and stress the baby chicks or mamma hen too much. I’m sure it’s not ideal, but it’s not up to me, and I’m debating raising concern about it or if I’m worrying too much… what do you think?

Happy thanksgiving

Update: Got a quick look under mamma hen this morning and wow, looks like a successful hatch is happening. Too soon to do a count or get good photos but here are the first curious chicks

 

[DobieLover]

The chickens and the chicks won't care one whit about the noise.

Good luck with the hatch. I hope not all of the eggs hatch. 17 is an awful lot of chicks to cover this late in the season. And dealing with the cockerels during winter will be a challenge if you want to rehome them. Do you have a second setup ready to put them in when the hormones kick in? They will be hell on their sisters and the hens of the flock when that happens.

 

[oneoftheflock4]

The chickens and the chicks won't care one whit about the noise.

Good luck with the hatch. I hope not all of the eggs hatch. 17 is an awful lot of chicks to cover this late in the season. And dealing with the cockerels during winter will be a challenge if you want to rehome them. Do you have a second setup ready to put them in when the hormones kick in? They will be hell on their sisters and the hens of the flock when that happens.

Okay good to hear, and thank you! Hopefully will post some photos later.

Know 17 is a lot and I didn’t candle them so there is some uncertainty and suspense today but I think she did a solid job sitting so expecting a good hatch.

Haven’t planned that far ahead yet but do have enough space for secure roosting at night, and could maybe potentially set up a bachelor flock elsewhere on the property if needed.

Can you share more about what to expect with a larger hatch of mix chicks? I’ve only seen this process with her and 4 chicks-to-hens. What to expect with more chicks including roos and how much time do we have before problems could arise?

This will be a new learning experience. I do think I’ve got their nesting box set up good for them for now but could move them into a separate crate nursery if it seems that will be better.

Thanks for sharing advice

 

[DobieLover]

Okay good to hear, and thank you! Hopefully will post some photos later.

Know 17 is a lot and I didn’t candle them so there is some uncertainty and suspense today but I think she did a solid job sitting so expecting a good hatch.

Haven’t planned that far ahead yet but do have enough space for secure roosting at night, and could maybe potentially set up a bachelor flock elsewhere on the property if needed.

Can you share more about what to expect with a larger hatch of mix chicks? I’ve only seen this process with her and 4 chicks-to-hens. What to expect with more chicks including roos and how much time do we have before problems could arise?

This will be a new learning experience. I do think I’ve got their nesting box set up good for them for now but could move them into a separate crate nursery if it seems that will be better.

Thanks for sharing advice

Please read this article I wrote to address these types of questions.
The boys hit sexual maturity around 12 weeks but it can start earlier.
I always permit the mother to raise her brood within the flock. It is best for all. But a LARGE amount of space is required for that.

 

[oneoftheflock4]

Please read this article I wrote to address these types of questions.
The boys hit sexual maturity around 12 weeks but it can start earlier.
I always permit the mother to raise her brood within the flock. It is best for all. But a LARGE amount of space is required for that.

Please read this article I wrote to address these types of questions.
The boys hit sexual maturity around 12 weeks but it can start earlier.
I always permit the mother to raise her brood within the flock. It is best for all. But a LARGE amount of space is required for that.

Awesome, thank you for writing and sharing this! Will check it out.

Appreciate the heads up on that timing, and planning to have them sharing space with the flock for now and see how it goes but can quickly set up a crate for them if issues arise. They have a cozy spot in a large nesting box that currently only this mamma hen is using (my other hens aren’t laying quite yet).

 

[Ridgerunner]

I grew up on a farm where free-ranging hens hatched and raised chicks. Broody hens have been hatching and raising chickens for thousands of years with no or little input from humans. They convinced me that they know more about hatching and raising chicks than I ever will so I'm fairly laidback about it. But a big difference is how we house and manage them. Most of us do not have the set-up with the freedom where the hens don't need us. To me, what your facilities look like and how you manage them are very important to these questions. We are all unique.

Have a mamma hen who has been sitting strong on a clutch of 17 eggs and we’re at day 20! She’s been amazing, rarely leaving the nest, but doing well. I’ve fed and watered her nest-side every day and made sure she’s stayed healthy. Not sure how she’s been managing the broody poops but I saw the nest a few days ago and it looked great.

I never feed or water a broody hen near her nest. A broody should know by instinct to get off of her nest to eat, drink, and poop as she needs to. Since yours is not pooping in the nest (an instinct to not do that) she is getting up as she should.

A lot of people do feed and/or water at the nest. I don't see anything wrong with that, we all do things differently. I don't want to risk water getting the nest wet or the feed attracting mice or rats to the nest.

There is some untimely chainsaw work planned on the property tomorrow, and I’m wondering if that noise could disrupt the hatch process and stress the baby chicks or mamma hen too much. I’m sure it’s not ideal, but it’s not up to me, and I’m debating raising concern about it or if I’m worrying too much… what do you think?

I agree. This should not be a problem.

What does your nest, coop, and run look like. Photos could help a lot.

Know 17 is a lot and I didn’t candle them so there is some uncertainty and suspense today but I think she did a solid job sitting so expecting a good hatch.

I've seen hens raise as many as 18 chicks. That hen hid a nest and brought 18 chicks off. She raised all of them fine but that was in the warm weather months. She never lost any. I've had others raise 15 to 17, usually without issues.

It is harder in cold weather. Where are you so we might have a clue as to what weather you will be looking at?

Can you share more about what to expect with a larger hatch of mix chicks? I’ve only seen this process with her and 4 chicks-to-hens. What to expect with more chicks including roos and how much time do we have before problems could arise?

To me, could is the operative word. A lot of different things could happen. Some of that is how much room you have, what does the rest of your flock look like, your weather, and what do you want to happen, both with the boys and the girls.

My broody hens raise the chicks with the flock. I have a large coop on the ground. The broody brings the chicks off of the nest, sometimes the day after the first one hatches, sometimes on the third day after the first one hatches. They typically stay in the coop two or three days before she takes them outside so you need food and water where the chicks can get them once they come off of the nest. Once she takes them outside, they typically go out early every day and stay outside all day. When it starts getting dark she brings them inside to sleep on the coop floor.

If your coop is small or elevated you may need to do something different.

I've had hens wean chicks as early as three weeks, some at 2 months. Most are weaned around 5 to 6 weeks but it can really vary. Usually the hen just stops taking care of them. Occasionally a hen may take care of her chicks at night but not during the day. Or do the opposite, take care of them during the day but not at night. You never know for sure what a living animal will do.

My broody hens protect their chicks from the rest of the flock before they are weaned. Other people have problems with that. I think how much room you have has a lot to do with that but different chickens have different personalities.

When my hens wean their chicks those chicks form a sub-flock. They avoid the adults during the day, staying away from them. If they invade the adults personal space they are likely to get pecked. They should have learned this while the hen was taking care of them. They need enough room to stay away. Separate feed and water stations can be important.

Usually my broody hens take their chicks to the roosts before they wean them. Sometimes those chicks continue to sleep on the roosts after weaning but sometimes they get run off of the main roosts and have to find a different place to sleep. I don't care where mine sleep as long as it is predator safe and not in my nests. My coop can handle that. I don't know if yours can.

I typically hatch about 45 chicks each year and raise most of them to eat. About half by broody and half by brooder. Most years I leave the cockerels with the flock until I butcher them, between 16 and 23 weeks of age. They can get rowdy but as long as no one is in danger of getting hurt I'm Ok with it. But every three or four years I lock a dozen or so of the cockerels in my grow-out coop/pen because they get rowdy enough to concern me. A lot of this comes down to your tolerances. As long as no one is being hurt I figure it is chickens being chickens. Some people would be horrified at what I consider normal chicken behaviors.

This is just me with my goals, facilities, flock management methods, and experiences. Others are totally different on all aspects. I don't know if any of this will help you. Good luck with the hatch.

 

[oneoftheflock4]

I grew up on a farm where free-ranging hens hatched and raised chicks. Broody hens have been hatching and raising chickens for thousands of years with no or little input from humans. They convinced me that they know more about hatching and raising chicks than I ever will so I'm fairly laidback about it. But a big difference is how we house and manage them. Most of us do not have the set-up with the freedom where the hens don't need us. To me, what your facilities look like and how you manage them are very important to these questions. We are all unique.


I never feed or water a broody hen near her nest. A broody should know by instinct to get off of her nest to eat, drink, and poop as she needs to. Since yours is not pooping in the nest (an instinct to not do that) she is getting up as she should.

A lot of people do feed and/or water at the nest. I don't see anything wrong with that, we all do things differently. I don't want to risk water getting the nest wet or the feed attracting mice or rats to the nest.


I agree. This should not be a problem.

What does your nest, coop, and run look like. Photos could help a lot.


I've seen hens raise as many as 18 chicks. That hen hid a nest and brought 18 chicks off. She raised all of them fine but that was in the warm weather months. She never lost any. I've had others raise 15 to 17, usually without issues.

It is harder in cold weather. Where are you so we might have a clue as to what weather you will be looking at?


To me, could is the operative word. A lot of different things could happen. Some of that is how much room you have, what does the rest of your flock look like, your weather, and what do you want to happen, both with the boys and the girls.

My broody hens raise the chicks with the flock. I have a large coop on the ground. The broody brings the chicks off of the nest, sometimes the day after the first one hatches, sometimes on the third day after the first one hatches. They typically stay in the coop two or three days before she takes them outside so you need food and water where the chicks can get them once they come off of the nest. Once she takes them outside, they typically go out early every day and stay outside all day. When it starts getting dark she brings them inside to sleep on the coop floor.

If your coop is small or elevated you may need to do something different.

I've had hens wean chicks as early as three weeks, some at 2 months. Most are weaned around 5 to 6 weeks but it can really vary. Usually the hen just stops taking care of them. Occasionally a hen may take care of her chicks at night but not during the day. Or do the opposite, take care of them during the day but not at night. You never know for sure what a living animal will do.

My broody hens protect their chicks from the rest of the flock before they are weaned. Other people have problems with that. I think how much room you have has a lot to do with that but different chickens have different personalities.

When my hens wean their chicks those chicks form a sub-flock. They avoid the adults during the day, staying away from them. If they invade the adults personal space they are likely to get pecked. They should have learned this while the hen was taking care of them. They need enough room to stay away. Separate feed and water stations can be important.

Usually my broody hens take their chicks to the roosts before they wean them. Sometimes those chicks continue to sleep on the roosts after weaning but sometimes they get run off of the main roosts and have to find a different place to sleep. I don't care where mine sleep as long as it is predator safe and not in my nests. My coop can handle that. I don't know if yours can.

I typically hatch about 45 chicks each year and raise most of them to eat. About half by broody and half by brooder. Most years I leave the cockerels with the flock until I butcher them, between 16 and 23 weeks of age. They can get rowdy but as long as no one is in danger of getting hurt I'm Ok with it. But every three or four years I lock a dozen or so of the cockerels in my grow-out coop/pen because they get rowdy enough to concern me. A lot of this comes down to your tolerances. As long as no one is being hurt I figure it is chickens being chickens. Some people would be horrified at what I consider normal chicken behaviors.

This is just me with my goals, facilities, flock management methods, and experiences. Others are totally different on all aspects. I don't know if any of this will help you. Good luck with the hatch.

Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts, helpful things to consider!

This hen has done an amazing job at managing her nest, keeping it and the eggs clean, and has had a successful hatch! She finally left the hatch mest yesterday with only one egg left behind that ended up not being fertilized. So far I’ve been able to count 13 chicks out from under her at one time, and she started with 17, so there are 3 unaccounted for still. Either they weren’t fertilized and she ate them or there are chicks not seen yet.

I am feeding mamma and chicks in their nest box for now but she seems to be doing a good job keeping things tidy. No signs of pests or rodents in their coop so far. Once they are a little more capable will move their food and water out.

Here’s the latest photo