Hatching chicks with a broody hen.

[The cheek coop]

Good day all.
We have decided to hatch our own chicks this year with a broody hen. With all the aviary illness going around I think that is best.

I want suggestions from people who have done this in the past. Tell me all you secrets for success.
Any and all help on the subject is appreciated.

We have a barnyard mixed roo. Our girls are as follow.

- 1 white leghorn
- 3 Americanas
- 2 brahmas 1 black 1 white
- 1 crested cream legbar mix she lays a cream colored egg
-1 heritage barred rock

 

[DobieLover]

First of all, you need a broody hen. Have any of your girls showed symptoms of slipping over to the dark side?
I wrote an article on how I manage my broody hens. So that is what I'd do.

 

[The cheek coop]

@DobieLover
Yes my cream legbar has been broody several times last year in spring summer and in late summer. I’ve read the barred rocks are also prone to brooding too but she has just started laying. I will check out you article.

 

[Perris]

I want suggestions from people who have done this in the past. Tell me all you secrets for success.
Any and all help on the subject is appreciated.

First some general advice: As you and your broody are novices, be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster ride. You will be on a learning curve. Mistakes will be made. Do not be hard on yourself or on your broody about it. Try to not repeat mistakes; learn from them instead.

My advice (based on experience with 9 broodies and more clutches over the last 6 years) is to interfere with the process as little as possible. Do not meddle with the eggs; I don't candle and have higher than average hatch rates. Do not force the broody on or off the nest, for whatever well-meaning reason. Do not disturb them during the hatch; just be patient, and wait until she brings the chicks off the nest, which she will do when she judges they are ready for it.

You will find out soon enough how many hatch and what they look like; impatience on your part during incubation or hatch, simply to satisfy your curiosity, will not help them, and could unwittingly harm or even kill them. If you find yourself thinking 'I must do something!', make that something 'stand there and watch!' and keep your hands in your pockets.

If you let the broody sit within the flock and somewhere that other hens can gain access, unless the eggs you set under her look distinctly different from those of the other layers in your flock - a different colour shell for example - you should mark the eggs in a very clear way. Otherwise new eggs may appear in the nest during incubation and you won't know which were set originally and which were added later. A staggered hatch, caused by eggs added at later times, is best avoided for lots of good reasons, not least it causing a lot of stress for your novice broody and yourself, and potential expiration of the first chick(s) to hatch while waiting for the last.

If you have more questions, feel free to ask them. We're here to help.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You have two basic options, once you get a broody. Do you let her hatch with the flock or do you isolate her during incubating and hatching. People do it both ways.

When a hen goes broody collect all of the eggs you want her to hatch. Start them all at the same time so they all hatch at the same time and you avoid a staggered hatch. For a hen to prove she is truly broody and deserves hatching eggs she has to spend two consecutive nights on the nest. One night is not enough, it has to be two consecutive nights.

If you let her hatch with the flock, mark all of the eggs so you know which ones belong. I use a black Sharpie. Then after all the others have laid for the day check in her nest to remove any that don't belong. I often reach in the nest and raise her up so I can see under her but sometimes I might take her off of the nest and set her on the coop floor. When I set her on the coop floor she flops there for a short while and then either runs off to get food and drink, and to poop. Or she makes her way back to the nest.

That's basically all I do until the chicks hatch. Other hens will sometimes lay in that nest, either with the broody or when the broody is off of the nest. Most broody hens know to go back to their nest but every two or three years I'll have one that goes back to the wrong nest. What usually happens is that another hen was in her nest laying an egg so she found another nest. I typically have 3 or 4 broody hens a year so this is pretty rare. Some people get really stressed when they see this but when I see it I just set the broody back on her eggs. One time the eggs were really cold to the touch but that hen still hatched 11 chicks out of 11 eggs. Try not to panic if something doesn't go perfectly.

My nests are 2' to 4' above the coop floor. When the chicks hatch I let the hen decide when to bring them down. She says jump and they do. No big deal. Sometimes that is the day after the first chick hatches, sometimes it takes into the third day. I put food and water on the coop floor where the chicks can get it when she decides to bring them off. I leave everything else up to the hen.

If you isolate her you need a place big enough for a nest, food, and water. Leave her locked in there until after the eggs hatch. It needs to be predator safe. She should know instinctively to not poop in her nest but that doesn't cover the food or water so keep things clean. Many hens can be moved to another nest like this but occasionally one breaks from being broody when you try.

I don't know which method I'd suggest for you. It depends lot on what your coop looks like. If room is tight isolating her might be best. If you have enough room you can do either.

Good luck!

 

[Yardmom]

First wait for a hen to go broody. Yes easier said than done. Next decide if where she is sitting is where you want her to set. If so and other hens have access to the spot, mark the eggs you want her to hatch with a sharpie . Give them all to her at the same time. Remove all others daily.
If you want to move the hen there is a slight risk of her breaking broodiness. I have success about 90 percent of the time. Often I find a hen that I couldn't move one time is not going to move the next either. Many on BYC say move them at night. I have found that a few of my hens only settle if they can see the eggs
I move mine into dog crates inside my coops because with 25 hens trying to get the nest, accidents happen. Where ever the move is the hen can not have a way to get to the original nest. If eggs to hatch are unique move her with other eggs or fake eggs first. Once she is settled give her the eggs you want hatched. I don't feed or water in my broody crate as some do. I let them out twice a day. Some need more prompting than others to take a break.