Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[chickydee64]

Is it normal for my PRIR hen to stop brooding her chicks at 1 1/2 months old while my Cochin bantam is still raising hers at 3 months?

At six weeks my hen joined the flock to roost.no warning.............she still jumps in if a chick is having a problem during the day.
Otherwise..she has quit being Mom.Depends on the hen.I've had some mother until the chicks were as big as her..

 

[Jharper]

[COLOR=008080]At six weeks my hen joined the flock to roost.no warning.............she still jumps in if a chick is having a problem during the day.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=008080]Otherwise..she has quit being Mom.Depends on the hen.I've had some mother until the chicks were as big as her..[/COLOR]

I reckon it's because she was bred to lay and not to brood. It's a wonder she even hatched any. My show cochin bantam, the one raising hers still at 3 months, was attacked by my neighbors dog. I am soo mad right now because she was all SQ again from her broody molt and she is all messed up now. I have registered her for an October show also. How long will it take for her to get SQ again?

 

[Johnn]

Well Daisy has pood all over herself and her remaining egg! Luckily the chick was spared! She is making a excellent mother so far, she loves the baby! She is on the floor with her remaining egg and I will give it until Monday to hatch. My dog stuck his head through the pop hole and she lunged forward for him but luckily for the dog, I pulled him out! I decided to dust her so thats why her comb is so pale on the pic alone. She went crazy and it went everywhere!

 

[MumsyII]

I reckon it's because she was bred to lay and not to brood. It's a wonder she even hatched any. My show cochin bantam, the one raising hers still at 3 months, was attacked by my neighbors dog. I am soo mad right now because she was all SQ again from her broody molt and she is all messed up now. I have registered her for an October show also. How long will it take for her to get SQ again?

I'm sorry that had to happen to your hen. Molting can take anywhere from four to sixteen weeks. Gently pull out broken feathers. A few at a time so not to cause her further stress. When a broken feather is removed, the new one will come in faster. There is no real way to know when your messed up hen will regain SQ condition again. It will depend on how dedicated you are to separating her, feeding her feather growing extra nutrients, and waiting.

 

[farmer boy]

I moved my broody hen from my grandfathers to my house and she is not sitting on her nest anymore do you think she will stay broody or just stop ? ... she is still fluffing up and making broody noises but im not sure if she is gonna stay broody oh also she is a black australorp around a year old

 

[Jharper]

I'm sorry that had to happen to your hen. Molting can take anywhere from four to sixteen weeks. Gently pull out broken feathers. A few at a time so not to cause her further stress. When a broken feather is removed, the new one will come in faster. There is no real way to know when your messed up hen will regain SQ condition again. It will depend on how dedicated you are to separating her, feeding her feather growing extra nutrients, and waiting.

What could I give her to make her feathers grow back?

 

[chickydee64]

What could I give her to make her feathers grow back?

Protein makes feathers....ot

hers will have more ideas.I know scrambled eggs are good........................

 

[chickydee64]

I moved my broody hen from my grandfathers to my house and she is not sitting on her nest anymore do you think she will stay broody or just stop ? ... she is still fluffing up and making broody noises but im not sure if she is gonna stay broody oh also she is a black australorp around a year old

Hi, chickens are so different in their personalities it is impossible to predict what she will do.
That being said....I moved a broody to a new nest last week.1st time broody.
She stayed off the nest all day and I thought she was through setting.
I was going to take the eggs when I locked up the coop for the night and sure enough, she was on the nest.
She has stayed setting sooooooooooooo....hope it works out for you.................

 

[lawatt]

sadly, the weaker of these two chicks, the one on the right, was accidentally squashed by its broody mom yesterday -- i managed to revive it at first, gave it vitamins & got it warm indoors, but put it back under mama for the night -- and this morning it had died. now wishing i had kept it in the house overnight!

so now one broody has two chicks and the other has one -- none of the remaining eggs (6) have pipped. trying to decide whether to try to combine the broodies in one pen so the three might be raised sort-of together? anyone have experience with this? if so, when is best to try to introduce them (evening, daytime, wait a few days until the chicks are a little bigger?)

 

[chickydee64]

I moved my broody hen from my grandfathers to my house and she is not sitting on her nest anymore do you think she will stay broody or just stop ? ... she is still fluffing up and making broody noises but im not sure if she is gonna stay broody oh also she is a black australorp around a year old

Hi, chickens are so different in their personalities it is impossible to predict what she will do.
That being said....I moved a broody to a new nest last week.1st time broody.
She stayed off the nest all day and I thought she was through setting.
I was going to take the eggs when I locked up the coop for the night and sure enough, she was on the nest.
She has stayed setting sooooooooooooo....hope it works out for you.................