Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[ronikins]

Hi everybody! I wish I'd found this thread before today! This is my first time broody hatching..... Well any kind of hatching.

One of my broody's eggs hatched today. The other isn't making a noise or anything. I have another hen who has 2 eggs under her which are due to hatch in a week. And another 3rd hen with 1 egg due to hatch the 30th.

Can I take the chick from momma and put it in a brood box? I don't have her sectioned off to protect her and the baby. I'd feel better if I could take it inside under a lamp. If I can take the chick in, when should I? I don't want to take it away too soon. And should I leave the other egg under her to see if it hatches? When is it considered a nonviable egg? 2-3 days after due date if it hasn't hatched?

Thanks!

This is our newest member to the flock

 

[Majestic Lane Poultry]

Momma can take better care of her than you can. I know its hard.

 

[brownysfp]

Got a Coucou de France that's been snaffling eggs off the other hens: she had 22 under her yesterday. Four had rolled away during today so we had those away but the overall lay count is down. She may well have stashed more under her. I'll have to watch for her being out and about tomorrow and sort something out. None of the other twenty-two hens are broody, just her.

 

[ronikins]

Quote:
Oh I fully believe that. I worry, though, because 2 of my cats hunt down by the coop on a daily basis. Actually they pretty much hang out around the coop all day. I don't have a special area to keep her and baby safe. I wish I did. Should I REALLY not take the baby away??

 

[chicknmania]

Gosh, no; don't take baby away from mama! That's the reason you want to use broodies!!! Mama will teach baby everything baby needs to know about everything and provide protection and comfort, too.

 

[pattgal]

Also think that a chick raised by moma will tend to go broody more than the chick raised in a brooder. because it's nature in action

 

[phasianidae]

Quote:
Nope, If the broody was here real mother then that would be likely but otherwise not.

 

[Miss Lydia]

can you not keep the cats in the house so mama and baby can stay together? it would seem awful cruel to let her hatch that chick and then take it from her, what breed is she[mama]?

 

[boxermom]

Our barn cats were interested in the brooder chicks, but NOT the chicks under MAMA! They were scared of her.

 

[quiltnchik]

My Silkie hen decided today that she'd had enough of being a mama to her adopted chicks. They're 3.5 weeks old now and, since 4 of the 5 are meaties (the other is a barnyard mix), they're almost as big as she is. They went to their coop tonight and she went back to her coop, though she hasn't slept there since January! It's amazing how they remember after all that time! I feel bad for the chicks, but I guess 4 months of dealing with being broody and then raising chicks was enough, and I can't say as I blame her.