CntryBoy777
Herd Master
I hope everything works out and they are Happy to raise them to the "routine".....nothing sweeter than to see the chicks around their momma.....
Bruce's Journal
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Bruce
Herd Master
Yep, loved seeing Zorra teach the 2015 girls the ins and outs of chickenhood. The 2012's (first chicks I ever had) had to learn everything for themselves. But, being chickens, they seemed to instinctively know what to do.
Baymule
Herd Master
I have EE's hatching out in the incubator, 17 so far. The previous batch was 17 hatched out.
Baymule
Herd Master
1 more this morning, total of 18 out of 26 eggs. I am happy with the results. Next year I think I'll order chicks, I've been considering Speckled Sussex, they are so pretty. Do you have any Speckled Sussex?
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Bruce
Herd Master
Nope, no SS. Looking at the Meyer catalog I'm not sure why. They meet my criteria:
decent layers, large eggs, non broody, cold tolerant.
Phase 1 complete. I sent Anais and Angel out for their forced morning constitutional. Good thing too, I noticed big 'ol broody poop later. I put Angel's 3 fake eggs down in the brooder area with the brooder food and water stand, added the food and water. She came back to her nest in the community box and was upset that her eggs weren't there. She came back out of the box all flustered, I grabbed her (she wasn't happy about that) and put her in the door to the brooder area. She saw her eggs, settled down and pulled them under her
decent layers, large eggs, non broody, cold tolerant.
Phase 1 complete. I sent Anais and Angel out for their forced morning constitutional. Good thing too, I noticed big 'ol broody poop later. I put Angel's 3 fake eggs down in the brooder area with the brooder food and water stand, added the food and water. She came back to her nest in the community box and was upset that her eggs weren't there. She came back out of the box all flustered, I grabbed her (she wasn't happy about that) and put her in the door to the brooder area. She saw her eggs, settled down and pulled them under her
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Bruce
Herd Master
You mean the Meyer catalog could be wrong about broodiness? 
Well I know that IS possible. They say EEs are broody. I've never had an EE even hint at going broody and the last 6 I got were from them.
Well I know that IS possible. They say EEs are broody. I've never had an EE even hint at going broody and the last 6 I got were from them.
Senile_Texas_Aggie
Herd Master
OK, I am going to show my ignorance (again! ): what does a chicken do when she goes broody? Does she sit and pout in the corner? Does she cluck like crazy when you are late with the feeding? Does she attack other chickens when they get too close to her?
): what does a chicken do when she goes broody? Does she sit and pout in the corner? Does she cluck like crazy when you are late with the feeding? Does she attack other chickens when they get too close to her?- Thread starter
- #2,549
Bruce
Herd Master
There are 2 kinds of broody hens that I know of. The ones that are actually incubating fertile eggs and the ones whose hormones tell them that they are supposed to park their butts in a nest until the shavings or fake eggs or golf balls hatch. Being I know you are an intelligent person, I know that you know that won't ever work.
Now I've never had a hen that was incubating eggs but as I understand how it works:
Zorra and her week old babies in the brooder area of the coop.
BTW, this is a great example of the lie that claims young chicks need an ambient temp of 95°F the first week, 90° the next, then 85° then 80°. The barn was never anywhere near 80°. 45°to 55° at night, 55° to 70° during the day. What they NEED is access to a "warming hut" when they get cold. Hens of course are the ultimate warming hut since they move to wherever the chicks are exploring. The next best thing is a Mama Heating Pad cave. The chicks learn that is where the warm is and will go back under whenever necessary. The least desirable (yes I AM biased) is a heat lamp in a small space where they never get away from the oppressive heat and 24 hour light. They cheep constantly day and night, cheeping is a complaint. Happy chicks chirp quietly and sleep at night. With a heat lamp they have no idea of a normal day/night cycle.
A broody hen (in my experience) that has nothing to hatch will:
Obviously it is easier to break them when the temperature is colder than in the heat of summer. How long it takes to break them depends a lot on how long they have been broody. If you catch them the first day and it is relatively cool, they might break in a day or two. Let them stay broody because you (wrongly) think it is cruel to break them and it will take a LOT longer. Generally they won't lay until 5+ days after they have been broken. Some people claim that you should dunk their breast in icy water and boom they will be broken. I don't think so. I once had a girl that had been parked for a couple of days. She thawed two refreezable ice packs in succession that I put under her and when I took the second one out (thawed) she was hot as a furnace underneath.
Now I've never had a hen that was incubating eggs but as I understand how it works:
- The hen lays eggs for a period of time, could be 6, a dozen maybe more
- She decides it is time to incubate said eggs and stops laying.
- She will park on the eggs for a few days straight
- After they start developing she will get off the nest for a period of time each day (maybe 1/2 hour) to eat, drink, poop.
- The last 2-3 days before they hatch (21 days) she'll park her butt in the nest.
- Eggs hatch, little chicks hang out under mama's wings.
- Mama teaches them everything they need to know, protects them, calls them to food. I don't know if there is a general timeframe that this lasts but when I gave Zorra the 2015 chicks she was a Tasmanian Devil (the Warner Brothers type) if any of the other hens (with 2 exceptions) came within 5 feet of her babies. She's a big girl to start with but "grew" to twice her size when "necessary". 2 months later she laid an egg and forgot all about the chicks, even started chasing them away from food.
Zorra and her week old babies in the brooder area of the coop. BTW, this is a great example of the lie that claims young chicks need an ambient temp of 95°F the first week, 90° the next, then 85° then 80°. The barn was never anywhere near 80°. 45°to 55° at night, 55° to 70° during the day. What they NEED is access to a "warming hut" when they get cold. Hens of course are the ultimate warming hut since they move to wherever the chicks are exploring. The next best thing is a Mama Heating Pad cave. The chicks learn that is where the warm is and will go back under whenever necessary. The least desirable (yes I AM biased) is a heat lamp in a small space where they never get away from the oppressive heat and 24 hour light. They cheep constantly day and night, cheeping is a complaint. Happy chicks chirp quietly and sleep at night. With a heat lamp they have no idea of a normal day/night cycle.
A broody hen (in my experience) that has nothing to hatch will:
- lays eggs for a period of time, could be 6, a dozen maybe more. We people steal the eggs daily.
- her hormones say "park on the nest and hatch whatever is there, even nothing.
- they will NOT get off the nest for a daily constitutional, likely will growl and puff up when anything comes near.
- if another hen lays in the nest (as with Angel in the 4' long community box) they will gather those eggs under them with whatever they already have ... or don't.
- they will fuss when you reach under. I gather some can be quite vicious though I've been lucky.
- If you take them out of the nest they will be kind of Mr. Hyde like. Running around all fluffed up, squawking their broody squawk. But once out they will eat, drink, poop. Broody poop, being backed up for a long time, is BIG and STINKY! Then they will go back to their nest.
- They will sit in that nest for weeks and have the potential to do harm from lack of food and water.
- Unless one has fertile eggs or fairly newly hatched chicks to give them, they should be broken.
Obviously it is easier to break them when the temperature is colder than in the heat of summer. How long it takes to break them depends a lot on how long they have been broody. If you catch them the first day and it is relatively cool, they might break in a day or two. Let them stay broody because you (wrongly) think it is cruel to break them and it will take a LOT longer. Generally they won't lay until 5+ days after they have been broken. Some people claim that you should dunk their breast in icy water and boom they will be broken. I don't think so. I once had a girl that had been parked for a couple of days. She thawed two refreezable ice packs in succession that I put under her and when I took the second one out (thawed) she was hot as a furnace underneath.
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- #2,550
Bruce
Herd Master
Next phase of the chick plan complete. Anais was going to get 4 and we started with her as her nest is much easier to get to. I tried to put the first one in from the back. Anais pecked at me and the chick wasn't underneath so I tried to get it under the back of her wing and she went for me again. When I pulled my hand out she went for the chick.
I doubt she had any idea what she was attacking. In any case, can't let her hurt the chick so we uncovered Angel's brooder area and successfully got all 9 chicks under. She fussed at me a little but didn't flare like Anais and settled.
Now I'll have to check early in the morning to make sure Angel wakes up happy with her babies.
Then clean the shavings out of the broody buster and move it back to the "spare" coop stall then stick Anais in there. Second year she has failed to get chicks to raise.
I doubt she had any idea what she was attacking. In any case, can't let her hurt the chick so we uncovered Angel's brooder area and successfully got all 9 chicks under. She fussed at me a little but didn't flare like Anais and settled.
Now I'll have to check early in the morning to make sure Angel wakes up happy with her babies.
Then clean the shavings out of the broody buster and move it back to the "spare" coop stall then stick Anais in there. Second year she has failed to get chicks to raise.
