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  • Hatching from a broody hen ?

    We have one of the girls go broody on us about 2 weeks ago. She is nesting in the box which is about 1ft off the floor of the hen house. Is she OK to be left there on the nine Araucana eggs we have placed under her (we have an Araucana cockerel). My OH is concerned that if we get lucky and some of the eggs hatch that the chicks could fall out into the hen house floor. We also have another option of moving her and eggs to a seperate Ark on the floor but when we tried this when she first went broody she wouldn't stay in the nesting area so we were concerned that the eggs would go cold. All answers gratefully received.

  • #2
    I would move her somewhere nice and quiet away from the other hens and away from the drop!

    I've got a Welsummer broody in a little rabbit hutch away from my other birds.

    I moved her at night, put the eggs in the nest I'd made and plonked her on them! For a couple of days, she didn't have access to the outside (just the non-sleeping bit of the hutch). She is still sat firm, and just gets off once a day or so to toilet and eat/drink.

    If she's been sat for a couple of weeks, sounds like she is very mumsy! Does she try and peck you if you feel the eggs?

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    • #3
      As OWG says, separate her if you can. It also stops the other hens getting in and trying to lay in the nest and then you get the eggs mixed up (unless you have marked them clearly). If she doesn't like being moved then let her sit till the eggs have started to pip, then move her. She will not get off pipping eggs. If you leave her till the chicks have hatched then they could indeed fall out of the nest and not get back and therefore get cold and die, or other hens may squash them trying to climb in the nestbox.

      It's not really a good idea to let hens sit in the main nestbox. If she will tolerate being moved then put her in the ark. I would site it well away from the main hen run in a quiet part of the garden where she cannot be disturbed. Move her at night when she cannot see what is going on and will not be tempted to get off the eggs to look about.

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      • #4
        Its a move to the Ark then. We will do it tonight and shut her in the nesting part overnight. We'll keep you posted. Thanks

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        • #5
          I'd go with that too- I struggled with chicken wire and cardboard in the main coop until we decided to use the small bunny hutch.Much, much easier

          Good luck- fingers crossed for a good hatch rate!
          "Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple

          Location....Normandy France

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          • #6
            My hen went broody in the main hen house. What i did was pen her into the nest box with a cake rack (wire mesh) with chick crumbs and water at her disposal from day 19. When the chicks were hatched and downy and about 2 days old i moved the lot to a new clean and dry brrody box with their own run. My nest box was big enough for her and the chicks for a couple of days until they had all hatched and imprinted. the worry is that the other hens will attack them i think.
            Jess

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            • #7
              Hope it went OK.
              Both times we've moved a broody they kicked up a bit of a fuss and made it quite clear they didn't appreciate being moved from their familiar place and friends....however it was less than an hour before they decided the eggs needed them
              Another time i think I'll just move them and then go home or keep myself busy whilst they settle...it seems an age and they can get pretty stressy,but from our experience,if they're truly broody then whereever you put them and eggs they'll settle.
              the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

              Happiness is not having what you want,but wanting what you have.xx

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              • #8
                Thanks again to everybody.

                We moved her (Fat Maggie) last night about 9.00pm. No fuss and we locked her in the nesting part of the ark until morning. She has been out and fed and watered then after about 30 mins went back inside and we havn't seen her since so fingers crossed. This is our/OH's first try at raising from eggs and it's more stressful than the real thing.!!

                Will keep you posted if we have any success.

                thanks again.

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                • #9
                  Stressful- but really, really exciting!

                  Enjoy!

                  Glad it went OK last night
                  "Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple

                  Location....Normandy France

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by timmyalex View Post
                    Thanks again to everybody.

                    We moved her (Fat Maggie) last night about 9.00pm. No fuss and we locked her in the nesting part of the ark until morning. She has been out and fed and watered then after about 30 mins went back inside and we havn't seen her since so fingers crossed. This is our/OH's first try at raising from eggs and it's more stressful than the real thing.!!

                    Will keep you posted if we have any success.

                    thanks again.
                    Yay! Well done you and Fat Maggie!

                    I've always bought in chicks etc, so I've never hatched before.... my broody (Broody Mama) has done 14 days tomorrow, so only another week to go!

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                    • #11
                      My Welsummer is still sitting pretty well. One egg disappeared (I think broken) while we were away on the weekend unfortunately but the other 6 are ok and developing. They are due on Tuesday. I have just set 12 more (indian game) under two broody bantams, so fingers crossed for those. My first wave of hatchlings are all 7, 8 and 9 weeks now. All 17 have now been put together in the grower pen where they are having fun digging about in the weeds.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by RichmondHens View Post
                        My Welsummer is still sitting pretty well. One egg disappeared (I think broken) while we were away on the weekend unfortunately but the other 6 are ok and developing.
                        Have you candled them? I've tried to candle the eggs (Barnevelder) but they are too dark to see

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                        • #13
                          Yes - She's not sitting on Welsummer eggs, but indian game x sussex. So the shells are pale and therefore easy to candle. Are Barnevelder eggs really dark then, like Welsummer or Maran? I can candle my Welsummers but they are tricky when they are so dark.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by RichmondHens View Post
                            Yes - She's not sitting on Welsummer eggs, but indian game x sussex. So the shells are pale and therefore easy to candle. Are Barnevelder eggs really dark then, like Welsummer or Maran? I can candle my Welsummers but they are tricky when they are so dark.
                            The Barnevelder eggs are like the Welsummer ones, a shade lighter than terracotta, with freckley bits

                            Actually, another Very Odd Fact.... not only are our Welsummers broody and due to hatch at the same time, but when I checked her today, she has also 'got rid' of one of the eggs... Not sure whether she has done it accidentally or not, but the remnants of shell etc have been pushed out to the edge of the nest...just 5 eggs left with about a week to go!

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                            • #15
                              We have LIFTOFF !!!!!

                              My OH went up to check on our broody Maggie yesterday and when she lifted her up a tiny little chick fell out from under her wing. What excitment.!! today there's another one. So only 7 more to go.

                              So, this is a broody "magpie" chicken sitting on Aruacana eggs with an Aruacana cockerel. So we are obviously expecting pure "Lavender" Aruacana chicks.

                              Questions:

                              1) If the eggs have just started hatching how long for the rest to hatch.? We only have 1 Aruacana hen who laid the eggs in the first place so the 9 eggs were laid over about 12-14 days. Will the eggs therefore hatch over the next 12-14 days.?

                              2) At what age and how do you sex an Lavender Aruacana chick.?

                              3) We have water, feed and now chick crumbs in the pen. Is this sufficient and will the chicks just find the crumbs naturally.?


                              have a million other questions but they can wait for now.

                              Pics to follow as soon as we can.

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