Broody Hen's Broody Twin

Yes, that's right, an identical sister, except for blonde nails on her center toes. Well that and she's about a year younger, quieter and has been people shy since she was a chick. Hatched by Little Black Broody Hen herself, her twin is already showing the inherent bantam broodiness just two months after coming of age. For the past two days, she's been setting on her chosen nest at night and taking only one very short leisure during morning feed out before quietly clucking her way back to her nest. Less hurried than Broody hen, maintaining the same calm social stance instead of becoming distant and fleeting from the flock. She will displace only one hen's laying spot. I gave her my normal 2-3 day trial of commitment period while I collected suitable eggs. Then, with fingers crossed and much needed babying and attention for a distant and avoiding hen, hopefully she will transition into motherhood flawlessly and personable.

As for Lil Black Hen's latest hatch, a flop.

An egg exploded on her clutch early on, smothering eggs, spreading bacteria and death. This was a new endeavor with her in the Aframe while broody. She would sneak out in the quiet morning for her stretch before I was awake; Therefore I did not get a daily glace for cleanliness of her nest. Although a breath stopping stench clued me in. I changed and added new bedding, along with some fresh thyme and chocolate mint to freshen the air.

Late on the day of hatch, I looked over an unbroken egg in my hand. I feared for the chick inside, dark, cramped and seemingly alone, waiting to feel the heat retention of dry feathers. I clucked to the egg and pressed it to my ear. I thought maybe a single mercy crack would help. I found a small suitable stick, rethinking my actions at every moment: 'what if I hurt the chick?', too concerned for it's livelihood I give it a quick tap. The pressurized sound of that egg POP, immediately followed by the milky green ooze now covering my hands and splattered on my face were enough to make me nauseous. Obviously a learning experience I power-walked to the house, mouth tight in fear of tasting this vile sludge. Five hand-washes later and I could still smell the wrenching wreak of death. Either way, half of the clutch rotted into vile, verdant, liquid, pressurized bomb shells. The horror.

The next morning I opened the back of the Aframe to find a still damp chick, cast behind her, cold and limp. “What happened?” I exclaimed in a soft yet high pitched voice. Broody hen with sadness in her eyes looked back between me and the chick and gave a low growl. The next day another lifeless body. Three of the ten survived, my livelihood numbers are plummeting!

Currently thriving at just about one month are: A white feather-legged chick with black splashing, a quick growing all white and a red. The red's baby feathers are similar to nine roos I adopted just a few days after LBHen's hatch, seeminly RIRs. She however, would not take to this rambunctious crew of at least a week older, already scurrying, play-fighting, and tugging at her eyes and comb while her chicks stood as a new foal. She has already set them a place on the pecking order, right at the tip of her beak.

Today I stroked the very top of Broody Twin's head (if I choose better names I will only be saddened further by loss) and placed six good sized eggs under her alongside one of her own. I'll keep the clutch small in case this ends in forgetfullness.  Good luck and good ridden because her eggs are too small to sell, silly bantams.

Broody Hen, broody again.

Good ol’ gal, yes she’s setting again. Although she tried midwinter, I knew the weather wouldn’t hold out for her so I stole her eggs away. Now that winter has seemingly ended and the snow has dwindled away, the flock is buzzing around the yard. She seems to feel the quiet calm near the coop without the bustle of winter crowding.

She and I however are having some disagreements this time around. I’m sick of her taking over the most used nest box to hatch her eggs. Other hens lie on top of her, push her out, sully her eggs and add eggs that take precious body warmth away from hatching eggs.

So I made a decision to put her in my small Aframe now. She is not excited about this and after her morning routine time off the nest, paces trying to get back to her chosen spot. I found she does not settle on her own. Therefore it easiest to let her out of the Aframe so she can run to her spot clucking like a fiend and then I pick her up and put her where I want her.

I’ve given her just a couple eggs to get her started. I want to make sure she is settled and concentrated before giving her a real clutch without adding too many extra days to her laying time. If all remains well today I will put them under her tomorrow morning. I have collected good sized and round shaped eggs today and yesterday for hatching. I choose rounder rather than the more pointed eggs because of the myth that they are females. This proved good for me last hatch when I ended up with only 1 male in 6.

If she can settle the issue of the Aframe as her spot I hope that from here on out if she wants to go broody, she will choose to go to the Aframe. We’ll see.

Broody Hen Bathes Her 2 Day Olds

By the end of this bath, they were all tired and ready to cuddle.

Chicks Cheaping! Day 19 For Broody Hen

First pictures of these day olds.
First days of August broodiness.

First of all, what has transpired with this hatch so far?


Other Hens on the Nest.

After seeing a hen sitting on Little Black Hen's little broody head, trying to lay an egg in the same nest, I placed a curtain over the opening to her nest. This works great by the way; it keeps her mind on her nest and others out while she remains in the safety of the coop yet able to get out if completely necessary. Although, I do have to open the curtain each morning and anxiously watch her until she remembers her seemingly abandoned nest.

Egg Eaters

At 2 weeks with basket in hand to collect and candle her clutch, I let the chickens out and saw broody hen run out with the others. My heart jumped and I spotted the curtain hanging down because I didn't push the tack in far enough!!! How silly!!

All the eggs were covered in, yes you guest it, egg. Upset, nervous and disappointed, I rinsed the eggs and candled them anyway. I was more than worried, with no idea how long the hen had been off her nest, how horribly the remaining eggs had been viciously pecked and concerned for bacterial safety.
Mood swings:

How sad that they’re ruined. 

                              What horrible creatures eat their own eggs!? 

I knew I should have gotten out of bed earlier! 

Turns out the egg eating chicken, whoever it was, only ate one egg, which when candled at week one and looked infertile... not even a dark spot.

Candling showed 8 of 9 eggs looking normal, I suppose. Shadowing veins like inverted lighting revealed their web through thick shells. All seemed to have solid formed construction that floated with each turn of the egg. All except one, whose web drifted, torn and fluid in its shell.

My Forgetfulness

Now, on day 18, a horrible event happened. While in a rush to volunteer my time to pull weeds along a community side walk, so that synthetic chemical pesticides need not be sprayed, I forgot to let my chickens out of their coop today!!! Thank goodness there is ample space, enough for twice the herd size, but this horrible mistake didn’t hit me until my way home and I obviously, immediately became very concerned, very fast. Visions of early awaked chicks lying lifeless under a stampeding flock flashed in my minds eye.

I opened the coop door and heard broody hen clucking to life in her nest box, hungry for a meal and aiming to stretch her legs. I picked up a clean, warm egg and put it to my ear. The kissing chirp of a chick’s first words lightened my heart and settled my nerves. What a sweet end to a rough day.
Candling Eggs

To candle, I turn a reading light with a flexible arm upside down. Turn it on and let the fluorescent bulb warm up while I cut an oval hole in a piece of cardboard to place on the rim. This works perfect since the metal shade has a flat surface, therefore forming a good light seal. :P

Candling Websites that helped me get the idea of what’s happening and how to know when an egg should be removed.

Learn about Winners, Quitters and Yolkers at 4-H Embryology, Extension in Lancaster County, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL)

Candling Pictures at shilala.homestead.com

Back Yard Chickens’ Candling Eggs Site

Find Vivid photos of candled eggs, inside and out at “Egg Candling and Break Out Analysis for Hatchery Quality Assurance and Analysis of Poor Hatches.” Cooperative Extension - University of California, Animal Science Department

Chicken Sexing?

While trying to sex my recently hatched chicks I found that roosters supply 2 sets of genes but hens supply only one, leaving color sexlinking to be very effective. My chicks are growing very fast and sexing by body size, comb and waddles also seems to be an effective sexing technique.

Turned out to be a female.

Gold one here has a larger comb than most.  Turned out tot be a male.

Black one died. While one turned out to be a fiesty roo who then eventually was taken by a fox.

Female

All three are females.

Turned out to be a giant girl who I call Big Golden.

Check out these chicks on their first outing, at 2 weeks, and taking their first dust bath.

Chicks First Dust Bath

These little ones and mama had been fenced in for about a week by this time and I saw all my mature chickens taking a bath and decided to give these ones a tub. I simply mixed dirt from under my porch and ash from my wood stove in a cement tub. Pulled out the rocks and wood chunks and placed it in the pen. 

Mama walked over to take a look but looked displeased at the quality.  Sometimes I see my chickens bathing in dark nutrient rich soil, other times the sandy driveway, not sure if it's for different purposes.

A one month old roo knew exactly what it was, jumped in, lay down and started kicking.   One by one each sibling was bathing and Mama's interest was finally gained.  She hopped in and even had some day olds looking over the edge of the tub at the fun of bathtime.

Check out these chicks as little fuzzwads on their first outing and at 2 weeks.

First Generation Golden Sexlink Offspring: 2weeks

Check out this hatch on their first outing, their first dust bath and trying to determine their sex.

Growing Up Chicken

Check out Hatching Chicks with Broody Hens to see these chicks at one day old.  Also see pictures of their first outing, at 2 weeks, their first dust bath and trying to determine their sex.


I have had two chicks stolen. One by an ermine which I saw attacking my bantam rooster! I haven't seen this weasel for a few years now and never in its summer color. Very gorgeous. The second chick which had become injured and was limping proved an easy target for what I believe was an immature Northern Harrier. That darn hawk circles almost out of plain eye view most of the time.

Anyway here are photos of first outing an then some.

The paint horse loved to shoo away these chickens.

I lost this striped one here which had been the only one I named "Mr. Stripey" gone.. gone...

One proud father.
The black ones are Silky Bantam cross Golden Sexlink. Little Black, as I call him lost quite a bit of feathers when attacked by the mink while crossing our wetlands. Coop in the background...

They are "so cunning" as my Mummi said to me.

Hatching Chicks with Broody Hens

Check out my First Hatch of 2011 and the same hen's second hatch of 2011.
Also check out Raising Day Old Chicks



Red Jungle Fowl Female from The North East India Travelog

"The Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus) is a tropical member of the Pheasant family. While the domestic chicken was previously believed to be a descendant of the Red Junglefowl, recent research done by Eriksson et al. suggests possible hybridisation with the Grey Junglefowl.[2]"                     Wikipedia

Jungle fowl of the Phasianidae (Grouse, pheasants and partridges) family "differ from other members of the pheasant family in having, in the male, a fleshy comb, lobed wattles hanging below the bill, and high-arched tail."                  Britannica Online Encyclopedia


Grey jungle fowl

Why am I telling you this? Because I absolutely love research observations of the most primitive ways in which animals have survived and procreated and my dear chickens are descendants of these here.

BROODING HABITAT

An interesting study I found by a Robert A Johnson suggests a preferred breeding habitat of undomesticated jungle fowl in Thailand. Studying these fowl during 1955 and 1956 R. Johnson observed needs of breeding jungle fowl that many homesteaders today know: adequate protection, shelter, water, and limited disturbance.

Speaking of the eastern slopes of the Tenasserim range in Thiland, which reaches a height of 6,801 feet, Johnson states:

"Here, a bamboo forest area interspersed with patches of small deciduous trees and shrubs was the most favorable breeding habitat for jungle fowl I found in southern and central Thailand. Bamboo growing in scattered but tangled clumps, in a rocky soil which has been repeatedly burned over, seems to offer ideal roosting and nesting cover.  And, I believe, an abundant supply of fresh water, with a minimum of human disturbance, is an important factor in sustaining a favorable breeding population."1

What Does This Mean for You?

You will need a coop or densely tangled wad of bushes, delicious clean water, a hen that just loves to lay eggs, a Rooster to help and a routine that keeps you out of their way.

Let me add a little about whom roosters are: caretakers and protectors, bait and distraction, fighters of rank, lovers and flaunters. A beautiful representation of their dutiful spirits...

“Each dominant male led his little group of hens to the riverlet to drink, usually soon after they left the roost in the morning. They remained at the water supply only a very few minutes, and the male often watched from a perch aboveground while the hens drank. After that, he took one or two gulps of water and hurriedly led the group back into its territory by a different trail.”1


Breeding pair by Ujjal Ghosh

What Goes Wrong?

Obandoned nests, wrotten and unhatched eggs, predators. The good news:

“The breeding season appears to be of sufficient length that a given bird may make several attempts to nest. The presence of scattered eggs suggests a high rate of nest disturbance.”1

So if you're like me, forget your duties some-days, forget to close the chicken coop windows and a sneaky raccoon climbs in at night and scares your hen off her nest; immediately place back on nest or if all seems ruined, try, try again.

Here’s how it happened for me:

I got a little relaxed on collecting eggs and close to a dozen remained in two nest boxes for nearly a week in June. (help your hen go broody by leaving real or fake eggs in nests)

Two hens simultaneously decided they would cover these nests and hatched 6 chicks each 21-22 days later. (the required incubation period for domestic chickens) Nest boxes were on the coop floor at this time.



Keeping a feeding routine was very important to me and my hens. Morning and night feedings were a good time to check nests without disturbing broody hens on them.

Some popular opinions online imply that broody hens don't get off their nests more than once a day and for not more than an hour. Also that it is necessary to move them into a cage or keep them away from other chickens so they don't get distracted. I say let the chicken tell you if the setting is correct.

Check out this hatch on their first outing, at 2 weeks, their first dust bath and trying to determine their sex.

Check out these two sites for some more advice. Or ask me anything!
Tips for Incubating and Raising Chicks with a Mother Hen from the creater of the ICYouSee Handy Dandy Chicken Chart

Working with Broody Hens: Let Mama Do It from www.themodernhomestead.us


Before the summary of his article Johnson warns

"Firearms are scarce, at present, among these people. But the opening of roads to travel by jeeps and trucks is greatly increasing the amount of hunting and disturbance throughout the year. It seems unlikely, due to the rapidly changing frontier in a country which has no precedent for conservation concepts, that such examples of breeding populations can long endure."1 ...

1. Habitat Preference And Behavior Of Breeding Jungle Fowl In Central Western Thailand by Robert A. Johnson (1962) Indiana University                Electronic Version PDF (3pgs)