# Well that is a surprise



## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

I had a hen go broody so i put her in my new brood box/cluch box with 10 eggs. 
I didn't have much hope for the eggs hatching because the temp has been 18F at night. 
I wanted to candle the eggs one last time thinking they wouldnt hatch on Monday. i was thinking that the eggs looked well developed. well the 4 egg i reached was broken and the fifth egg moved because i have a baby chick.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Cool! I hope more hatch for you.


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## omeomy07 (Oct 28, 2017)

Never underestimate a broody hen, I guess. Mine has been broody for seemingly 2 years straight. Never had a rooster near her, though...

The first time I tried to break her with a cold water bath, tried throwing her nesting material out of her box, tried jailing her during the day in a kennel (that felt mean)... then the next 6+ times I gave up and just let her tank my egg production while hoarding the favorite nest box.

If only I got ahold of some fertile eggs for her!


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## Chris488 (Sep 4, 2018)

One of my Call duck hens went broody a while back, something I've never seen them do before. I decided to let her set and see what happens. She hatched out four of the 10, an unusually low number, and they seem to be doing fine. It's only gotten down to the high 30's here at night, and they should be feathered in before it gets too bad.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

We have new turkey poults.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

YAY


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## NigerianNewbie (Jun 6, 2018)

Sfgwife said:


> We have new turkey poults.


NICE! Pictures a possibility? Haven't seen a young, newly hatched turkey before. Heck, only seen grown one's in person once, a couple of weeks ago. Wild turkey several times though, they are much taller than the brown and white domesticated turkey I met.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

This is all i have right now. Our son sent it to us. Paul and i are almost home from a week end away. I cannot WAIT to see all our babies! He said yesterday she had a dozen poults under her. So only one egg didnt hatch.



NigerianNewbie said:


> NICE! Pictures a possibility? Haven't seen a young, newly hatched turkey before. Heck, only seen grown one's in person once, a couple of weeks ago. Wild turkey several times though, they are much taller than the brown and white domesticated turkey I met.


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Yay! How fun to watch the little gobblers!


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## NigerianNewbie (Jun 6, 2018)

Sweet!!! Thank the brave soul facing the possible wrath of Miss Broody for taking that photo. She is all poofed up like; "don't you dare think about even breathing the same air as my chick." A dozen, wow, that's marvelous .


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

NigerianNewbie said:


> Sweet!!! Thank the brave soul facing the possible wrath of Miss Broody for taking that photo. She is all poofed up like; "don't you dare think about even breathing the same air as my chick." A dozen, wow, that's marvelous .


Hahaha that was our youngest son thomas. He said that was as close as he was gonna get to the snake for fear of blood and death from snakebite. Hahahahaha!

When i candled eggs u der her. Paul would throw my jacket over her and she would worry at it like a dog. Then come after us. She is a nasty mama but a great one too.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

GoofyGoat said:


> Yay! How fun to watch the little gobblers!


Here ya go. A little better one of a few bug eyed babies. We are home, unpacked and went to visit all of the pissed off creatures. I did take apples for their consolation prizes for being have for the sitters. There are eleven of them. Thom said he must have counted wrong.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

fivemoremiles said:


> I had a hen go broody so i put her in my new brood box/cluch box with 10 eggs.
> I didn't have much hope for the eggs hatching because the temp has been 18F at night.
> I wanted to candle the eggs one last time thinking they wouldnt hatch on Monday. i was thinking that the eggs looked well developed. well the 4 egg i reached was broken and the fifth egg moved because i have a baby chick.


How many did you end up gettin? And i would not fret over them gettin cold.... mama will take care of them. .


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## GoofyGoat (Sep 21, 2018)

Too cute!


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

I have had three hatch. now I am in new Territory this is the first time i have had eggs hatch in the clutch box now how do i feed and water the chicks.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

fivemoremiles said:


> I have had three hatch. now I am in new Territory this is the first time i have had eggs hatch in the clutch box now how do i feed and water the chicks.


They need chick starter crumble not pellet. Your hen will also eat it just fine. We do shallow bowls for feed and water at first. So the chicks can reach them good. I do put rocks in the water dish to keep from diving accidents. Do you have them and the hen in their own separate place? Or with everyone else? Either is fine. We like to keep them separate for a bit.... the hen kinda lets you know when she is ready to take them out usually. Right now all they need is food and water. Do not give anything else for a few weeks at least. If yours are free range they should not really need grit cause mama will show them how to get it. She will cluck to them and point her beak at whatever morsel she deems good for them. They go to it a d eat whatever it is. She is teaching them to be chickens. .

Your hen is most likely coming off the eggs that are left now. Ours usually will come off the nest about the third day. Her chicks need eat food and water. I would candle the rest of the eggs and see if anymore are wiggly or need help hatching. If the eggs are cold just toss them. If any are left wigglin it is probably time to put those in an incubator for the rest of their time. But. If anymore hatch from a bator it will be hard to get the hen to take them usually since she is in mama mode now and has her prizes already. So you may have to put new ones in a brooder and do the work that way. So etimes you can sneak new chicks under a hen at night if she already has some.... it is just dependant on each hen.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

right now i have 10 dozen in the incubator right now but they have 18 days left before they hatch. I will take some photo of the clutch box. so ya all can see what i am doing. sfgwife is correct i have low water and feed dishes but the hen keeps tipping them over. there is a mesh floor so when they get tiped over the water and feed fall through. i think a solid floor is in order.


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

fivemoremiles said:


> right now i have 10 dozen in the incubator right now but they have 18 days left before they hatch. I will take some photo of the clutch box. so ya all can see what i am doing. sfgwife is correct i have low water and feed dishes but the hen keeps tipping them over. there is a mesh floor so when they get tiped over the water and feed fall through. i think a solid floor is in order.


Try a waterer then. . A small one. The chicks may can reach it. Or ziptie the water to a side in the shallow pan if it is feasable.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Cute little chickadees.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

Here are some pictures of the clutch box


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

So cute! Love the coloring on the hen!


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## Iluvlilly! (Apr 6, 2019)

Nice:goodjob:


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## Chris488 (Sep 4, 2018)

Nice! I'm looking forward to getting turkeys again someday soon. We had Narragansetts and they were the best mothers.


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