How To Hatch Chicks With A Broody Hen
Hatching chicks with a mama hen is a wonderful experience. Little fluffy chicks running around learning about life with their doting mama is one of the most heartwarming experiences you can have with your chicken flock. Having a broody mama hatch and raise chicks for you takes a huge amount of work out of the process. The hen will teach her chicks how to chicken, and naturally integrate them into the flock. They will more easily find their place in the pecking order.
This video is pretty huge and information dense, so feel free to skip to the most relevant information for your situation. We go over the basics of selecting and setting hatching eggs, how to manage a broody hen over the sitting period, how to care for mother hen and chicks in their first few days, and considerations on how to hatch chicks in the flock without using a broody hen pen.
I have hatched all of my flock (except for my original birds!) with broody hens. I have loved every hatch experience, and I honestly can't imagine having to raise the chicks myself.
#backyardchickens #broodyhenhatch #freerangechickens
00:00 - Introduction
00:28 - Selecting, Storing, Setting Eggs
03:44 - Why Use a Broody Hen, Benefits and Risks
04:57 - Setting Up and Using a Broody Hen Coop
08:19 - Temperature and Location for Broody Hen Coop
09:06 - Successfully Moving a Broody Hen to Broody Coop
10:44 - Setting the Eggs under Hen
12:35 - How to Safely Check Eggs Under a Sitting Hen
13:09 - Hatch Day! How to Care for Hen and Chicks
19:56 - Hatching Chicks While Broody Hen Stays in the Flock