my small living incubator holds so many eggs.... read and tell us about your experiences and stories

Since I didn't find any thread concerning this topic, I'll start it from here...
So as an introduction.... one of my pullets (who wasn't laying yet) has gone missing... I kmew she was hiding eggs somewhere but didn't know for sure.... so I began searching as usual in the property to find any trace of her (I was scared something got her)... but it didn't work....
So I hoped in the morning that she was really somewhere broody with her very first eggs she'll show up to have something to eat and drink... and she did family saw her but couldn't catch up with her to see her hidden nest (that was at least reassuring that she's alive) ..so I began scanning the gardens and bushes... I had no luck.... but finally I found her in a very camouflaged spot that I searched before but missed it (that's a whole different story).... she's quite tame.... I didn't expect her to lay yet (she's like a little princess among monsters...) she's smallish and very beautiful.... I checked under her... and there was 22 white smallish eggs all covered by this young mamma.... the nest she build was so sturdy that It was like a circular bowl holding all the eggs inside in a firm shape and that way she could cover them all... I quickly prepared a box for her and the eggs and moved her back home... I tossed 3 oldish looking eggs that were dirty... and because she couldn't hold all of the eggs like she could in her beakmade nest (mother nature is always the best) I positioned the eggs as best as I could in her new nest so she could cover them all(made a bowl-like hole in the shavings)... she adjusted quickly to her new spot and began real incubation....
4 days later I candled and 3 were infertile , and the others were all well... she ended up with 16.... yesterday was day 13 and all were alive!! They are due 31st (after a week)...
Soooo.... tell me guys about your stories.... what is the maximum number of chicks hatched by your broodies? Do you know anyone that had a big number of chicked hatched by the same broody? Tell us about your experiences!!!
I'm soo excited waiting for mine to hatch... hopefully most will make it... ice cream (my pullet) is the best momma ever (although that young and small)....
Oh... and I love seeing pics of mommies with chicks.... send us pics (a lot of them).... and also tell us about broodies hatching chicks secretly on there own.... !!
Thanks in advance for your time reading this long story lets go!

If anyone read this.... 15 hatched yesterday all at once in the morning all active and healthy. .. only one didn't hatch.... the embryo was dead a couple days before...

Majd said:

If anyone read this.... 15 hatched yesterday all at once in the morning all active and healthy. .. only one didn't hatch.... the embryo was dead a couple days before...

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I read it, and was very impressed! You have a good little mother there, and so young. How in the world does Mother Nature, God, or what ever creator you believe in, instill in these animals the know how, methods and will power to create life. She had to build a clutch, prepare a nest, turn the eggs, and keep them warm. All this without anybody or anything teaching her how. Just totally amazing! We need pictures of the proud mother and her babies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What breed is she? Sadly, I have all Golden Buff hens. They are known to be extremely "non-broody" so I have to incubate. I would love to have a mother hen sit on a clutch and watch the entire experience. I just bought some silver laced wyandot peeps a month ago. Maybe next spring I will get a broody wyandot.

HickoryHollow said:

I read it, and was very impressed! You have a good little mother there, and so young. How in the world does Mother Nature, God, or what ever creator you believe in, instill in these animals the know how, methods and will power to create life. She had to build a clutch, prepare a nest, turn the eggs, and keep them warm. All this without anybody or anything teaching her how. Just totally amazing! We need pictures of the proud mother and her babies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Definitely I'm gonna get a few pics when I let the out tomorrow. .. (hope it uploads easily because of the connection )...
She's a mutt.... very beautiful girl.... I had red star and mutts... now I only keep mitts (they are sooo good as utility and come in soo many options)....
My red star (aka golden buff) fluffed up at some period and was making the broody souds..etc... but never really went broody.... but read some stories of some hatching chicks... hope your wyadots will grow well and you'll have a broody mommy in the next 7 months....

Wow! What a beautiful little Mommy and cute chicks! I don't have any stories yet. We are starting this year with our first chicks so maybe next yr I will have a good story! Amazing how she was already an expert. Chickens have been more amazing that I thought. Even my little chicks do things that full size chickens do and they make me laugh! I hope others add some good stories to this! Very cute!

BlessedCountry6 said:

Wow!  What a beautiful little Mommy and cute chicks!  I don't have any stories yet.  We are starting this year with our first chicks so maybe next yr I will have a good story!  Amazing how she was already an expert.  Chickens have been more amazing that I thought.  Even my little chicks do things that full size chickens do and they make me laugh!  I hope others add some good stories to this!  Very cute!

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Thanks!!! Your chickes in the avatar are too cute..... in a few months you'll watch them in addiction with their antics....