Broodies...bad hatch...why?

[PuppyBantamCochin]

A couple of our hens went broody about 3wks ago, starting out with 15-16eggs. We lost 6-7 eggs before the day 18 mark. Most exploded, one or two were crushed

. During the past couple days, 4 chicks hatched. There were a remaining 5eggs this morning, and I was thinking about keeping them another day--maybe there were a few eggs that got set later. Well...I'm an extremely impatient person, so I cracked one of the eggs open. It was rotten!!

then I cracked another, rotten too. (4 out of 5 were rotten, the chicks having died later on) and one had a dead, cold, day 18-ish chick inside.

We haven't had a batch that had even a 75% hatch

. Last summer, a few hens went broody--total of 11eggs, hatched out 5 (the remainder exploding), but one was really weak and it died. In the fall, another hen went broody, set on 10 eggs, hatched 2 chicks. I really don't know whats wrong.

We have a mixed flock, 16hens (cochin, austrolorp, red star, etc.) and 3 crazy roosters (too many!) (bantm cochin, rir/cochin & austrolorp/Red star)

I've tried leaving then hens alone (letting nature take its course) and I've tried being extra careful, checking the nests many times a day...

Any ideas?


Thanks,


PuppyBC

 

[Judy]

Mostly I'd guess they had too many eggs. Also if they are in with the flock (I usually leave mine with the flock) there is more danger of their getting jostled and broken or cracked, even stepped on. I don't think I've ever set more than about 8 eggs under a broody. I think when there are too many, they try to move them around to rotate the warm spots. Usually I've had most or even all the eggs hatch. I did lose one whole batch of chicks when the hen ate them. The dead chicks had ants on them, but I don't know whether they died first or the ants killed them. (Not a big fan of DE, but I've loaded up broody nests with it since then to stop ants.)

 

[jmmre31]

I agree, too many eggs. I don't know what kind of bird you have, but I would only allow her to set on a bunch of eggs about 1/2 to 2/3 the size of her fluffed up. My BOs are good hatchers, and they usually end up with 4 or 5 chicks. I usually let them have 7/8 eggs and I will find 1 or 2 missing by hatch time. Sometimes I will find 1 or 2 pushed out of the nest and cold, so I toss those. I'm not sure if it is there way of saying these are no good or if they just accidently get rotated out. I also leave her in the coop with everyone, but I put a chicken wire cage around her. She is a sweet hen, but if the others get too close they will be bloodied. She only does this when nesting, so the cage is to give her peace and to keep everyone else healthy!

Hope this helps!

4th time with a broody. She has just started her 2nd week. She started with 8 eggs and we are down to 6.

 

[HHandbasket]

I think it depends on weather, your hens, conditions of the eggs, etc. When Olga went broody, we put 11 eggs under her, one of which I knew right away was probably not gonna hatch (thin-shelled at the wide end with rough/porous surface). She promptly ate that egg around day 5 or 6, best as I could tell, so she had 10 eggs she sat on. Eight of them hatched. Of the two that did not hatch, one was an early quitter, looked like about half-way through, and other was completely clear & never developed (dud).

 

[sheila3935]

My broody a BA just hatched 6. She started with 7 then somewhere along the line got another so she has 8. At day 18 one candled clear so I pitched it. After the 6 hatched I put number 7 which is behind in the incubator. Its still going should be hatching soon. This was my first broody and her first hatch. She is a very good mommy.

 

[PuppyBantamCochin]

Thanks for the replies!

the hens were moved away from the flock once they had been broody a couple days....cuz a couple of my hens are just plain mean.
I guess I'll try fewer eggs next time I have a broody (probably again this summer

)....I just figured if the hen could cover all the eggs, than it'd be fine.


I may have to go pick up a couple chicks from southern states though... to keep the hens ''busy'' lol.