Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

so just did a little research on my own question and found out that:

Fresh eggs have to be cracked to determine if they are fertile

Candling can be done after 5 or more days of incubation

If you have a rooster with the hens and their cracked eggs are fertile you can assume that at least some of the other ones are too but there is no way to know for sure w/o candling or cracking.

So, here is the plan please tell me if it makes sense:

Starting in February of next year I will leave fake eggs in a nest in hopes one of my hens will go broody

When/if she does I will check a few cracked eggs to see if they are fertile then I will collect them for a few days and stick them or other hatching eggs under her. 

Then I will wait till dark and move her to the broody pen and hope that everything goes as hoped for/ expected from there.

If I am missing something please steer me in the right direction.  Thanks!

You do not have to crack eggs to determine if they are fertile. If you have a rooster and he is mating with your hens, your eggs are fertile. I would set them under the broody and candle on day 7 after they've been nder her. If they were not fertile they will be clear. Take those eggs and cook them for the dog or chickens. If they have any darkness inside, they are growing.

I have put eggs under my broody that were gathered and put in an egg carton on my kitchen countertop. I figured they weren't fertile since I only saw the rooster mount her one time. So I took 5 of the eggs as an experiment and put them undermy broody. Well from the five eggs I got four chicks. The rooster is busier then you might think. And if they've mated at any point in the last 30 days the eggs will be fertilized.

 

[tommysgirl]

thank you bobbieschicks. I had no idea that rooster seman was viable for that long. Ours is definitely busy haha

 

[cluckcluckluke]

I am getting half a dozen fertile eggs this Sunday for my broody bantam. I hope I beat my record of 1 chick hatching lol. and If I get another broody I can get some Araucana eggs

.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
Thank you! A picture is worth a thousand words as they say.

What has been your lowest temperature that this has worked with?

 

[jak2002003]

Hi.

One of my hens started brooding her clutch of eggs this morning. She left the eggs in the afternoon - I thought she would just go back to them after a feed and drink, but she was still off the nest for an hour .........so..................

I put her back on the nest and she stayed on them again for the rest of the afternoon, but as it got dark she is now up on the roost!

Is this normal behaviour for the 1st day? Will the eggs be OK if she goes back to brooding them tomorrow and she sits tight form then on?

I don't want her to start brooding if the eggs will not develop now.

She has hatched eggs before and has been a great broody so she should know what to do!

 

[fisherlady]

Thank you! A picture is worth a thousand words as they say.

What has been your lowest temperature that this has worked with?

When it was 15-18 degrees in the coop I went out to check on all of their waterers... it had been about 6 hrs since previous check. The side of her dish away from the heat was froze, the side toward it wasn't, though it probably would have been before too much longer, it was very cold. I wouldn't depend on this set up under 20 degrees for longer than the 6 hrs..., unless you can put it closer over the water than we could. Our box set up just didn't allow us to place it quite where I'd like.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Hi. 

One of my hens started brooding her clutch of eggs this morning.  She left the eggs in the afternoon - I thought she would just go back to them after a feed and drink, but she was still off the nest for an hour .........so..................

I put her back on the nest and she stayed on them again for the rest of the afternoon, but as it got dark she is now up on the roost! 

Is this normal behaviour for the 1st day?  Will the eggs be OK if she goes back to brooding them tomorrow and she sits tight form then on?

I don't want her to start brooding if the eggs will not develop now.

She has hatched eggs before and has been a great broody so she should know what to do!

That's why I don't call the broody until they stay for three nights on the nest. Then I give them fertile eggs. As long as they don't freeze and se goes back to them they should be okay. But if she's not broody you won't force her by leaving eggs out. I'd make sure she's on the nest all night before giving er eggs. The ones you gave her should e moved into a bator until you are sure she's sitting. Then move them back under her to finish the job.

 

[bobbieschicks]

That's why I don't call the broody until they stay for three nights on the nest. Then I give them fertile eggs. As long as they don't freeze and se goes back to them they should be okay. But if she's not broody you won't force her by leaving eggs out. I'd make sure she's on the nest all night before giving er eggs. The ones you gave her should e moved into a bator until you are sure she's sitting. Then move them back under her to finish the job.

Sorry. Trying to type on my iPad and missing some letters

 

[bobbieschicks]

thank you bobbieschicks.  I had no idea that rooster seman was viable for that long.  Ours is definitely busy haha

I read something about 30 days when I was looking into breeding. But definitely the semen lasts way longer than a day or two. And like I said we don't see all the action because it happens so fast and there's no cigarettes smoked afterwards.

 

[groverlvchx]

I read something about 30 days when I was looking into breeding. But definitely the semen lasts way longer than a day or two. And like I said we don't see all the action because it happens so fast and there's no cigarettes smoked afterwards.