Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bumpercarr]

Well, just went in to gather eggs and almost got my hand bit off by two girls that normally would leave the nest when I open the door to get eggs. So, maybe a broody or two. That would be wonderful as I just put 18 eggs in the incubator as well. Wouldn't it be great to not have to use the brooder for the next hatch! I might even consider just slipping these eggs under the girls when I candle at day 10...........here's hoping.

They are large fowl brahmas.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

how can i tell if my big girl eggs are firtle

Crack some open and look for the bulls eye that indicates fertility.

All eggs, fertile or infertile, have the blastodisk which is the active cell that will begin to divide once fertilized with the sperm. That is just a white dot.

When the blastodisk is fertilized, it gets larger and looks more like a bullseye (and is called the blastoderm)...but nothing further develops until the hen or incubator keeps it at constant temperature of about 101 degrees F for 21 days.

I'll post a link to photos below which should help.
LofMc

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/01/facts-and-myths-about-fertile-eggs.html

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Well, just went in to gather eggs and almost got my hand bit off by two girls that normally would leave the nest when I open the door to get eggs. So, maybe a broody or two. That would be wonderful as I just put 18 eggs in the incubator as well. Wouldn't it be great to not have to use the brooder for the next hatch! I might even consider just slipping these eggs under the girls when I candle at day 10...........here's hoping.

They are large fowl brahmas.

Hoping for some broodies for you.

I've got a persistent Rhodebar right now....AND a BCM that is keeping her company....oh dear I fear the broody flu is about to hit.

Good news... BOTH my bantam Cochins are laying! It shouldn't be much longer before one of them, or both, go broody...I can then retry my Isbar hatch

LofMc

 

[Jack-Girl]

My broodie hatch...2 Spangled Orpies today...hopefully 4 Blue splash Orpies tomorrow♡
Happy Easter

 

[bumpercarr]

Looks like at least one of these girls is broody. She hasn't moved off of the nest since yesterday. The other one may be just thinking about it. If she sticks, the eggs will be due to hatch when I am out of town. My housesitter really hates taking care of the broodies with chicks...she worries that something will go wrong and she won't know what to do. I always tell her not to worry, let nature take it's course, but of course she always worries anyway. So, I'll get everything set up for her...she'll do fine.

Since this girl is setting in the upstairs apartment of the coop, if the eggs hatch and she takes them out, they won't be able to get back into the coop until they are about 2-3 weeks old. I'll have to set up a dog crate in the run for them to sleep in at night. I may try to move her to the other side that is currently empty. But the bachelor pad is on that side and I really don't want any hens over there. I was going to use that pen for the 14 chicks that are in the brooder, but I think I'm going to have to rethink my plan......sigh. At least I have some time.

 

[dharmasister]

Okay, here's my hatch-a-long question...

On March 20 one of my EEs decided to start sitting on some eggs. She started out on 4, one of hers and three belonging to my other girls. I figured the other girls would just lay in a different box, but NO, they all went and laid in the box that Crispy was already occupying. So on March 21, Crispy was now sitting on 8. The next day the same thing, only now her sister MG decided to get all broody on me and sit on the same nest Crispy was on and no matter how many times I took her off the nest, she would go right back. I candled on day 7 and saw a lot of really good veining on most and a few that looked like nice big blobs with movement going on. I tried to move MG to her own nest, placing one of the eggs that they were on in another box but later that night, MG was back in the box with Crispy and the egg I had put with her was left behind and was cold :-( I put the abandoned egg back under the two girls and just decided to leave them be. I candled again at day 14 and found half of the 13 eggs were very well developed and moving around a lot. The rest were in stages from a little veining to not a lot going on at all. I left all of them, even the clearish eggs, not knowing exactly when they were laid.

Well, yesterday I took a peak under the girls and found that two of the eggs were broken. It's just not a good idea with two hens in a nest box with that many eggs and my other hens are just determined to keep laying in that nest. It's bound to be a disasterous situation. So, I decided to try moving MG again. This time I put the six eggs that she sorta had in a separate pile in the adjacent nesting box and stuck her on top of them. Fortunately, she is satisfied and is staying put.

My concern is this.... all of the eggs are sticky with the embryo, yolk, whatever from the broken eggs. They have feathers stuck all over them and bits of bedding. Each time I've candled them I've been careful to wash my hands first to prevent oils and bacteria from getting on them and now they are a total mess. Don't the eggs need to "breathe"? Should I go in and wipe them of with a damp cloth? Also, the eggs are all at various stages of development. About half were laid two weeks ago and should be ready to hatch around he 10th, but what about the eggs that were laid within the past week or even the one that was laid just yesterday? Once a few babies hatch out will they just abandon the rest?

Thanks for any advice or input.

 

[bumpercarr]

Okay, here's my hatch-a-long question...

On March 20 one of my EEs decided to start sitting on some eggs. She started out on 4, one of hers and three belonging to my other girls. I figured the other girls would just lay in a different box, but NO, they all went and laid in the box that Crispy was already occupying. So on March 21, Crispy was now sitting on 8. The next day the same thing, only now her sister MG decided to get all broody on me and sit on the same nest Crispy was on and no matter how many times I took her off the nest, she would go right back. I candled on day 7 and saw a lot of really good veining on most and a few that looked like nice big blobs with movement going on. I tried to move MG to her own nest, placing one of the eggs that they were on in another box but later that night, MG was back in the box with Crispy and the egg I had put with her was left behind and was cold :-( I put the abandoned egg back under the two girls and just decided to leave them be. I candled again at day 14 and found half of the 13 eggs were very well developed and moving around a lot. The rest were in stages from a little veining to not a lot going on at all. I left all of them, even the clearish eggs, not knowing exactly when they were laid.

Well, yesterday I took a peak under the girls and found that two of the eggs were broken. It's just not a good idea with two hens in a nest box with that many eggs and my other hens are just determined to keep laying in that nest. It's bound to be a disasterous situation. So, I decided to try moving MG again. This time I put the six eggs that she sorta had in a separate pile in the adjacent nesting box and stuck her on top of them. Fortunately, she is satisfied and is staying put.

My concern is this.... all of the eggs are sticky with the embryo, yolk, whatever from the broken eggs. They have feathers stuck all over them and bits of bedding. Each time I've candled them I've been careful to wash my hands first to prevent oils and bacteria from getting on them and now they are a total mess. Don't the eggs need to "breathe"? Should I go in and wipe them of with a damp cloth? Also, the eggs are all at various stages of development. About half were laid two weeks ago and should be ready to hatch around he 10th, but what about the eggs that were laid within the past week or even the one that was laid just yesterday? Once a few babies hatch out will they just abandon the rest?

Thanks for any advice or input.

Yes, usually 3 days after the first eggs hatch the broody will abandon the nest and take care of the chicks. In hindsight, it is generally best to mark the initial eggs with a band around the egg (so that you can see it without messing with the eggs too much) and to remove any extras every day. That way, you don't have to worry about a staggered hatch and the hen abandoning viable eggs to take care of her chicks. So, what I would do is to prepare an incubator to take care of the eggs that may still be viable when (preferably before) the hen abandons the nest. I would remove the extra eggs and put them into the incubator (after candling to try to determine what stage they are at) 48 hours after the first egg hatches, probably about 24 hours before the broody abandons the nest.

As far as the two broodies go, I would candle the eggs as soon as possible, putting the more advanced group of eggs under one hen and the less advanced under the other hen....that way you may be able to avoid too much of a staggered hatch.

Now, the egg cleaning. I don't usually clean them under any circumstances. I will pick off the "chunks" of stuff that can get stuck to the eggs, but I don't wash them. I'm not sure what you should do in this case, maybe someone with experience with a broken egg in the broody nest can help.

 

[Heron's Nest Farm]

I went out today to see my hen and her hatch. She has continued to hatch for 5 days! I was going to take the eggs yesterday, but she was so insitant. Glad as 2 hatched last night BUT I found 2 of the older ones smothered.

Has this ever happened to any of you?

 

[little]

thanks for the info lady mc camley,my tillie2 hatched 4 of the 5 white leghorns yesterday. the #5 still hasn't hatched.how long do i leave it in the nest.will i need to water the 4 or should i step aside

 

[Heron's Nest Farm]

My broody has has a postpartum breakdown...I went out to find a few chicks screaming and cowering as she attacked! I kicked her out. i feel bad for her as she seemed so confused and is desperately trying to get back in. Weird. Must be hormonal?

They are all doing great without her; eating and drinking.