Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[fisherlady]

My Bonnie went broody she is sitting on 2 eggs

Congratulations! Now for the hardest part, waiting!!! LOL

 

[emmie325]

Congratulations! Now for the hardest part, waiting!!! LOL

ain't that right

 

[Tialena]

My beautiful silkie girl "lady Tia" is on day 20 now, she is sitting on 6 silkie eggs "not her own as I don't own a cockerel" we bought them from a lovely lady who also rescues chickens. Praying that at least a couple hatch, I havnt candled them as I'm completely new to all this, so eggcited! Lol she hasn't come off her nest today yet so I havnt been able to sneak a peek

 

[fisherlady]

My beautiful silkie girl "lady Tia" is on day 20 now, she is sitting on 6 silkie eggs "not her own as I don't own a cockerel" we bought them from a lovely lady who also rescues chickens. Praying that at least a couple hatch, I havnt candled them as I'm completely new to all this, so eggcited! Lol she hasn't come off her nest today yet so I havnt been able to sneak a peek

Good luck!
Just so you know, most of our broodies (and our silkies in particular) start hatching on day 20...so don't be surprised to see chicks early.

We came home from camp last night to do some chores that couldn't wait and some laundry...we will go back today to finish our vacation week...and our broody already had one chick at least out and dry, she was due tonight.
So we will be able to move her to a quieter area, since she is brooding in her favorite box, which happens to be an elevated egg box in the main part of the coop.

 

[Tialena]

Tia still has not come off the nest so maybe fingers crossed, hoping that somthing is happening. She is a first time broody and I'm a new chicken mama, we have only owned chickens for about 6 month's so it's new to both of us. She's a very sweet chicken she just purrs when I look in her nest, as I said I really hope a few hatch as it not so easy to get 1 day old's here.

 

[ameliadanielle]

My silkie mix that lost all her eggs during the heat of the summer and pooped the nest has been trying to go broody again. We took all her eggs yesterday and she laid another to sit on this morning. I know it was hers. Brown, small, shaped like my silkie eggs. So I let her have her egg and added 4 cochin eggs and 3 EE eggs. We'll see how it goes. I'm hoping her last attempt can be blamed on the extreme heat. If not... we may have to eat her to keep her out of nest boxes.

 

[uncredibless33]

Our Buff Orpington is still sitting on Ameraucana eggs right now. It's day 18- we're in the home stretch! Now, the chick waiting game begins. We've got 9 that developed satisfactorily and each one was candled last night. Everyone's moving and has grown like they were supposed to, from what we can tell.

Our poor mama bird, though. She's lost a ton of weight over the last three weeks. She won't stand up from the eggs if we don't make her. I can't wait until these eggs hatch, not only to see the babies but for her sake as well.

 

[chickenn@@b]

I have 2 broodies sitting on 4 eggs each. It's been 18 days. one of the eggs got broken open yesterday and a fully formed chick died. Is it safe to candle the rest or should I leave them alone? I'm just curious how many viable eggs are left. I know at least a few had development.. I checked them a week ago.

 

[Turk Raphael]

I have 2 broodies sitting on 4 eggs each. It's been 18 days. one of the eggs got broken open yesterday and a fully formed chick died. Is it safe to candle the rest or should I leave them alone? I'm just curious how many viable eggs are left. I know at least a few had development.. I checked them a week ago.

A couple more days...three eggs? I'd leave them alone...but that's just me.

 

[greenfeathers]

Well I'm joining this thread.

One of my BO's went broody and I decided to give her some eggs. She was on two last night and I gave her 6 I had collected from the day before. She's been in the nest all week though.

I'm interested to see what hatches since I have a mixed flock of large fowl. Dad is either a White JG or a Light Brahma. There are several choice for moms as I haven't figured out who lays what eggs yet. They are all just about 7 months old and my first chickens.