1st time trying to hatch with a broody hen.

[Caffus]

I'm hatching for a friend who wants some chickens and I might keep one or two. I'm using a broody hen and an incubator. I started the hen July 2nd with 9 eggs. She broke 3 of them and kicked two away from her. Now she only has 4.
This is my 1st time and I wanted to share it with you. Any advice will be appreciated. She is in with my flock, I don't have a better option. Sometimes the other hens lay eggs in her nest and she collects them. I remove the new eggs, because I marked the ones I'm trying to have her hatch. The eggs are dirty. I figure, this is the natural way. If I wash them, it will remove the protection and they will just get dirty again. Chickens poop almost constantly and eggs left in the coop sometimes break.
I do clean my coop daily. I have gotten several clean eggs for indoor incubation. Some, I had to clean, a little. These I set in my incubator July 8th. There is 13 in the incubator and 4 under the hen.
I'm expecting at least 8 total to hatch. I hatched 8 heathly chicks from this incubator last time out of 11 eggs. I would like to have the hen care for the few I'd like to keep, at least for awhile.

 

[demonic]

Is this her first time being broody?

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

Good luck! My broody with her chicks the other day:

 

[Caffus]

Is this her first time being broody?

Yes, but, she has been broody for at least two months even though, I've collected the eggs everyday. So, I thought I'd try letting her hatch some.

 

[Caffus]

Good luck! My broody with her chicks the other day:View attachment 2756154

Thank you..that is so neat.

 

[cluckcluckhens]

I hope you get some chicks. It is so neat to watch a broody. First time we did this was last year. Broody's will remove eggs if she thinks something is wrong with the egg. Ours removed one that was in the nesting box after it hatched. The last one I think she gave up on it because she took her three chicks to the run to show them around. It is neat to watch mama train her chicks. I went into the coop and pet mama and talked to her allot. That is what I did. Three out of five is pretty good I believe.

 

[neo71665]

I always remove the broody to a "hatching cage" with a nest box in it. Keeps the others from trying to lay eggs on top of her. IMHO thats how most eggs are broken under a broody.

 

[Caffus]

Here is a picture of my broody hen, Doodle.

 

[Caffus]

I have two roosters, until recently, I haven't had anywhere, to put even one separate from the hens. Which is why she is missing feathers. Now There is one rooster and 10 hens together.

 

[Pollito Pelon]

I let my broody hens do their thing I just keep water and food nearby and candle eggs to remove