Accidentally broke broody

[TiffanyL22]

Hey guys! So I have had chickens fir about 7 years now for eggs. Commercial layers. Last year we got 11 silkies for “pets”’cause I think they are cute, and 20
Barred rock. 17hens. 3 roosters. Everyone seems to get along. Silkies of course have their own separate coop and run. About a month ago I had 2 silkies go broody and much to surprise yielded 4 chicks one morning when I visited the coop. Chirp chirp. Hahaha! I knew they had been sitting but never really kept track. Thinking there was no way chicks would hatch in a non heated coop in the middle of winter!!!! Well I was WRONG! So after seeing there were more eggs. I brought the hens (they both were sharing same nest box into my heated garage and placed them in a kennel. Is this normal for multiple hens to share the same box when they are broody? Should I have separated them? Keep in mind my knowledge of this subject is relatively new and everything I have learned is just from reading online. So everything went well for another week I would say. I had 4 more chicks hatch. However I found 2 chicks dead. In the exact same position, in the exact same spot in the kennel. Is this wierd? Do you think one of my hens killed them cause they weren’t hers? One hen always seemed to have the eggs under her and the chicks under her wings even though other hen would lay in the box beside her?? Anyways. After finding my second chick who was alive and well for days dead yesterday, I decided to take the chicks and place them in a brooder (where first 4 already were, I had removed them about 24hrs after hatch once they were dry and they are all doing great). The moment I took the chicks from the hens yesterday they immediately jumped off the nest and have since to return. I did place them back on in the dark last night and my husband says they were on the nest this morning but I assume I broke them of broody and there is nothing I can do now? I tried putting them on again this morning cause they eggs were pretty cold but they didn’t stay. I do have a broody barred rock hen out in the main coop. I snuck a few of the silkie eggs under her this morning the ones I knew were fertile. But I’m assuming I will loose the rest. Sad day for me. I feel like I failed by intervening too much! Ugh. Lesson learned. Any advice for future broody hens please, or emotional support? Haha!

 

[sourland]

Hello, and welcome to BYC. Sometimes co brooding/setting works, and sometimes it does not. I prefer to have hens set in their own nests. Chickens are pretty much genetically programmed to leave the nest 24 -36 hours after the first chick hatches. This is so that the chicks can access food and water. When a hen goes broody give her a clutch of eggs all at the same time. Make sure that no eggs are added to the clutch while she is setting as staggered hatches can be disastrous. It is possible that your hens inadvertently killed the chicks while arguing over 'who is the mother'. Enjoy your flock.

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

Hello, and welcome to BYC. Sometimes co brooding/setting works, and sometimes it does not. I prefer to have hens set in their own nests. Chickens are pretty much genetically programmed to leave the nest 24 -36 hours after the first chick hatches. This is so that the chicks can access food and water. When a hen goes broody give her a clutch of eggs all at the same time. Make sure that no eggs are added to the clutch while she is setting as staggered hatches can be disastrous. It is possible that your hens inadvertently killed the chicks while arguing over 'who is the mother'. Enjoy your flock.

I second that. And bienvenue to BackYard Chickens.

 

[TiffanyL22]

How long are fertilized eggs good for? Meaning how long can I “collect” Some for a broody hen to hatch. Thanks for the clarity. I’m obviously doing it all wrong! Adding in eggs as they were laid in the coop. I assume it’s ok to put my hens back out into the coop now that they have no interest in their nest.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Many people let multiple broody hens incubate, hatch , and raise chicks together. It's cute and it often works out OK. But as Sour said, sometimes eggs or chicks are destroyed as they fight over the eggs or chicks. I've had that happen so I only allow one broody hen at a time where they can get to each other.

How long are fertilized eggs good for?

Depends on how they are stored. If they are kept in ideal conditions such as 55 degrees Fahrenheit and in high humidity they can easily last two weeks. They need to be turned a few times each day. I turn mine but keep them in the house at room temperature and fairly low humidity for a week without problems. Alternate warming up and cooling off is not good, steady temperatures are best so don't put them where sunlight can hit them or an air duct blow on them. Either store them laying down flat or with the pointy side down. If you store them pointy side up you mess up the air cell.

The way I do it is when a hen goes broody I start collecting eggs to set under her. If it takes a week so be it, no problem. Once I get all the eggs I want I mark them so I can tell which ones belong and start them at the same time so they will hatch at the same time. That is important. Then every day after the others have laid I check under the broody hen and remove any eggs that don't belong. As long as you remove them daily you can still eat them.

 

[TiffanyL22]

Many people let multiple broody hens incubate, hatch , and raise chicks together. It's cute and it often works out OK. But as Sour said, sometimes eggs or chicks are destroyed as they fight over the eggs or chicks. I've had that happen so I only allow one broody hen at a time where they can get to each other.


Depends on how they are stored. If they are kept in ideal conditions such as 55 degrees Fahrenheit and in high humidity they can easily last two weeks. They need to be turned a few times each day. I turn mine but keep them in the house at room temperature and fairly low humidity for a week without problems. Alternate warming up and cooling off is not good, steady temperatures are best so don't put them where sunlight can hit them or an air duct blow on them. Either store them laying down flat or with the pointy side down. If you store them pointy side up you mess up the air cell.

The way I do it is when a hen goes broody I start collecting eggs to set under her. If it takes a week so be it, no problem. Once I get all the eggs I want I mark them so I can tell which ones belong and start them at the same time so they will hatch at the same time. That is important. Then every day after the others have laid I check under the broody hen and remove any eggs that don't belong. As long as you remove them daily you can still eat them.

Thank you so much for all this information! I guess I just got a little too excited as a first time Hatcher!! Haha! All makes total sense!!

 

[sourland]

How long are fertilized eggs good for? Meaning how long can I “collect” Some for a broody hen to hatch.

A lot of folks say 10 days maximum, but just stop and think - sometimes it takes a hen longer than that to complete a clutch that results in high percentage hatches. As @Ridgerunner has said under moderate humidity and temperature eggs can be collect over a longer time frame than that.

 

[TiffanyL22]

With your experience what is an ideal #/clutch? 12?
How often should you candle them?
I “think”I know when I have a broody hen, but what are some sure signs?

 

[Ridgerunner]

With your experience what is an ideal #/clutch? 12?

To me there is no ideal clutch size. Hens and eggs come in different sizes. A really small bantam may have all she can handle to cover four regular sized eggs. Who knows how many bantam eggs a full sized hen can cover?

A hen needs to be able to comfortably cover all her eggs. If she has too many some can get pushed out and cool off enough to kill the embryo. Then that egg gets back under and another gets pushed out to die. Time of the year plays into it too. The hen needs to be able to cover all the chicks in cooler weather and the chicks grow fast. In warm weather I don't worry about it too much, I've seen chicks sleep next to Mama instead of under her. If they get cold they force their way under and push another chick out. No big deal. In cold weather I reduce the number of eggs I give the hen so she can cover all her chicks a few weeks after they hatch.

How any chicks you want plays into it too. You never know how many will hatch but you have to assume they all will. What are you going to do with those chicks? Some will be boys, what ae your plans for them? if you hatch many you'll soon be overrun with girls even if you can get rid of the boys.

I typically give a hen a dozen eggs the size she lays. I've had a hen hide a nest and bring 18 chicks off. I never found her nest so I have no idea how many eggs she started with. Obviously she could hatch that many and she raised them all. I once started a hen off with 12 eggs but she was having trouble covering them so I removed two, left her with 10. In cold weather I gave a hen 8. She only hatched five but had no trouble caring for them.

How often should you candle them?

I never candle eggs under a broody hen. I do with eggs in my incubator, it's much more convenient. Candling is not necessary for the eggs to hatch so with a broody I don't bother. I don't see that it helps anything except my curiosity. I play around with eggs in the incubator some but with a broody hen I leave her as alone as I can. I can't help her but I can mess her up.

I “think”I know when I have a broody hen, but what are some sure signs?

I only have one sure sign. There are a lot of signs that say she might be but I've had hens show all of those and not be worthy of eggs to hatch. My test is that she has to spend two consecutive nights on the nest instead of in her normal sleeping place. Some day this test may fail me but so far it has worked.

 

[TiffanyL22]

I am so thankful for everyone who took time out of their day to offer me words of advice! Wish I had of known what I know now a few days ago . Any who, I can only move forward knowing I will have broody silky hens in the near future. Now my final request. What do you guys think I should do about my 2 broody barred rocks out in the coop. They are in nesting boxes full of eggs. I never kept track. I don’t know how old they are etc. There is probably a dozen under each hen. I’m predicting at oldest there are week old eggs and newer. Should I not touch anything and leave for a few weeks? If chicks hatch remove the rest of the eggs? Wait 21 days from today and take what I get? Remove all the eggs and start with fresh eggs today? God. I wasn’t prepared for winter broody hens. I should have just taken their eggs to eat. Haha! Assuming I go out today mark what’s under them and moving forward remove all additional eggs. What about the hens? Leave them or move them. Maybe make them little barricades from other hens cause there are still available boxes for them to lay in. See they have been tricking me cause I think they switch nests. Do you guys mark your hens somehow so you know who’s sitting when they happen to get up?

Ok ok! I promise! That’s it! Once again I appreciate everyone who took time to help me out