Broodie hen is expecting - signs?

[scoopy82]

Just wondering if hens show any signs when their eggs are about to hatch? My hen is sitting on 12 eggs - 6 are due tomorrow and the other 6 are due about 4 days later, and this afternoon i noticed she is doing something i haven't seen her do before. She usually keeps all of the eggs very well covered and hidden but this aftrenoon she had about 3 only half covered in front of her. I checked her a few times and they were still poking out each time i checked. So i was just wondering if she is giving them more air cos they are ready to hatch, or am i clutching at straws and she has just forgotten to cover them? It is quite warm here in Australia (summer). Are there any other signs she might give, or has anyone had a broodie that has given signs? Stories would be nice to hear

 

[GreenGoddess]

Sounds to me like she may be putting the eggs that are 4 days behind aside because they are not developing the way the others are.. Do you have an incubator? I don't believe your hen will hatch all of those eggs.. Once the first set of eggs hatch, she will get off the nest and tend to those chicks, leaving the others to die... If she don't throw them out of the nest and kill them first...

Goddess

 

[pinkchick]

Do you have an incubator? You might find that once the eggs set to hatch first are hatched that Momma will not be interested in sitting on the eggs that are suppose to hatch 4 days later with all the new bustle of the first chicks to hatch.
When I am lucky enough to get a broody, they start chattering at the eggs when they feel movement and hear peeping, they do not do this during the first 18-19 days, they normally just sit on them quietly. I also noticed once that one of my broodies moved a few eggs out from under her and turned her beak up at them, after the hatch I cracked the eggs open and they had quit developing around 10-15 days, maybe they know something we don't.
Good luck with your hatch! Hope all goes well for you and your broody!

 

[scoopy82]

I am in the middle of making an incubator so perhaps i should get a wriggle on and finish it!
I thought the four day gap was too large but i left them their in hope that they may hatch a little early as we have had very warm weather.
This morning she had covered all the eggs again - and yes! I have heard mumma hen doing a little bit of chattering, while she hasn't said boo for the past 20 odd days. Also I'm pretty sure i can hear pipping, there are noises coming from under her although being so anxious i could be imagining them - i sure hope I'm not though! Fingers crossed for today!

 

[KWAK]

have any hatch yet?
so far one of my chicks has hatched and the others are sure making a lot of noise in there eggs.... and i think one is startingtoo crack its egg open

 

[chuckzoo]

This is all very interesting!

What breed of chicken is the broodie? I didn't know a chicken could hatch 12 eggs at one time.

 

[magicpigeon]

Quote:
Mine once hatched 18 at one time

 

[chuckzoo]

Quote:
Mine once hatched 18 at one time

Wow - Superchicken!

 

[scoopy82]

None have hatched yet - that I can see! I'm positive there are noises coming from under all her feathers and they sound rather busy! But no chirping, more like tapping noises.
She is a brown Leg Horn hen, and from all I've heard they are not really the mothering type so that considered - she has been wonderful!
The friend who supplied the fertilised eggs for me said that she thought 12 would be the most she would put under a hen the size of mine as any more and she may have trouble turning them all. Mumma hen has seemed to have coped fine, I should really post a photo

 

[PamB]

Well, I am VERY new at this, but my first broody just hatched five chicks last week and during "lockdown" I kept having to push the eggs back under her because they were sticking out. They all hatched though...so that is good news for you!!! Good luck!!!