Broodies on eggs? Broodies with babies? Post here.

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I'd see if you can get it out and clean up any other eggs that it might have gotten on.

Chicken500 - yes, you want to see little black blobs so that's good!!!!!

I found two eggs kicked out of the nest that I had marked with pencil yesterday :-( Not sure how many more are under her; she growls and scares me LOL. Other broody is still sitting on the nest in the coop and the other hens are laying their eggs on the floor underneath the boxes. Guess they won't go anywhere near her either!!

 

[Teresaann24]

today is the end of day 11 for my eggs under my broody...She is still sitting strong I get so worried where she has been sitting so long she is going to give up...I hope not!!!

 

[coolchickens]

My broody started setting on 8 eggs on Sat. the 7th. Expect them around 26th or 27th. This is her 2nd hatch. First time hatch for her & me was Oct. with 4 eggs and I added two 1 day old chicks from the feed store (GJ's pullets) under her on first day she was hatching. She accepted the new chicks and kept sitting until all eggs were hatched. She is a 2 yr. old Cochin and I think for her first hatch, four were plenty for her to care for. Now she is a "pro" so she thinks! ha She is an extremely broody hen so I think I can use her for either putting shipped eggs under her or adding live chicks to. I'm hoping these 8, I will have some fertile but I really don't know yet and can't candle for a few more days, I guess.

 

[Beau coop]

Hi all,

I can't decide if I am going to candle tonight. My girl is not too happy anymore when I come near her. She doesn't peck or try to hurt me, but growls and fluffs. I think they know best. I was hoping to at least get the clear egg out from under her tonight. I just don't want to have to clean exploded egg off anything.

If any eggs are going to hatch should be on 17/18.

I bought a large dog crate I am going to move them

to and then bring that into the house for warmth. I know she should be able to keep them warm, but I am a fussy, non risk taking chicken momma.

I am thinking about ordering a few chicks for her if these don't hatch. Her dilegence should be rewarded. I hope it won't take too long to get some. I don't want her to set longer than necesary.

We had a few nice weather days in a row and her coop mates were out side eating grass and there she was stuck in the nest. She warbled and warbled. Clearly thinking "what the cluck?"

I am babying her. I'm an enabler. Making her strawberries with oatmeal for breakfast. Lifting her off the nest though she really doesn't want to go; ,heavy body legs stiff- doing her best "toddler you can't make me do it formation." Making sure her food and water are right next to her so she doesn't have to get up to eat or drink. She refuses to drink if I am watching- what is that about? She will eat, but no way will she touch the water if I can see her.
We're in the home stretch though.

I am going to Pittsburgh to meet new nephew "mr. man" sun mon tues. I may miss hatching. Thinking of spending $250 on panasonic internet camera so I can watch if they hatch while I'm away.

Can you say- ADDICT!!!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Ooo!! I just saw this thread! My silly girl Gertie is broody again!!

This is her third time, and she is just barely a year old. The first time she hatched 6 chicks on her own, and brooded a total of 13. Second time, she hatched and brooded 8 chicks. They are 10 weeks old. She has been brooding again for about a week now. At first, she had 1 egg and 1 golf ball, until I got some eggs from jmhappycowboy. His ee eggs are just beautiful!! Even more blue than the pure ameracauna eggs I had gotten from someone else!

Anyway, she is due the 27th, so does that count?

I saw her today with one of the eggs in her mouth, running around the yard. There was some whites in the nest box, so I'm thinking either another hen was trying to get in with her, or the egg was bad so she disposed of it. I found the shell, after her and a couple others were done eating it, and I didn't see any blood or veins in it. So I'm thinking the egg was bad. I know there were a few eggs that looked very shaken up when I got them, so I'm assuming that was the problem. This is the first time I have set shipped eggs under a broody, so let's hope it works! I know I'm not having any luck hatching shipped eggs in the bator!

Oh, and Gertie is a birchen OEG/silkie mix. So very broody!!

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

You are truly an addict and an enabler!!!! I moved mine to a large dog crate and every day she kicks more eggs out of the nest. Started with 5, down to 2. I have another broody that I left in the nest in the coop and so far so good. This is my first time so I can't give you any advice, only hoping that you come home to some babies!

I know what you mean about growling and fluffing - mine do too which is why I have no clue how many eggs the other broody is sitting on - she HAS tried to peck at me so I just leave her be.

I guess they know what they're doing better than we do, so I'll just wait and be patient.

 

[Beau coop]

Shelley- wow! third time! My OEGB is just a year old -Feb 3- and this is her first time.
I have 3 RIR the same age and non of them have gone broody. Thank goodness!

 

[Majestic Lane Poultry]

I candled mine last night!

I can see through the white shells and can tell that 6 out of 7 are fertile and through one light brown shelled egg as well.

My Buff Orpington Georgie has 11 under her...California Whites x Buff Orpington crosses and pure Buffs. This is only day 7.

Do you think I need to get a brighter light or do I just need to wait a few more days to see evidence through the darker shells?

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Yep! She is one crazy girl! Her first hatch was in August, when she was about 7 (?) months old. She went broody the 2nd time in November, and a friend gave me some eggs to set under her. She had been the only one laying, so I was a bit egg poor at the time. She hatched 8 of 8 eggs that time! I took those chicks away at 4 weeks, since it was getting colder (and she likes to leave her chicks early). That was around the first of the year. A month after I took those chicks away, she is broody again!

She is a good mama, but she leaves her chicks too early. The first ones she left when they were 4 weeks old. They were still going to the nest to sleep.

I hope she has a good hatch with these eggs. It bothers me that she had one broken yesterday, cause that's a first. But, I did have her seperated from the rest in a dog crate the first time, and she was the only one laying the second time. She has an egg from my OEG hen in her nest now, so there is some nest sharing going on. I'm surprised, cause Gertie is not very nice when she is broody! I wish I had a way to record her. She literally sounds like she is screaming 'GO AWAAAAAAAY!!' when one of the others gets too close!

 

[Beau coop]

Since this is my first time I am uncertain about a few things. Maybe you could help?

How do chicks hatch under her, get out of the shell, and not get squished or suffocated?

Will the momma handle" everything, ie. how to find water and food (supplied by me of course).

Will momma keep them warm? We have 30 degrees and snow right now. Should I bring them into the house. Garage is unheated and we open the door to the tundra a couple times a day.