Broodies on eggs? Broodies with babies? Post here.

[shelleyd2008]

Mama should basically handle everything, as far as food and water, but you may want to keep her and the chicks in a small area, so the chicks can get under her easier if they get cold. That's why I took Gertie's last chicks away. The only 'pen' I had to put her in was a large dog kennel, and I couldn't see locking her up in there. Every time I saw those poor babies they were fluffed up. Don't let her go outside with them at all. They would get wet and chilled by the snow.

As for how they hatch? I have no idea, but they seem to manage. I think the hen kind of 'stands up' a bit to give them room.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Quote:
Wow - that's great!!!! I'd give it until day 10 and see if you can see through the darker one.

I have some bad news though. When I got home last night, the broody in the dog crate had kicked out another egg so she was only sitting on one. When I went out this morning, she was roosting on the edge of the box I made for her nest and the lonely egg was cold.

I moved her back into the coop with the others. The broody that I left in the coop is still sitting on her eggs; now I'm sorry I moved the other one.

 

[coolchickens]

Oh Cindy, that's too bad about the eggs. I think the next time I would leave her in her nest. Is there a way you can put something around it to protect her from the other hens but still get out and eat/drink? Mine is hardly moving off her nest at all but this AM I did find her off, out in the pen eating corn and fluffed & growling at her 20 wk old last hatch. They don't come NEAR her! ha She also really growls and will peck if I try to reach under her to check eggs. Last time I just put on gloves and did it anyway as I was anxious to see & candle eggs. This time I'm waiting and when she gets off of them, like today, I run out and candle them. It's a little early, day 5ish but I just had to! I'm going to run another thread re embryo development because it was weird. Some look fertile but there is one that appears to look developed at least wk or more than the others, but they are brn eggs & hard for me to do. I am excited as it looks like at least 5 of the 8 have something in there. Sharon

 

[chicken500]

Ok I candeled again today and I took out 4 that did not look like they have had any development or they had a blood ring. Now I'm down to 14 and I so hope they all hatch!
My friend's hen just hatched 15 chicks today.

 

[Jonathanq1]

My hens first day is today... 21 days to go...

 

[gckiddhouse]

Quote:
I am so glad you joined the thread. I am going to be back to square one as of tomorrow.

I ordered eggs and I had a classroom lined up to incubate them. However, now the teacher tells me that she is "not comfortable" with incubating my eggs that I paid so much for. She only wants my mutt eggs. How do you like that?? The eggs will be here tomorrow and she is backing out!!

Everyone says that broodies are better, but this is her first time, so I wasn't going to trust her with the expensive eggs, but now it seems I don't have a choice.

I may try to talk her into it, but I may end up putting my ordered eggs under the broody and giving the eggs she has to the teacher to finish.

Hey all, will that work??? Can I move the eggs?? I was thinking that I would candle them and bring all that looked promising to the teacher. Please tell me how to do this. If it won't work, I can always just throw them out and start fresh with new eggs, but that is a lot of waste of my precious eggs.

One the up side, I am really excited about my Marans eggs that should be here tomorrow!!!

Thanks for your replies to help me!!!

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

My broody was sitting on 5 eggs. I filled up my bator - only holds 41, so I just went out and put 7 more eggs under her. There will be a week difference but I'm hoping for the best. I can always pull them in and put them in the bator to hatch. That's what I keep telling myself anyway!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Or you could just take the chicks away as they hatch. If she is a good mama, you should be able to give them all back once she is done, provided you watch her and take them away at any sign of trouble.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
I am so glad you joined the thread. I am going to be back to square one as of tomorrow.

I ordered eggs and I had a classroom lined up to incubate them. However, now the teacher tells me that she is "not comfortable" with incubating my eggs that I paid so much for. She only wants my mutt eggs. How do you like that?? The eggs will be here tomorrow and she is backing out!!

Everyone says that broodies are better, but this is her first time, so I wasn't going to trust her with the expensive eggs, but now it seems I don't have a choice.

I may try to talk her into it, but I may end up putting my ordered eggs under the broody and giving the eggs she has to the teacher to finish.

Hey all, will that work??? Can I move the eggs?? I was thinking that I would candle them and bring all that looked promising to the teacher. Please tell me how to do this. If it won't work, I can always just throw them out and start fresh with new eggs, but that is a lot of waste of my precious eggs.

One the up side, I am really excited about my Marans eggs that should be here tomorrow!!!

Thanks for your replies to help me!!!

It could work, but it would depend on how long the eggs have been incubated for, how long they would be without heat, and a lot of different factors. How many are under your broody now, and how many are you expecting? Sorry, i haven't been following this too well. What kind of hen is it? You might just be able to leave the eggs she has under her and add the marans eggs too. But it would depend on how big the hen is, and how many eggs there are all together. You would just have to take the babies away, like I told LRR's Mama.

 

[OHMYCHICKIES]

Glad I saw this thread. I've got a broody sitting on about 22 eggs. She's really fluffed up trying to cover them all. According to the 21 day schedule, they were due yesterday. I did reach down and got to candle one and didn't see any light come through. I know she has kicked several out at times and they were developed but not much. This is the first time for me and I'm clueless. It snowy and cold outside, hopefully all turns out good. I keep waiting to see a baby in the morning.