Broodies on eggs? Broodies with babies? Post here.

[gckiddhouse]

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[Sunny Side Up]

Duh, yes you're right, that's what I get for sitting late at the 'puter counting on my fingers, instead of getting up and looking at the calendar. The eggs I set last night should be hatching around March 9.

I did once have a hen who set for over 6 weeks, after it was apparant that after 3 weeks the first clutch wasn't going to hatch I gave her a fresh clutch of eggs to incubate. She seemed none the worse for wear after her long confinement. Actually, these past few days she's been acting as if she's ready to go broody again.

Leah, I wish your Buff O great success with this hatch! As you see, there are some production breeds who will still go broody, Buff Os are definitely one of them. My kids always think it's so funny to see the hens setting like pancakes. She may just be extra protective around onlookers and wait until no one is around before slipping off her nest(griddle).

Beau, I hope you have a happy surprise waiting when you get home. The Mamas do cluck to their egglings before they hatch, and the chicks can peep loud enough to be heard through the shell. I was so surprised the first time I heard it, I thought the chicks must have hatched already, and was so surprised to find the eggs still intact. The hens & chicks are learning the sounds of each other's voices. My hens are usually intolerant of any other chicks but their own, even if they look the same. So they must detect a difference in their chirps.

Best wishes to all the broody Mamas & their human caretakers!

 

[BellLisamo]

Ok so im new to this broody thing....

there she is. I found her this morning after thinking i lost her appx 2 weeks ago. She has two chicks hatched already and 4 eggs, plus 3 duck eggs. Sooo what do i do with her? Do i take her babys? I have a brooder.... will she sit til they all hatch. I have absolutely no idea when any of these eggs were laid. She was hiding so well i never found her. Til my 3 year old spotted her.
What now?

 

[daisychick]

if it were me I would let her have the babies. Maybe she will be a great mom. As for the duck eggs...if she gets up to take care of the chicks you may have to grab the duck eggs and finish hatching them yourself.

 

[BellLisamo]

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thank you for the advice!

 

[gckiddhouse]

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Well, in AZ, I worry about the predators. But, she has lasted this long. You couldn't find her, so maybe they can't either. Chances are that she layed all the eggs and they are all due at the same time.
As long as she is willing to sit, I think I would let her sit.

When are the duck eggs due? I agree that you may have to finish those yourself. Don't they take longer than chicken eggs?

 

[Teresaann24]

I think duck eggs take like 30-31 days to incubate

I am on day 19 with my broody on her secound try of hatching eggs.

I am so excited to see if any hatch...I mostly want these babies to hatch for her more then myself..Well maybe a little myself too..LOL

 

[OHMYCHICKIES]

I am so confused...today I went out and my broody was going nuts to get out of her caged area...so I let her out. I then looked at the eggs and decided to take them out and candle them because it's been 28 days but during the first 10 days other chickens were laying over her. So as I took 33 eggs out, I candled and put back 12 marked eggs (I didn't see any light threw them). During this, my hens were fighting with the broody and now I have a BR laying on the eggs I put back, she looks like she's broody. Although the original BO broody is still in the coop not wanting to go outside. The BO broody did enjoy getting out and dusting underneath the coop, but went right back in. I don't know what else to do. I figure I won't cage the broody in anymore and just look to see what eggs are not marked and take them out.

After you candle the eggs and you see no light, how many more days should I keep them there?

 

[BellLisamo]

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Well, in AZ, I worry about the predators. But, she has lasted this long. You couldn't find her, so maybe they can't either. Chances are that she layed all the eggs and they are all due at the same time.
As long as she is willing to sit, I think I would let her sit.

When are the duck eggs due? I agree that you may have to finish those yourself. Don't they take longer than chicken eggs?

shes in a fully enclosed pen. i thought she'd gotten out! but she didnt she was hiding! duck eggs take about a week longer from what i hear. sooooo i dont know what to do! i dont have an incubator!!!

 

[Teresaann24]

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Well, in AZ, I worry about the predators. But, she has lasted this long. You couldn't find her, so maybe they can't either. Chances are that she layed all the eggs and they are all due at the same time.
As long as she is willing to sit, I think I would let her sit.

When are the duck eggs due? I agree that you may have to finish those yourself. Don't they take longer than chicken eggs?

shes in a fully enclosed pen. i thought she'd gotten out! but she didnt she was hiding! duck eggs take about a week longer from what i hear. sooooo i dont know what to do! i dont have an incubator!!!

If she leaves the duck eggs you can incubate them with a heating pad or a desk lamp. It has been done..Just search on the threads for more information if you have to. If she has chicks hatched already she will leave the nest soon with the chicks.