Broodies on eggs? Broodies with babies? Post here.

[ursusarctosana]

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I had a couple of eggs that looked similar to that. They didn't have the "pulling away" or extended air sac so much as they appeared thick and heavy, difficult to candle through or see movement. Those were the eggs that didn't hatch.

I've also noticed that the Faverolles eggs that hatched under my broodies were more difficult to see movement in sometimes. The two eggs from my bantams that were placed fresh under a broody have always moved a lot, as if they are doing jumping jacks inside the eggs, so I've had no doubt that they are strong. I wonder why that is? Perhaps because the Faverolles chicks were bigger they didn't have as much space to move?

 

[ursusarctosana]

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The second egg, to me, looked like it was fertile but failed to develop. Anyone else have a reading on this one?

 

[Donnadzitall]

I have a red bantam cochin (not sure if that is in the right order there...lol) sitting on 9 eggs right now...she mated with a black bantam cochin so I am curious to see if they are fertile, what color and all that...she started on the 11th of Feb. MY FIRST TIME TOO! She has gone broody on non fertile eggs before (meaning we did NOT have a rooster) so I already know she is dedicated. I'm excited. What are the color possibilites? (I know dumb Q) meaning, will they be black OR red? Colors of previous breeding? I'm totally new to this.

 

[ursusarctosana]

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The one thing I can tell you is that my two cochin bantams (one red, one black birchen) have been excellent broody hens. Between them they hatched 11 Faverolles eggs ordered from eggbid and are now exceptional mothers. I've kept them in the back room of my house (one in a dog crate, the other in a broody pen made from an old dresser) and I let them come out (separately or they'll fight) with their chicks and spend time in a large plastic swimming pool that I sprinkle with crickets, broccoli, or other goodies. I'm lucky, too, that my hens were raised from chicks and they are extremely tame. The black one did bite me a few times when she first became broody, but it was easy to gain her trust.

To tell if the two eggs from my flock were fertile or not I placed them under the broody hen and candled them a few days later. I didn't purchase an egg candler, rather I have a little MagLight flashlight and I cup the egg in my left hand, large side down, and shine the flashlight up under the egg. By about the fifth day, at least, you should be able to see the veins and development of the embryo. It's good to turn off all the lights around you, though.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

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It doesn't get as cold here as it does where you are, but I have had broodies successfully incubate eggs during our infrequent freezes. They just clamp down even flatter than usual (the kids laugh and say "look at the chicken pancake!") and only take the briefest of breaks off the nest. Sometimes if it's going to be exceptionally cold I'll pile straw, sleeping bags, or patio furniture cushions around their nest boxes to add extra insulation.

One of our hens inspired her own name while she was incubating in cold weather. She looked so flat & round setting low on her eggs that we named her "Cookie".

 

[Catalina]

This is Lavender in her new broody box

And look eggs!

on packing!

I'm letting them sit on my counter for 24 hours and then putting them under her.
Is that right?

 

[Donnadzitall]

Quote:
The one thing I can tell you is that my two cochin bantams (one red, one black birchen) have been excellent broody hens. Between them they hatched 11 Faverolles eggs ordered from eggbid and are now exceptional mothers. I've kept them in the back room of my house (one in a dog crate, the other in a broody pen made from an old dresser) and I let them come out (separately or they'll fight) with their chicks and spend time in a large plastic swimming pool that I sprinkle with crickets, broccoli, or other goodies. I'm lucky, too, that my hens were raised from chicks and they are extremely tame. The black one did bite me a few times when she first became broody, but it was easy to gain her trust.

To tell if the two eggs from my flock were fertile or not I placed them under the broody hen and candled them a few days later. I didn't purchase an egg candler, rather I have a little MagLight flashlight and I cup the egg in my left hand, large side down, and shine the flashlight up under the egg. By about the fifth day, at least, you should be able to see the veins and development of the embryo. It's good to turn off all the lights around you, though.

Thank you so much for the info...I've only seen her jump off long enough to grab food and water and she is back on...moving them from one side of the nesting box to the other....I think I will candle them tonight, I do with the pheasants but didn't even think to do it with her...DUH!! LOL! We call her Baby Red cuz she is so small...incredibly friendly with me...we'll see what she does when I try to look at them huh? I will let ya all know!

 

[EllyMae]

Quote:
It doesn't get as cold here as it does where you are, but I have had broodies successfully incubate eggs during our infrequent freezes. They just clamp down even flatter than usual (the kids laugh and say "look at the chicken pancake!") and only take the briefest of breaks off the nest. Sometimes if it's going to be exceptionally cold I'll pile straw, sleeping bags, or patio furniture cushions around their nest boxes to add extra insulation.

One of our hens inspired her own name while she was incubating in cold weather. She looked so flat & round setting low on her eggs that we named her "Cookie".

That's funny that you mentioned the chicken pancake, lol. That is exactly what I told my husband, that Agnes looked like a pancake chicken sitting on her nest.

 

[Catalina]

I asked this question in another thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=136952, but everyone gave different answers.

If your hen, that has been vaccinated, hatches out chicks - Do you have to vaccinate the chicks?
I don't want the chicks to die and I don't want my hens to die, but I also hate the idea of sticking a needle into them too!

What do you all do for your home hatched chickes (including incubator hatched)?

 

[Leah-yes I know I'm crazy]

Wow, Catalina, now I have something new to worry about. I don't know the answer but I will look around.
Well I tried to do the deed tonight and candle the eggs under "butch" (that's what we call her now because she growls like a dog) with not much luck. I had several that were obviously not fertile bad roos...bad and managed to get my hand pecked at enough times that I was worried about causing damage by dropping eggs. I have several that are developing well though so I am still optimistic. The thing that surprised me the most was something that I should have known...birds are dirty nasty creatures and Butch has crapped on several of her eggs. Grrr. Now we are both growling like dogs.
Anyway, I tossed a few eggs, wiped a few eggs, and learned that Butch is a very scary BO.