Broody Hatchalong!

[Anne02]

Oh wow! Much further along than I thought!!

Oh, wait, I counted wrong. Today is day 17. Yesterday was 16.

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

Hows it all going!?!?! We all entered the dead zone of just waiting for the things to hatch. But after the beginning when any problems with the hens would arise .

I just candled my eggs while I put my hen on break! Two were infertile but the rest are all looking fantastic!! Great big air sacs and very dark insides. One of the infertile ones was from my young Cream Legbar but thats okay because I should have plenty of chances to try her eggs later on. The rest are EE/OE s and two other maran/oe and maran/maran. Does anyone know what color egg you get when crossing OEs with Marans and EE with OEs. I have only seen how you get OEs and EEs but not crossing them back again. I would assume im just going to have a whole lot of dark green eggs, right? And while im on the topic, what might happen crossing an EE with a light brown layer (faverolles)? Just beige like the Faverolles?

And aren't some of you getting close to hatching date!!??

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

@Anne02 your on day 20 right? Any early hatchers??

 

[Sally PB]

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

@Anne02, have any hatched yet???? Cant wait to see pictures!



One week left for me. GETTING SO CLOSE!!! I don't know how I can go another week though

Good thing is, once my chicken eggs hatch I have exactly another week before my quail eggs hatch so at least I will have something to distract me for that.

 

[Chicken Momma 27]

I’m new to hatching and need some help. Two weeks ago my hen went broody but this morning when I went to check on her, she’d moved nest boxes. In her old box were two eggs (not sure if they were abandoned or new eggs from my other girls). She has lost weight in the past two weeks and I’m concerned for her health. Any advice?

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

I’m new to hatching and need some help. Two weeks ago my hen went broody but this morning when I went to check on her, she’d moved nest boxes. In her old box were two eggs (not sure if they were abandoned or new eggs from my other girls). She has lost weight in the past two weeks and I’m concerned for her health. Any advice?

Yeah, you need to make sure she's getting up to eat/drink/poop. My broody won't do it herself so I have to pick her up out off her eggs and block her out of the coop letting her eat drink and poop for 15-20 min. I do this everyday but Im trying to get her to do it herself so sometimes I skip a day to see what happens.

 

[Chicken Momma 27]

Yeah, you need to make sure she's getting up to eat/drink/poop. My broody won't do it herself so I have to pick her up out off her eggs and block her out of the coop letting her eat drink and poop for 15-20 min. I do this everyday but Im trying to get her to do it herself so sometimes I skip a day to see what happens.

I wasn't sure how long she could be off the eggs so about a week ago I put food and water right beside her in the best box. I still think she's starving herself though.

Should I be candling her eggs? If so, how often is safe and when should I remove an egg?

 

[maceleneo]

hi! is it too late to join? my marans pingu went broody last week and I gave her some (hopefully) fertile eggs on easter, so they should be hatching around april 25. I'm really excited: this is my first year raising chickens and none of my hens went broody before, but she seems to know what she's doing!

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

I wasn't sure how long she could be off the eggs so about a week ago I put food and water right beside her in the best box. I still think she's starving herself though.

Should I be candling her eggs? If so, how often is safe and when should I remove an egg?

First off, move the food and water away asap. When she doesn't have to get off the nest to eat and drink she won't get off the nest to poop either. Then, well... you get the rest. You have a hole clutch of poop soaked eggs. Not a good deal. You should keep trying to fully remove her from the nest to eat/drink/poop. She can be off the nest for awhile. Ive heard of birds being off the nest for 7 hours and still fine. But absolutely don't take her off for 7 hours . The most my hen was off the eggs was 1 1/2 hours. Eggs totally fine. 2 hours should be the max. But that one time was actually an accident and I forgot to set a timer for her. I usually take her off 20 min at a time. Then like I said I switched to every other day around day 10 and just an hour ago I saw her eating and drinking all by herself without me taking her off the nest!

Lastly, I don't really candle until late in the cycle. I just candled on Easter for the first time to check for infertiles. Just lost 2 out of 11. Otherwise, it's not necessary. Somehow hens can tell if an egg is dead and will usually reject it. Or it will just not hatch. Either way it still works the same! Good luck hatching!