Broody hen advice

[veronicaseramachick]

My serama hen went broody just a few days after I stated incubating. I'm not sure the exact day count because the first days she was broody, she was off and on the nest for a day or two. I candled them but definitely not recently. All but 2 are her own ( from my other serama hens ). She is due to start "lock down" any day now and may have already started. She currently has 9 eggs under her. The whole area she is in has hay bedding and nest. She is in an above ground coop, kind-of like a floating box but has a divider so I could separate chickens. The wire is very small so the chicks can't escape and fall out. The side she is in is roughly about 2ft ( maybe 2 1/5 ) by 4-ish ft.
Is it safe to candle them and get rid of the infertile eggs if any? Can you risk shrink wrapping a chick if you lift up your hen to check on hatching chicks? Any tips to make it more safe/ favorable to a chick? Any articles would be good if there are any.

 

[K0k0shka]

I wouldn't disturb her if she's in lockdown. Broodies are good about identifying and discarding dead eggs, especially if they are so dead that they'd be a danger to the others. If she hasn't kicked any of them out yet, then I don't think they'd be a problem. So just let her be, and discard any that she leaves behind after she takes the hatchlings out of the nest.

What kind of wire divider do you have? Anything with holes larger than 1/2 inch I would not keep around chicks. They are mostly fluff, the actual chick isn't that big and can squeeze through incredibly small openings! I've had a chick that was 3-4 days old squeeze through chicken wire and almost die in the cold night, because she couldn't figure out how to get back in and under her mom. I thought chicken wire's holes were small enough... Lesson learned the hard way!

 

[veronicaseramachick]

The wire is like a galvanized hardware cloth, like the wire in the photo.
Thank you!

 

[K0k0shka]

The wire is like a galvanized hardware cloth, like the wire in the photo.
Thank you!
View attachment 3021264

Yes but that kind of wire comes in different sizes - holes of different sizes. You can get 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch, 1 inch, or larger... Measure it and see exactly how big the holes are, and change/supplement it with something denser if the holes are larger than 1/2 inch.

 

[veronicaseramachick]

Okay, the wire is very small but i will measure it to make sure.

 

[veronicaseramachick]

The wire is 1/4th inch.

 

[K0k0shka]

The wire is 1/4th inch.

That's perfect!

 

[khind]

I wouldn't disturb her if she's in lockdown. Broodies are good about identifying and discarding dead eggs, especially if they are so dead that they'd be a danger to the others. If she hasn't kicked any of them out yet, then I don't think they'd be a problem. So just let her be, and discard any that she leaves behind after she takes the hatchlings out of the nest.

What kind of wire divider do you have? Anything with holes larger than 1/2 inch I would not keep around chicks. They are mostly fluff, the actual chick isn't that big and can squeeze through incredibly small openings! I've had a chick that was 3-4 days old squeeze through chicken wire and almost die in the cold night, because she couldn't figure out how to get back in and under her mom. I thought chicken wire's holes were small enough... Lesson learned the hard way!

About what day out of the approximate 21 does a hen go into lockdown? Is it the last 3 days? And will the hen not leave the nest to poop during that time?

 

[K0k0shka]

About what day out of the approximate 21 does a hen go into lockdown? Is it the last 3 days? And will the hen not leave the nest to poop during that time?

The hen can hear them moving, peeping and pipping and will stop leaving the nest once they get active and start the process. Usually the last couple of days. Then she’ll stay in the nest with them for a couple of days after they hatch, before leading them out for the first time. You don’t need to take her out and make her eat, she can handle that herself. Just make sure there’s food and water next to the nest, so she won’t have to go far when she leaves.

 

[khind]

Thank you!
One more thing - I currently have her food dish and a shallow water dish (hard to describe - it's a piece of our old fine China, lol) close to her which has been working well. During those first couple days you mention after hatch, when she stays put with them, should I use a little larger dish for the water, with maybe a layer of washed pebbles for their safety?
(I use vertical nipple waterers in the coop for after that, which mom already uses. )