Broody Hen - Hatching Advice

[laney7]

I guess I need to read up on the yolk being absorbed and turning and all that stuff. I never let them sit on eggs before and have only had chickens for a year. Is it ok to have two roosters? I could only get straight run on my second lavender orpington and I have a feeling he is a rooster. His feet are huge and way bigger than the rest

 

[bobbi-j]

The chick absorbs the yolk sac before it hatches. (I don't know if this happens before internal pip or afterward) You don't need to worry about turning the eggs or fussing with them in any way. The hen will do everything that needs to be done with them. About the only thing I do when I have a broody on a nest is candle the eggs at about 10 and 18 days to remove any clears or quitters.

 

[laney7]

So how can you tell what won't hatch? What is a clear or quitter?

 

[bobbi-j]

A clear is one that never started to develop. When you candle, those eggs won't show any veins or other signs of development. Quitters are eggs that have started to develop but died somewhere during development. Often you will see a ring around the inside of the egg. If I'm not positive, I'll wait a few days and candle again, comparing it to an egg I am sure is still developing.

With a broody, any eggs that are going to hatch should all do so within about 24 hours from the first one (if they were all set at the same time). If the hen leaves the nest with an egg still in it, I trust her judgement that it won't hatch. Anything after 23 days, I know won't hatch. Broody incubate hens just generally don't go that late. Unless, of course, she's off the nest for a long time for some reason and the eggs get cold. That can sometimes delay a hatch.

 

[laney7]

Thanks. I have seven babies now but most of my easter eggers eggs didn't hatch. The one that did is blue grey and white... really pretty. Should be interesting

 

[little buddy]

I have had a broody hen hatch chicks the last 5 springs. Every year I worry and do less. They do have it under control. One thing that has worked well for me is placing a wood pallet in the coop and one in the run. it provides an instant hiding place and protection for chicks from adult birds.

 

[laney7]

good idea..thanks

 

[kbayness]

A clear is one that never started to develop. When you candle, those eggs won't show any veins or other signs of development. Quitters are eggs that have started to develop but died somewhere during development. Often you will see a ring around the inside of the egg. If I'm not positive, I'll wait a few days and candle again, comparing it to an egg I am sure is still developing.

With a broody, any eggs that are going to hatch should all do so within about 24 hours from the first one (if they were all set at the same time). If the hen leaves the nest with an egg still in it, I trust her judgement that it won't hatch. Anything after 23 days, I know won't hatch. Broody incubate hens just generally don't go that late. Unless, of course, she's off the nest for a long time for some reason and the eggs get cold. That can sometimes delay a hatch.

Hi Bobbi, I was wondering if it is safe to have a hen hatch chicks in a nesting box that is about 2 feet from the base of the box to the coop floor? Or should I try relocating her? This is also the first time will be having a broody hen sit.

Thanks!

 

[bobbi-j]

I'd let her be. I have one that's about 3' off the ground right now. I haven't done this yet, but other experienced chicken people let the mama decide when the babies are going to leave that nest off the ground. It doesn't hurt them to jump a couple of feet off the ground. They're just little fluff balls. I would make sure there's enough fluffy bedding under them, though. (Have you ever seen how high wood ducks nest? When it's time, those little babies jump from way up in a tree and land just fine.) When I have a broody nesting off the ground, I will usually take her and the babies out 24 hours or so after the hatch. If mama wants them out before then, she'll take care of it.

If other hens have access to where your broody is setting, mark the eggs that you want her to hatch, and put them all under her at the same time. (You don't want to add eggs for a couple of days or you'll get what's called a staggered hatch.) I use a Sharpie and draw a circle around the egg. That way, no matter how the egg is positioned, I can see that it's marked. Once a day, I'll quickly lift the broody up just to make sure no other hens have gotten into her nest and made a donation. Again, this could lead to a staggered hatch. It could also add up enough eggs in the nest that mama can't cover them all, resulting in a poor hatch.

Since this is the first time you've let one set, I'll tell you how I manage a broody. I let her do her thing. I don't worry whether or not if she's eating or drinking. I trust them to get off the nest when they need to to take care of business. Other than checking once a day for extra eggs, and candling once around 10 days, and at about 14-15 days, I don't mess with them.

 

[laney7]

I have all three hens and the 14 chicks in a 8 x 16 foot area and they are fighting still but the one insists on digging even in her box and she is throwing the 2 day old chicks everywhere. I have rubber flooring down so she is having fits about that too. I am concerned that she is hurting the chicks. To cut down on my stress level I brought all 14 in to my box in the house, but another person said to just take them back out to the barn and let their mommas take them back. I have only had them in the house for 20 minutes. They don't need to be integrated into my current flock since these will be chickens I raise for the freezer.