Broody hen neglecting eggs and cavorting with her new chicks!

[Junkmanme]

Mopsy, my Buff Orpington hen went broody the 2nd time this year. She was setting 12 eggs, 4 hatched,

and the 2 days since then she runs around with the chicks in the brood pen to the neglect of the other 8 eggs.

I "shuffle" her back into the nest each time I've seen that action the last 2 days. I have "start and grow" and water available within her neck reach while in the nest.

Any chance that other eggs will hatch? (They are ALL her own eggs that she hoarded herself.)

Whadda ya tink?

-Junkmanme-

 

[lotzahenz]

My first thoughts are that the eggs are not good, and that is why she leaves them. BUT, she may just be a nervous mom who leaves the eggs too early. If they haven't hatched by later tomorrow, I'd say they are done. Do eggtopsies and see how far along they got, and that may answer the question. One thing I have done is peck on the egg and see if it cheeps. That means the babies are still kicking and ready to pip. You might candle to see whats going on too. Sounds like your hen is tired of the nest. Good luck with her. HenZ

 

[ChooksChick]

I had to casually load my bra with my broody's eggs when this happened here. Silly biddy wouldn't park on the eggs, and only so much sitting happened courtesy of the othe birds who cam in to lay...so it fell to me.

I hatched 2 of 4, so some success was enjoyed!! I would advise a heating pad under a box of some sort that can be closed fairly tightly, with a couple of air holes in the top and bottom to promote circulation.

Add to this a wet wash cloth. In go the eggs.

She may recognize the viability of the other eggs isn't great and just be done.

 

[BaronRenfrew]

quick- put the eggs in an incubator

if any more hatch, put them under her at night

Wild bird eggs hatch together, domestic birds may hatch a couple of days apart from eath other

with a broody hen, you should candle the eggs

 

[Junkmanme]

Well, now.......lotzahenz.....I dunno that I'll be a-throwin' away the other eggs jest yet.

As I mentioned, ALL of the eggs are HERS! So, they were laid each a day apart. So, I expect that the 4 that have hatched were the earliest laid.

So, I would expect possible hatches could occur during the next 8 days.

Does this make sense?

-Junkmanme-

 

[Riven]

Eggs don't start to develop until the hen sits on them. If you take a batch of eggs all laid the same day from the same flock of the same breed, rarely will they all hatch on the same day, especially at the same time.

I'd candle them and go from there!

 

[Junkmanme]

With some "encouragement" from me, for the time being, Mopsy the hen seems to have settled back into the nest and is keeping the remaining eggs warm.

Perhaps a couple more will hatch soon.

Her first bunch produced 1 pullet chick out of 6 eggs. So far, on this bunch, 4 chicks out of 12 eggs.

I think I'll give her 3 or 4 days more and hope for the best.