Broody hen, now what?

[Dave Z]

i checked the stickys but didn't find much about letting mom do her thing - I guess most of you use incubators. So...

Didn't collect eggs or a couple of days and Orpah, our BO, decided there were enough that someone should be sitting on them. She volunteered. I think we'll let her hatch them out before it gets too cold and while we have a rooster.

So I have a couple questions.

In one thread I noticed people talking about humidity. We're in the desert. Humidity averages 15 to 20%. Is this a concern, especially since we're not using an incubator?

We only have a few birds, so one big nest box. Squawk, Our EE, lays on the other end of it, but Orpah gathered up a couple of Squawk's eggs too. So now we have eggs that will be a day or two behind the others. Any concern there? I put a divider up yesterday so Orpah doesn't see Squawk's eggs; now I can get them before she does.

Should I expect to see Orpah out and about once a day or so, for food and water?

Will Bubba the rooster be a threat to the chicks?

Many thanks in advance!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Don't worry about humidity under a hen, they work it out somehow.
You need to take all the eggs that she is setting on right now and put a big 'X' on them with a marker. Then, everyday, you need to check her nest and remove any eggs that don't have an 'X'. It's better if you can remove the hen and her nest, to somewhere that the others can't lay with her, but if not, this is the next-best thing.
The hen should get off the nest at least once a day, sometimes more. I don't think your roo will bother them, mine usually help take care of the babies. Just be sure to watch them once the eggs hatch and be sure.

 

[austinhart123]

if its really hot u may notice some days she wont cover the eggs 100%.... thats normal, other than that i agree with everything shellyd said

 

[jossanne]

I'm in the desert too, and my broodies have no problem hatching babies. Just try to sit on your hands and not check under her on hatching day. Let her keep the humidity stable while the hatch finishes.

Good luck! I've got two broodies on nests right now, and my other is raising one baby. )

 

[Dave Z]

Well, I shoo'd her off the nest tonight to see what she was hiding. She's got 11 eggs under her. Most are from Squawk, the EE. Bubba the rooster is EE too, but we'll have a few half breeds too because there were some brown eggs.

She looked pretty annoyed when I pushed her away, but took the opportunity to get some food and water and preen a little. Then back to the eggs.

I figure we should see a hatch on or about September 2nd.

 

[catwalk]

Good luck, she seems like she's doing a great job so far! I wish people had "broodies for hire" so I wouldn't need an incubator.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You are getting some good advise. I'd suggest you also read this thread. It will give you more info on what to expect and what you need to do.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=213218

 

[Dave Z]

Candled today. We're at about day 10. Most looked good - large dark area in end away from air sac. (That's good, isn't it?)

She's sitting on 12 eggs. Most are from our EE, I think she only got 3 of her own BO eggs under her. Three eggs are far behind the others, with just some veining and small dark spots. I think those are the ones she gathered after the EE laid them in the same box.

So will she continue sitting on the three after the others hatch or should I have an incubator ready?

 

[polar chicks]

i had 2 eggs on 7/18 and 4 eggs on 7/24. my black australorp sat on them. only one of the 7/18 egg started to vein. That one hatched and the baby chick stayed in the nest with mom and other incubating eggs. The night before the other 4 were due for delivery i could hear peeping inside the eggs, i went to work and when i came home baby #1 must of wanted to venture out. mom and baby #1 was on the coop floor with 8 full grown chickens and one rooster all 1.5 years old. mom kept baby chick safe, very protective. other 4 eggs where gone, looked around found nothing. i thought the other adults ate them. dug around in the nest box and found 2 dead ones covered in the nesting litter and one that was just barely alive. brought that one inside with heat lamp. kept there for 2 days. it did fine. took it out to mom and she accepted it. now she is raising 2 babies. Shows them how to eat and find water and she will chase the other adults away but will let me hang around. She is all the heat they are getting and last night it was 40 degrees.

 

[catwalk]

Hey Dave! If the three eggs in question have movement, I would go ahead and have the incubator ready, just in case. If they're really far behind, the hen will have to decide if she is going to leave them behind or starve the ones that hatched until the other ones get out. You might be able to take the eggs away and give the chicks back to her. If there is no movement, they are quitters; they stopped developing at some point. Put a mark on them and check them later. Good luck!