Broody hen question?

[Morrigan]

Go to this link to get familiar with what normal development looks like. Blood rings are very distinctive rings. Veining tends to look more random. But, if you aren't sure, mark it with an "x" and look again in a few days to see if it has changed.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-pics-progression-though-incubation.261876/

 

[Mduggar]

Go to this link to get familiar with what normal development looks like. Blood rings are very distinctive rings. Veining tends to look more random. But, if you aren't sure, mark it with an "x" and look again in a few days to see if it has changed.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-pics-progression-though-incubation.261876/

This one looks like a day 12 egg

 

[Mduggar]

Thank you so much for all your help btw

I will keep you updated.

 

[HenniesInMyHeart]

YAY! Lotsa growing chicks in many of those eggs! <3 I think your hennie will get to be a mama to some babies soon! <3 When in doubt, make sure it doesn't stink and then leave it with the hen. Sounds like you can pitch some more clears. A blood ring is a thick deep red-brownish circle around the whole egg; without branching anymore. The dead chick will look like a black blob and float toward the small end.

 

[Mduggar]

YAY! Lotsa growing chicks in many of those eggs! <3 I think your hennie will get to be a mama to some babies soon! <3 When in doubt, make sure it doesn't stink and then leave it with the hen. Sounds like you can pitch some more clears. A blood ring is a thick deep red-brownish circle around the whole egg; without branching anymore. The dead chick will look like a black blob and float toward the small end.

Yes. I think I have a few of those

 

[Mduggar]

UPDATE:
I went through my eggs to cull the dead ones. I cut about 8f from her clutch.

 

[Mduggar]

I'm still confused about the ones that look full with an air pocket. That may be 12 day old chickens.

 

[CiscoChickens]

24 eggs is still a lot for a hen. I have chicks hatching now out of a staggered clutch, and it's not easy. I had two broodies, thankfully, and tried to put all the older/fuller eggs with one and the younger/smaller eggs with the other.

Needless to say, not all the chicks made it. One of them got pushed out over night when it was still wet because there wasn't enough room.

Since you want to extend your flock, I would put 13-14 eggs that all seem close in age under the broody. This is aalittle larger then the average clutch, but it leaves breathing space for error, since not all chicks in a staggered clutch will hatch.

Getting new eggs would probably be easier in the long run, but being broody for another 3 weeks wouldn't be good for your chicken's health.

Hope this helps!

 

[Mduggar]

All the eggs that look like this I culled and

24 eggs is still a lot for a hen. I have chicks hatching now out of a staggered clutch, and it's not easy. I had two broodies, thankfully, and tried to put all the older/fuller eggs with one and the younger/smaller eggs with the other.

Needless to say, not all the chicks made it. One of them got pushed out over night when it was still wet because there wasn't enough room.

Since you want to extend your flock, I would put 13-14 eggs that all seem close in age under the broody. This is aalittle larger then the average clutch, but it leaves breathing space for error, since not all chicks in a staggered clutch will hatch.

Getting new eggs would probably be easier in the long run, but being broody for another 3 weeks wouldn't be good for your chicken's health.

Hope this helps!

thanks. I don't want to kill live chicks but I don't have another broody so... it's hard

 

[CiscoChickens]

Completely understand. But by eliminating extra eggs, your giving the best chances to the ones that DO hatch!

There's always the option of an incubator, of course. Those ones would just need a little more attention.