Broody Hen Thread!

[Jharper]

Woohoo, can't wait so see some gosling photos!

I know right!!! Ones due this weekend!!!

 

[el pollo rey]

Awh so cute !

 

[melina90]

We have a broody hen that is due to hatch tomorrow or the day after. This is her first time going broody and our first time with a broody hen! We had a little hiccup last weekend, we went off her nest to stretch her legs and when she came back someone else was in her nest, so our broody hen moved to the nest next to her. I waited until the hen who was in her original nest left and then moved the eggs under the broody hen in her new nest. I'm not sure how long the eggs were there without anyone sitting on them, hopefully not too long! They were still warm when I put them under her so we'll see if they end up hatching... it would break my heart if this clutch doesn't work out for her, she's been broody for 2 months now, I just want her to have some babies!

Don't worry, they'll hatch for sure. I've had eggs lying totally cold in the nest and still the chick inside is viable. I can't say they have hatched yet though, as the first ones are due on the 24th, but they are active little buggers when I've lit through them to check. Good luck!

 

[melina90]

I know right!!! Ones due this weekend!!!

That is totally not going to help on my geese-obsession.

I've been offered hatching eggs from Norwegian White Geese (one of the worlds rarest, with only a few animals left here in Norway) and I'm struggling not to take them. My mom says the chickens and horses are enough, but I would totally love to raise a few goslings! And especially from a heritage breed that is almost extinct... But I'm going in for some massive surgery in a month, so it's probably reasonable to wait. IT'S JUST THAT I WANT THEM SO BAD

I'm totally going to have to talk my mom into this, using the "I need something to look forward to during rehabilitation"-card. Spending time after surgery turning goose eggs should be doable, right? Haha.

 

[el pollo rey]

I wish you the best of luck with both ,,,,

 

[Jharper]

That is totally not going to help on my geese-obsession.

I've been offered hatching eggs from Norwegian White Geese (one of the worlds rarest, with only a few animals left here in Norway) and I'm struggling not to take them. My mom says the chickens and horses are enough, but I would totally love to raise a few goslings! And especially from a heritage breed that is almost extinct... But I'm going in for some massive surgery in a month, so it's probably reasonable to wait. IT'S JUST THAT I WANT THEM SO BAD  I'm totally going to have to talk my mom into this, using the "I need something to look forward to during rehabilitation"-card. Spending time after surgery turning goose eggs should be doable, right? Haha.

Wow that's a plate full!

 

[weeshanti]

Chickadee (see previous picture) now has three babies. Not sure if I just couldn't see one or if another hatched overnight, but she has moved the chicks off the original nest and made a new one in the back of her crate, fairly far from the remaining seven eggs. Should I assume that's it, then? What should I do about the remaining eggs? Leave them for a bit or dispose of them?

 

[Jharper]

Chickadee (see previous picture) now has three babies. Not sure if I just couldn't see one or if another hatched overnight, but she has moved the chicks off the original nest and made a new one in the back of her crate, fairly far from the remaining seven eggs. Should I assume that's it, then? What should I do about the remaining eggs? Leave them for a bit or dispose of them?



 

Candle them and see which ones are good and quickly put the good ones back under her and hopefully she should hatch the good ones over night.

 

[Keggen]

My second, less-broody hen gave up yesterday. She has been sitting on a fake egg in anticipation of taking some of my incubator babies and my daughter mistakenly shooed her out of her nest two days in a row to take extra freshly laid eggs. I think it was enough to make her stop brooding. I still have the good original broody and she is sitting nicely like a good mama!

Each night I have been using a red night vision light to carefully take her off the nest and take extra eggs. Each night I'm finding 2 extra eggs from my white leghorns.

Does anyone know if one brooding hen will cause others to stop laying? Yesterday we only got 10 eggs from 21 hens when we would normally get 16-20. It seems like such a big drop for one day! I can't figure out why else except that we had the 2 somewhat broody hens for a couple days. Coincidence?

 

[Chookin gooood]

what do u have hatching chookin ?

Hopefully 5 lavender araucanas and a hybrid cross! I did have 2 buff orp eggs i had got given as hatchings but they were not fertile (The man i got them off paid £60 for his cockerel too!!!!!! )

Just a quick question.....
I have made a coop and run for her to go in once they have hatched so birds/hens don't eat or peck the chicks and so they are all kept safe BUT do I put her in now with the eggs (due in 2 days) or when the eggs have all hatched? I don't want all the other hens pecking the chicks before they have all had a chance to hatch and i don't want her to leave her nest! Thanks!