Broody Hen Thread!

[NDgoatgirlNV]

I agree. Even though we might think we can tell the eggs apart sometimes we can make that mistake. It's best to pencil mark them just in case.

There are 6 eggs, 4 tiny Bantam eggs and 2 small/medium light brown ones.....hasn't changed yet, but I will mark them anyway.

 

[16 paws]

Sure. I give mine 2 or 3 days to settle---to make sure she is going to stay on the nest. I usually set her a couple days before I move her---I bought some ceramic eggs and i might try using them till I get her moved. Keep in mind all my nesting boxes are modified plastic milk crates and are movable-----which I feel is important. I get the hatching pen ready---food and water----then that night--in darkness I pick up the nesting box--with hen and carry it gently and place it in the hatching pen. If its so dark I can not see---I quickly(less than a second) flash my DIM light on and off to get my bearings. I quickly back away from the hatching pen---no noise. The next morning as its getting day light she will look out and see she is in a different place but she can see her food and water---nothing bothering her. She will settle right in. When its her 2nd or 3rd time to the hatching pens----they know what happen and seem so happy for the move. 63 last year and everyone accepted the move.
This is one of the 4 section hatching pens I have. I have about 20 different hatching pens that I use when needed.



I like these round pens-----when the chicks get old enough I just take the hen out at night and the chicks stay in the pen they are use to for some weeks longer.

Thanks so much for the info. I will try that next time....
Marie

 

[Angie16hearts]

Hello, it's been a long time since I have visited this thread ! I've had my hens go broody many times. Recently I have been breaking them. I have a blue Isbar who just started laying last week. She's trying to go Broody. Since she just started laying is it safe to use her eggs? They are not big yet. My plan was to mate the two and get some chicks. Her hatch mate was a CM Roo. He sadly passed away yesterday. I'm so sad! He was like a dog ! Sat in my lap let me hold him, ate out of my hands. Anyways bummed ! He was able to get most of my hens fertile. So I have a broody hen and a incubator that I fired up as soon as I found him.

I am gathering all eggs that are fertile for the incubator . Should I let her go broody on her own eggs?

 

[fisherlady]

Hello, it's been a long time since I have visited this thread ! I've had my hens go broody many times. Recently I have been breaking them. I have a blue Isbar who just started laying last week. She's trying to go Broody. Since she just started laying is it safe to use her eggs? They are not big yet. My plan was to mate the two and get some chicks. Her hatch mate was a CM Roo. He sadly passed away yesterday. I'm so sad! He was like a dog ! Sat in my lap let me hold him, ate out of my hands. Anyways bummed ! He was able to get most of my hens fertile. So I have a broody hen and a incubator that I fired up as soon as I found him.

I am gathering all eggs that are fertile for the incubator . Should I let her go broody on her own eggs?

Sorry to hear you lost your rooster, the pullets eggs may be fertile but pullets eggs are iffy for hatchability due to size and reproductive system kinks still being worked out. Since you don't have much choice after losing the rooster though I would collect eggs for 5-10 days and give her a few if she stays dedicated to her brooding and put the rest in the incubator at the same time. This will give you a backup if she quits and if she sticks it out you can graft a few more incubator chicks to her so you have fewer to brooder raise yourself.

 

[sharol]

Quote:
I'm so sorry for the loss of your Roo. When I lost my Rooster a few years ago I did the same thing. I put every egg I had in the house in the incubator. Butch had been ill, so I didn't have much hope, but I did it in hopes of hatching babies with his personality. He was a very sweet EE who also was a wonderful flock rooster. I started with 18 eggs. Of those 12 began to develop. I lost another 3 at about 2 weeks leaving 9. Of those 9, only 2 hatched and I had to help them. They both pipped in the middle of the egg and were trying to zip the long way. I ended up with two cockerels and one of them is now my flock rooster. Good luck with the eggs. Now for your question. It might be worthwhile to give her a few eggs at the same time you put the others in the incubator. If hers don't hatch, you might be able to give her a couple of chicks to raise from the incubator chicks. I'd keep an eye on her in case she changes her mind like my Araucana pullet just did -- 2 days short of hatch.

 

[fisherlady]

Also, remember to mark hers and keep them as a separate group if you are specially interested in her chicks from your rooster.

 

[Angie16hearts]

Sorry to hear you lost your rooster, the pullets eggs may be fertile but pullets eggs are iffy for hatchability due to size and reproductive system kinks still being worked out. Since you don't have much choice after losing the rooster though I would collect eggs for 5-10 days and give her a few if she stays dedicated to her brooding and put the rest in the incubator at the same time. This will give you a backup if she quits and if she sticks it out you can graft a few more incubator chicks to her so you have fewer to brooder raise yourself.

Quote:
I'm so sorry for the loss of your Roo. When I lost my Rooster a few years ago I did the same thing. I put every egg I had in the house in the incubator. Butch had been ill, so I didn't have much hope, but I did it in hopes of hatching babies with his personality. He was a very sweet EE who also was a wonderful flock rooster. I started with 18 eggs. Of those 12 began to develop. I lost another 3 at about 2 weeks leaving 9. Of those 9, only 2 hatched and I had to help them. They both pipped in the middle of the egg and were trying to zip the long way. I ended up with two cockerels and one of them is now my flock rooster. Good luck with the eggs. Now for your question. It might be worthwhile to give her a few eggs at the same time you put the others in the incubator. If hers don't hatch, you might be able to give her a couple of chicks to raise from the incubator chicks. I'd keep an eye on her in case she changes her mind like my Araucana pullet just did -- 2 days short of hatch.

Also, remember to mark hers and keep them as a separate group if you are specially interested in her chicks from your rooster.

I've had 5 roosters in the past. I have never had one so good almost like he was trained . I hatched him myself and held him for 8 -9 months every day. He always followed me.... Sorry now I'm spewing ! Just sad! The others I was ok with but not Olive! He was able to fertilize a green , blue, and cream layer isn't blue Isbar who lays a green speckled egg. Yes, I'm collecting all good eggs ! I cracked 5 different hens 4:5 nice and fertile ! Her eggs are pretty small still. I could give it a try with her but afraid they may not develop properly. Luckily we are getting 5-8 eggs a day.

has anyone pulled eggs from the fridge? Thank you for all your responses ! It's quite around here today

he did get a horrible ear infection as a baby. I was able to get rid of it. Maybe he was just not a healthy Roo? Either way he was so special I want his offspring! Another question. Is it the hens that choose the gender of chick?

 

[sharol]

I've had 5 roosters in the past. I have never had one so good almost like he was trained . I hatched him myself and held him for 8 -9 months every day. He always followed me.... Sorry now I'm spewing ! Just sad! The others I was ok with but not Olive! He was able to fertilize a green , blue, and cream layer isn't blue Isbar who lays a green speckled egg.

Yes, I'm collecting all good eggs ! I cracked 5 different hens 4:5 nice and fertile !
Her eggs are pretty small still. I could give it a try with her but afraid they may not develop properly. Luckily we are getting 5-8 eggs a day.

has anyone pulled eggs from the fridge? Thank you for all your responses ! It's quite around here today

he did get a horrible ear infection as a baby. I was able to get rid of it. Maybe he was just not a healthy Roo? Either way he was so special I want his offspring! Another question. Is it the hens that choose the gender of chick?

Yes, it is the hen that determines the gender of the chick.

There was an extended discussion on another thread about chilling eggs before hatching them to improve the number of pullets hatched. One poster said that she had seen research that the hens that developed (from male eggs) due to the chilling (she called them chilly roosters) only produced male offspring. If you search "chilly rooster" in the forum search you may find it.

It may be BS, but it is an interesting theory in any case.

 

[Angie16hearts]

Yes, it is the hen that determines the gender of the chick
There was an extended discussion on another thread about chilling eggs before hatching them to improve the number of pullets hatched.  One poster said that she had seen research that the hens that developed (from male eggs) due to the chilling (she called them chilly roosters) only produced male offspring.  If you search "chilly rooster" in the forum search you may find it.

It may be BS, but it is an interesting theory in any case.

Really? I noticed my head hen would throw 75% make 25% female. After 3-4 hatches. Then I had another 90% pullet other cockerel. It's about 40 degrees here I'm pulling eggs as soon as they lay them. I have them in a room but this room tends to be a bit chilly. So I opened door yesterday to warm it up a bit knowing the eggs are in there. So if they are cold I have better chance of cockerels? Or pullets ? I'll keep in the kitchen if that is the case. I definitely want hens! I need to teasearch genetics a bit more. My bator only holds about 10-12 depending on size of eggs. I hope she stays broody but I remember one of my hens did the same thing. Laid 4-5 eggs and sat for 2 weeks then abandon her clutch .

 

[sharol]

Quote:
According to the original poster, chilling them made more pullets. FWIW. Then those pullets laid eggs that were exclusively male.