Broody Hen Thread!

[cmbookworm]

We have a Buff Orpington who is on Day 18 of sitting on 3 eggs. We haven't candled them as I don't want to bother her too much (when you come near her, she pecks you like crazy. It doesn't hurt, but she seems bothered and I don't want to stress her out). She got up this morning when I came out to the coop to hand out strawberry bits and sweet potato fries, so I took out the other eggs she was hoarding. If chicks are going to happen, we're thinking Sunday!! I'm kind of excited since none of our girls has shown any inclination to sit on eggs before now. A couple of questions:

- If the eggs are duds, how long do we wait to take them out?
- I was going to put a dog crate with straw/flakes and chick starter and water in the coop for her to move her chicks into. Do I need to move her with her eggs before they hatch, or just let her move them all in there when/if they hatch?

 

[fisherlady]

Move her after they hatch, if no hatching activity and you are sure of the due date you can check the eggs after day 23, though some leave them longer. They can hatch up to day 25 if temps had been an issue or something interrupted the incubation.
If the eggs are duds you can graft a couple of day old chicks to her, I advise checking around for sources of chicks anytime a hen is hatching out a clutch....better to have a plan in place than try scrambling to fix problems when it is happening.

 

[cmbookworm]

We are positive on the due date, but will wait and see what happens. If nothing happens on Sunday, I'll leave them for a few extra days, just in case. I don't have any other chicks to give her if they're duds. The birds are limited, for the most part, to their coop and run. We let them out to free range when we can supervise them in the evenings and on weekends- we've had issues with predators, so we keep them penned in. We've had pretty mild temps here recently- pretty humid lately though. Every time I've checked on her, she's sitting on those eggs like a champ! I've seen her get off twice in the mornings to eat and drink, but that's it.

 

[sharol]

Keep watching the eggs...sometimes you just never know. You may get some hatched yet. At some point, if nothing has happened, you may have to do a float test or crack open one that seems least vulnerable. Sometimes I've seen movement that wasn't chick but actually putrification moving.

As to the other two experienced hens, let them do their business. Move after hatch.

Some hens brood well together. Others do not. Life lessons are hard when it comes to managing living creatures. It happens.

LofMc

Thanks for the encouragement. I woke up to 2 chicks out and a third pipped. The third hatched while I was in town. Now. What do I do with them? Maybe under my little Araucana and put her Breda eggs in the incubator.

 

[Huggerlady]

...

Huggerlady, The rotten eggs might effect the hatch, but its time to hatch and messing with them during that time can effect the hatch. You mentioned candling them so I figured you had already removed the bad eggs. How did she  get so many bad eggs? Were the eggs Fresh when you set(put the eggs under her)her? I have set hundreds of broody hens and have never had busting, rotten, eggs etc, so I am telling you what I would do "If"  I did----I have No experience in several busted eggs under a broody. I just Know during the Hatch---I would Not even peek under her----but you have a problem so I am thinking get the busted eggs out and let her try and hatch. If you feel you should take the eggs and wash them as well as her and change the bedding-----she is your hen---do what you feel you need to do. Again I am curious about the eggs when you set her 21 # ##..
[/##+####]
I think that Roo was infertile and gone! So the 2-4 are from JBGiant which is good. Really stinks and this was my first time candeling
So afraid to throw away a baby maran

 

[PD-Riverman]

Quote: Have any pipped yet---I think you were saying today was 21 or 22?? Did you clean the eggs?

 

[Huggerlady]

Have any pipped yet---I think you were saying today was 21 or 22?? Did you clean the eggs?

21 but I started with two broodies together but one quit as the first took her eggs. Then there were four more eggs added over the next few days until I moved her. What I have is a mess. She's too tolerant of the smell, I thought they could tell which were bad and roll them out. Do you think I should do the water test? I know two are really heavy in comparison to the others. Two dark, I can't see but they feel almost as heavy.

 

[PD-Riverman]

21 but I started with two broodies together but one quit as the first took her eggs. Then there were four more eggs added over the next few days until I moved her. What I have is a mess. She's too tolerant of the smell, I thought they could tell which were bad and roll them out. Do you think I should do the water test? I know two are really heavy in comparison to the others. Two dark, I can't see but they feel almost as heavy.

Are you saying she has been setting 21 days but you really do not know what days the eggs are on as far as incubation, because some were added later??? As many rotten ones you have---some must be alot older???? Yes I agree---You really got a mess which makes it a guessing game on what needs to be done..

As I stated above---this is your hen and your eggs and you will have to do what you feel is needed. "I" do a completely hands Off at hatch time----no looking under her, no touching the eggs----and all my broodies hatch great---BUT I know for Sure what day my eggs are on and all are on the same day. I have never done the "float test" never had to. Do what you feel you need to do. Good Luck

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Yeah, Lady of McCamly, glad to know it's contagious and I am not the only chicken owner suffering from this ailment.

I almost have the new coop done. Just one small area to tin, build the roost bars, secure one window and I am good to go.

Of course my 2nd broody set on her eggs for a day and a half then decided that if she was on the nest she couldn't compete for treats with the other hens and broke herself.

Aggie is on day 5 today. The little moron got off her nest yesterday, finally, only to escape her broody cage (still trying to figure out how she squeezed through a two inch opening in the pen) and wound up on the nest next to her sitting happily on three eggs. I promptly fixed the cage, plopped her butt back on her own eggs (no idea how long she was off the nest. Eggs were cool but it was 82º outside yesterday) did a quick spot candling and saw movement in two.

This is the 2nd time the little air head has done this. I thought I had her secured, but then I wasn't counting on her being a Houdini Bird. I mean, how hard can it be to turn around and find your own eggs? Or do they really get that spacey mentally when they brood?

While yes, I think chickens can definitely be "bird brains" and often do the dumbest stuff while brooding...now that you mention it...maybe we should cut our broodies a little slack (including my two mop heads that keep losing an egg between them...you got it? oh I thought you had it....)

We *are* dealing with female hormones, lack of sleep, lack of food, 24/7 tending to a swaddled infant....oh dear....I think I was a bit nutty in those days too now that I think about it....never lost a kid though to my credit (lost car keys, locked myself out of houses, forgot appointment dates......)

Only slightly better now in middle age, just dotty over chickens,
LofMc

 

[microchick]

I can relate LofMc. You just wait till those wonderful years between middle age and Medicare hit. It reminds me of the old joke about the minister who went to visit the elderly man and said to him, "Joe, you are getting up there in years. Tell me, are you thinking about the here after?" And Old Joe replies, "Yes sir, Pastor, I think about it every day when I go into the garage, the bathroom, the kitchen, scratch my head and say, 'Now what am I 'here after' ?"

Then there is the definition of Middle Aged ADHD. You know, when you start out going to the kitchen to get a glass of water and wind up in your garden, pulling weeds with no idea how you got there but boy are you still thirsty.......

Good grief. Maybe I've just been broody all my adult life!