Broody Hen Thread!

[jhopp6]

Charmin and her brood

 

[fisherlady]

Charmin and her brood

Very cute, and Yes, be careful what you wish for. I had hoped for a couple of reliable broodies and ended up with a flock that is just broody crazy. And mostly large fowl! We are waiting on hatch 23 and 24 expected within the next week.

 

[jhopp6]

Very cute, and Yes, be careful what you wish for. I had hoped for a couple of reliable broodies and ended up with a flock that is just broody crazy. And mostly large fowl! We are waiting on hatch 23 and 24 expected within the next week.

These girls certainly know their job descriptions! lol It's so nice to leave the details to them. I have 2 Brinsea incubators, but nobody does it as well as Mother Nature.

 

[wannahomestead]

I have a broody sitting on 2 eggs due sometime this week. I checked today and someone went in and broke an egg in her nest, and got broken egg all over. At this point do I try and clean the eggs, or just hope for the best?

 

[Schrods]

Hi everyone I've read through this post for awhile and learned a lot but haven't found the answer I'm looking for. I have a barred rock and she's been sitting on a group of eggs for two weeks. Day and night. However lately she will leave the eggs for several hours to go eat and run around before coming back. How long can the eggs be alone in a cool climate. Also other chickens will go and lay more eggs in the box while she's gone. What can use to mark the original eggs? If they are even viable anymore?

 

[microchick]

You will be surprised to learn that the eggs are probably just fine. Hens can and do leave the nest for short periods of time to stretch their legs, eat, drink, poop, socialize a little then return to the business at hand.

Advice given from one that has been there done that and got the t-shirt. Separate your broody and her nest to a pen where the other hens cannot have access to her eggs. If you cannot separate her, partition her off somehow. What you are looking at is a staggered hatch if you don't which means you will be risking late hatchers that will more than likely not make it if mom is off the nest tending to her new babies.

Mark your hens original eggs with a magic marker so you can tell them from any extras. But the best bit of advice I can give you came from well experienced owners of broodies here on BYC. Separate!Separate !Separate!

You might also try candling your eggs. Lots of good instructions and pictures here on BYC to help you through. Let her keep anything that is close to 14 days and if you have another broody or incubator you could possibly transfer any late but viable eggs there to finish gestating.

Don't worry, those embryos are more durable than you think and momma hen generally knows what she is doing.

Happy Hatching!

 

[redsix]

Hi everyone I've read through this post for awhile and learned a lot but haven't found the answer I'm looking for. I have a barred rock and she's been sitting on a group of eggs for two weeks. Day and night. However lately she will leave the eggs for several hours to go eat and run around before coming back. How long can the eggs be alone in a cool climate. Also other chickens will go and lay more eggs in the box while she's gone. What can use to mark the original eggs? If they are even viable anymore?

Mark your eggs with a pencil, don't use ink. Egg shells are porous. I usually scribble all over mine. It's better to isolate the hen. I think half an hour is okay, but not sure she should stay off much longer than that if it is cold outside. I guess the other chickens laying in the nest could have warmed the eggs back up?

 

[the poppster]

Hi everyone I've read through this post for awhile and learned a lot but haven't found the answer I'm looking for. I have a barred rock and she's been sitting on a group of eggs for two weeks. Day and night. However lately she will leave the eggs for several hours to go eat and run around before coming back. How long can the eggs be alone in a cool climate. Also other chickens will go and lay more eggs in the box while she's gone. What can use to mark the original eggs? If they are even viable anymore?

Colored pencil works well....if it rubs off a bit, I just scribble more onto the broody eggs.

 

[the poppster]

I have a broody sitting on 2 eggs due sometime this week. I checked today and someone went in and broke an egg in her nest, and got  broken egg all over. At this point do I try and clean the eggs, or just hope for the best? 

do a quick wash with a warm damp cloth...if they are really bad dunk them one at a time in lukewarm water and clean the egg and crud off....dry it gently and return them to mom as soon as possible....otherwise they nest will start to stink! Before she's done hatching the chicks....and if it stinks, it's full of nasty bacteria.

 

[Wyatt0224]

Does anyone here know how many eggs a Silkie could brood? And could I combine LF and bantam eggs under her?