Broody Hen Thread!

[MontainBourbons]

How cold can a broody hen hatch her eggs at. I have been having somewhat warm nights but there are a few coming up with freezing temperatures. Is this fine?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

If you look in my byline at the BCM hatch, you can see chicks that hatched inside a non heated hutch during essentially a blizzard with temps down to teens.

I kept them in the hutch for 2 weeks as outdoors was snowed under or blowing storm. We don't get these often where I live, so momma started at our normal 40ish rain but hatched in blizzard conditions.

By day 3 momma had them up and running around in the hutch, nicely tucked in their down jackets. They stopped periodically for momma warm up hutch.

By week 2 weather had returned to normal cold rain, so they were out in the run.

All developed quickly into strong chickens with the girls laying dark eggs at About 18 weeks..early for the breed.

So as long as mom is dry and out of direct weather, pretty darn cold. It's amazing.

 

[microchick]

I had a hen set eggs in Feb. when temps were dipping down into the 20's. No problem. I did keep a light on in the coop to add a little extra warmth but she was basically on her own.

 

[yochickiemomma]

I have two broody hens right now. One is doing an excellent job she's only off the nest long enough to eat drink and poo then she's right back on it. My other hen is iffy when she's on the nest she's mean as a hornet but I've seen her off as much as on the nest. I moved her last night to small sectioned off part of the coop with her eggs and as soon as it got light out she was off the eggs and wanting out with the rest of the flock. Should I move her to my spare mini coop (2.5'x4') away from everyone else? The reason I moved her last night is she was in everyone's favorite nest and I don't want to keep reaching under her and guessing which eggs are new and which ones she's been setting on while worring about the safety of my hands lol. I'm tending to 3 coops now what's one more if I need to. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. This is my first experience with broody hens.

 

[jnckids]

I don't want to keep reaching under her and guessing which eggs are new and which ones she's been setting on while...

Once I knew mine was sitting since she was in "THE" nesting box, I picked her up and numbered the eggs. That way I knew which ones were added. My broody is also a collector so if I don't get to the eggs then she adds them to her nest.

 

[yochickiemomma]

Once I knew mine was sitting since she was in "THE" nesting box, I picked her up and numbered the eggs. That way I knew which ones were added. My broody is also a collector so if I don't get to the eggs then she adds them to her nest.

Thank you. She wasn't on the nest at lunch and the eggs were all cold so I'm not going to count on her hatching any eggs anytime soon. She's just a year old and probably thought she would give it a try since one of my bantams in the neighboring coop went broody. I'll keep an eye on her and see if she decides she wants to set again.

 

[thunderbird]

By now, if you candle, you should be able to tell if it's developing. If it is, and you want to try to save it, you can try to tape it, that fabric like medical tape works in an incubator. Not sure if a hen will peck or what she will do. I wouldn't use wax, the hen might eat it.

I had candled it before hand and it was doing fine but, I went in today to make sure she didn't break it and it wasn't there. There are no eggshells lying around and there's no sticky mess or anything and I have no idea what happened to it.

 

[mcclucker]

Well, I *think* the grafting went ok tonight! I gave her two because I didn't want there to be too few in my brooder for them to keep warm. It's a pretty big brooder.

Anyway she barely even noticed at first. I slipped one under each wing and they just stopped peeping and stayed in there. She clucked a bit and was mad at me for taking two fake eggs out. I sat and listened in the dark for 20 min. No noises at all, no peeping, no movement. I will go check on them at first light but she seems to have accepted them!

 

[KJzCola]

By now, if you candle, you should be able to tell if it's developing. If it is, and you want to try to save it, you can try to tape it, that fabric like medical tape works in an incubator. Not sure if a hen will peck or what she will do. I wouldn't use wax, the hen might eat it.

I had candled it before hand and it was doing fine but, I went in today to make sure she didn't break it and it wasn't there. There are no eggshells lying around and there's no sticky mess or anything and I have no idea what happened to it.

This happened to 4 of mine! I started with 20 and when I went to candle the first time only 16 were there! And no trace of where they went lol. They are currently hatching though so hopefully i habe a good end yeild

 

[mcclucker]

Grafting seems to have been a success. Here are mama and baby! They keep pecking her wattles lol