Broody Hen Thread!

[chickarooo]

my silkie egg hatched today! Not exactly what I expected lol I thought it was a white silkie roo over a white silkie momma. Looks like maybe the Sebright roo? So I have three out of four. Hurray!

That little blackie is a total cutie

 

[angelbrenn]

I have a broody and she's about 10 days sitting on her egg. I have been giving her food and water every day .I have some nice eggs in the mail should be here any today. how should I Switch the old eggs for the new eggs. Should I put the other eggs in the incubator they're not purebreds they're all mixes what I'm receiving today are purebreds that I really really want to hatch. Any help is appreciated I've never done this before I have only incubated eggs with moderate success

 

[AmateurChickie]

I have a broody hen, and it was my first time candling today!
I used the torch on my phone, so it wasn't the best, but from what I saw she's at about Day 5. I saw a lots of veins and a black spot in one, unfortunately I don't think the other one was ever fertilized. Should I move that one, or just let her sit on it?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I have a broody hen, and it was my first time candling today!
I used the torch on my phone, so it wasn't the best, but from what I saw she's at about Day 5. I saw a lots of veins and a black spot in one, unfortunately I don't think the other one was ever fertilized. Should I move that one, or just let her sit on it?

I'd give it a few days (just because I always hold out hope), but if you don't see anything developing by day 10, I'd pull the infertile one.
Lady of McCamley

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I have a broody and she's about 10 days sitting on her egg. I have been giving her food and water every day .I have some nice eggs in the mail should be here any today. how should I Switch the old eggs for the new eggs. Should I put the other eggs in the incubator they're not purebreds they're all mixes what I'm receiving today are purebreds that I really really want to hatch. Any help is appreciated I've never done this before I have only incubated eggs with moderate success

I've done it several ways.

First, you can go out after dark and swap them out: Gently lift her up and just swap them. It's easier if you have another person swapping eggs while you hold the bird....or set her down next to some treats to distract her momentarily.

Or second and even better, if you can find her off the nest, do it then. I always wait around to make sure she inspects and pulls them under and sits. Sometime I leave an egg or two that is still warm to entice her...but my broodies have never seemed to notice the difference in the eggs.

And lastly, if you have an eager brooder (like my Silkie), I've just placed them in front of her chest and let her glare at me and pull them under clucking, poor little egg, look how cold you are...but I do that only if I am adding to the existing clutch.

As to the mixed breed eggs, I would put them in the incubator if you still want to hatch them. If the hen can handle all the eggs, you can leave them under her (most standard hens can handle 12 to 14 ideally and many handle more, some handling 20!); but it is a risk that of course the ones you want will be the ones that get less than desirable treatment. So, it's probably best to put those in the incubator.

My thoughts,
Lady of McCamley

 

[Lady of McCamley]

It's deffinately addictive! The white star is now happily sat on 9 Appenzeller eggs. Hope she stays there full term!

Keeping my finger's crossed for you!

(This is my all time favorite thread...there's always something hatching here ) (Sorry...pun...)
Lady of McCamley

 

[AmateurChickie]

I'd give it a few days (just because I always hold out hope), but if you don't see anything developing by day 10, I'd pull the infertile one.
Lady of McCamley

Thanks! This is my first time raising chickens (except for once when I was a kid and they all died because my town had really bad fires).
And I just remembered I put the second egg under her a few days after the started nesting because she was only sitting on one, and as the chook literally just got off the second one, I put it under her.

 

[MzPlacedHippie]

Day 2 and Miss Tilly is a great brooder. She only has 5 eggs cause I frankly don't have room for too many just now and she's a wee girl. One good layer out of the bunch will make me happy. Anything else is bonus. (My Roos are production red mix.)

 

[jojosthings]

I'm day 20 of my first time hatching eggs. My 2 buff orps have been sitting on 5 eggs each all of which are alive and well (well at least when I last candeled them on day 16) I've just come back from a 4 day trip away and found 3 eggs have vanished!!??! a friend was looking after them giving them food and water etc. No other hens are in the coop other than the 2 broodies. Could the other hen have stolen her eggs!? There's no shell yolk or blood anywhere in the nest so they couldn't have all broken!!??! or been eaten could they??! any clues? Thanks

 

[20736]

Did you look under the other broody?
If they aren't there, I would guess a snake got them. Is that a possibility?
I used to have black snakes, and they would swallow the egg whole, then slither between 2 boards and crack it inside.
We don't have snakes since we added pigs.