Broody Hen Thread!

[Lady of McCamley]

Today is day 11 for my Broody's 2 eggs. I candled them but I don't think they are alive. In both 1/2 the egg is dark and not like any of the pics I have seen. When I rotate the egg while candling nothing moves including the black mass. Great air sac. Can anyone tell me if the embryos should look like this? Should I keep going? How can I tell if she is turning the eggs? They are marked but never equal in rotation.

I am thinking about getting her new eggs as she is doing such a great job.

I'd hold out and candle again at day 15 to see if the mass is bigger. I often don't get picture perfect candling as I only use an LED flashlight in the coop dark. What you want to see is a black mass with air space.

As to turning...your hen is turning them no doubt. As to movement in egg...as the chicks get bigger you won't see much movement. At this stage what you don't want to see is clear transparent shell with only a small light grey shadow that moves as you rotate. I find those are my duds.

For me I don't see much more than dark masses and air sac after the first week goes by....sometimes I catch long veins but not always...but I'm probably not very sophisticated at candling.

Lady of McCamley

 

[Hannahs Hollow]

I'd hold out and candle again at day 15 to see if the mass is bigger. I often don't get picture perfect candling as I only use an LED flashlight in the coop dark. What you want to see is a black mass with air space.

As to turning...your hen is turning them no doubt. As to movement in egg...as the chicks get bigger you won't see much movement. At this stage what you don't want to see is clear transparent shell with only a small light grey shadow that moves as you rotate. I find those are my duds.

For me I don't see much more than dark masses and air sac after the first week goes by....sometimes I catch long veins but not always...but I'm probably not very sophisticated at candling.

Lady of McCamley

Thank you for your answer. 1 egg went darker a week ago and the second in the last day or 2. I was thinking they were rotting in place as she may not be turning them. I also use a LED, a scrap of cloth and a toilet paper roll. I have never seen veins. Oh and I need new glasses to see. lol

I have now found pics that say the embyos are alive so we will just wait it out. At day 28, if I have to, I will go get eggs on the cusp of hatching out and convince her they are the same ones.

 

[glebreton]

I also have a bantam hen that is very broody. She started setting about 10 days ago, but I have been pulling the eggs because I thought it was a bad idea to have chicks when winter is just starting. She raised a brood that hatched in September and did well caring for the chicks. Only one is still alive (predators got the others) but she is already setting again.

If I decide to let her set on a couple of eggs, is it too late now that she is already about 10 days into setting? Will she give up in a few weeks at the 28 day mark from when she started or will she remain on the eggs until hatching if I start to leave them under her now?

Is it too cold for chicks in January in South Louisiana (occasional upper 20's overnight, often upper 30's). I leave them outside for hens to raise, I don't have a brooder.

Thanks guys...

 

[foreverlearning]

I also have a bantam hen that is very broody. She started setting about 10 days ago, but I have been pulling the eggs because I thought it was a bad idea to have chicks when winter is just starting. She raised a brood that hatched in September and did well caring for the chicks. Only one is still alive (predators got the others) but she is already setting again.

If I decide to let her set on a couple of eggs, is it too late now that she is already about 10 days into setting? Will she give up in a few weeks at the 28 day mark from when she started or will she remain on the eggs until hatching if I start to leave them under her now?

Is it too cold for chicks in January in South Louisiana (occasional upper 20's overnight, often upper 30's). I leave them outside for hens to raise, I don't have a brooder.

Thanks guys...

Oh honey, that is when we start our meat chicks down here. Think about our summers, it is much easier to add heat (even outside) then it is to try to cool them down. The time of year is great, the time on your hen depends on how determined she is at having chicks. It sounds like she likes being a mom so I would put some eggs under her and watch her health. I gave mine treats while on the nest and some in her feed bowl to increase her protein level because of a staggered hatch.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I also have a bantam hen that is very broody. She started setting about 10 days ago, but I have been pulling the eggs because I thought it was a bad idea to have chicks when winter is just starting. She raised a brood that hatched in September and did well caring for the chicks. Only one is still alive (predators got the others) but she is already setting again.

If I decide to let her set on a couple of eggs, is it too late now that she is already about 10 days into setting? Will she give up in a few weeks at the 28 day mark from when she started or will she remain on the eggs until hatching if I start to leave them under her now?

Is it too cold for chicks in January in South Louisiana (occasional upper 20's overnight, often upper 30's). I leave them outside for hens to raise, I don't have a brooder.

Thanks guys...

It depends on the bird as some just barely make the 3 weeks. However, many naturally brood for about 5 weeks...nature has built in some over time in the case of staggered hatches and failed starts...so likely she will stay the course if you set them now especially as she is an experienced brooder...she will likely become determined as she hears chicks moving in the shells...that would make as you said about 28 days total...1 week over "normal."

As to time of year....You can see my February hatch below in my byline. My Silkie hatched in weather close to what you are talking about....upper 20's at night, lower 30's during day. Since I am in wet Oregon, I did have them out of the weather but in a coop that was totally unheated. Chicks and mom did fine. It was amazing to see them running around in cold weather with no idea they should be carefully monitored with heat lamp conditions...mom and chicks just didn't seem to know or care.

Seriously, if the hen is in the mood, and she has protection from the cruel elements and predators and nosy chickens, they seem to do just fine in amazingly varied conditions.

Good luck.
Lady of McCamley

 

[iliv4chicks]

my black silkie bantam hen is on 3 of her own eggs for the first time! so eggcited!

the dad, Pretzel, is a cross between a silverlaced polish, aka SLP, and a rhode island red hen. I love him soo much, he's the sweetest!

anyway, Daphne's eggs are going to hatch, hopefully, this Monday. she's hatched before, she actually hatched pretzel, and twinkie his sister, but this is the first time she's ever been on her eggs so that's why im even more excited, if that is possible. here are some pics of pretzel and twinkie and daphne, aka Mamma Goose. lol.




here is pretzel. luv him!
I will post pics of mama goose's babies when they hatch!

 

[glebreton]

Thanks for the advice guys! I'll leave 6 or 8 eggs and see how it goes.

 

[iliv4chicks]

yeah, I would leave them. my bantam is on 3, and they are at day18, so I think it's safe. it's been getting very cold here like, 5degrees and things, and the eggs are still alive. if she's a good momma, the chicks will be fine, my momma has carried a baby through the winter, now he has kids....

 

[barbjess]

I have a medium size dog kennel that I got at tractor supply it fits perfectly in the coop underneath my nesting boxes. It gives the hen enough room move around comfortably. She also has room to teach the babies how to scratch when she gets them up.

• I looked at the tractor supply site online to figure out the size of the dog kennel you purchased to see if it would fit in my small coop on the floor under the nest boxes. The one I see is a MidWest single door dog crate for a medium breed that has the dimensions of 30 in. x 19 in. x 21 in.. Is that the correct size? If it would fit in the coop, would I be able to keep the broody hen in it with the rest of the flock yet separated with the kennel? The coop is an 8 by 10 and is supposed to hold 25 to 30 chickens. I have 22 hens and 2 roosters. The chickens free-range during the day but are all locked into the coop at night. I have no broody hen yet but I want to figure out what to do when it happens.

 

[Nicky-the-witch]

Day 11 and all seems to be going well