Broody Hen Thread!

[MistyMountain]

This is MJ, my EE, hard at work. She has been broody for just over a week and I gave her some eggs on Sunday. Very exciting! Since these will be barnyard mixes from my mixed flock, I have no clue on fertility. I have a question...

First, to candle or not to candle?? Why and why not? I think I may, just to narrow down those that are not fertile. If I do, I would candle only once. What is a good day to get a definite YES or NO on an egg?

 

[fisherlady]

This is MJ, my EE, hard at work. She has been broody for just over a week and I gave her some eggs on Sunday. Very exciting! Since these will be barnyard mixes from my mixed flock, I have no clue on fertility. I have a question...

First, to candle or not to candle?? Why and why not? I think I may, just to narrow down those that are not fertile. If I do, I would candle only once. What is a good day to get a definite YES or NO on an egg?

I candle on day 7-10 (depending on my work schedule) by day 10 clears are obvious, blood rings usually are also. I remove clears on day 10 to provide better room in the nest and then may candle again on day 18 or so (when broody is out doing her thing) and I remove 'sloshy' eggs at that time.

 

[GardenDave]

Today is day 21. Heard chirping under mamas last night. Keep going out there today, but I don't see any chicks out from under her. Too afraid to move the hens after yesterdays episode. Now the one we brought in yesterday has made it so far and detached from the shell this morning. I got her to drink some water and wiped her clean with some warm water. She is under a heat lamp as well. Still getting the hang of walking around. She appears smaller than the one I found in the coop that didn't make it yesterday. What do I do now with this little one? How do I know if anymore have hatched?

BLT - they'z the chickens not you lol - go look. Congrats on events so far. It is hatch day for the two eggs under Silky but I hear and see nothing. Silky herself is still behaving the same - not over protective or anythign like I would assume from a mother soon to be.

 

[MistyMountain]

I candle on day 7-10 (depending on my work schedule) by day 10 clears are obvious, blood rings usually are also. I remove clears on day 10 to provide better room in the nest and then may candle again on day 18 or so (when broody is out doing her thing) and I remove 'sloshy' eggs at that time.

Thanks! I will keep my hands off until day 10, then. I can close my coop into total darkness so I can get a good look. Now to google what these "blood rings" and "sloshy eggs" look like. I am such a rookie at this!!

 

[fisherlady]

Thanks! I will keep my hands off until day 10, then. I can close my coop into total darkness so I can get a good look. Now to google what these "blood rings" and "sloshy eggs" look like. I am such a rookie at this!!

I think you will find pics of the 'blood ring' without problem. The term 'sloshy egg' is just something my husband and I use to describe eggs which quit developing and died. Pay close attention to how the air cells appear when you candle. You will notice they are quite solid and clearly formed. The margins of the air cell don't move as you tilt the egg back and forth.
This 'solid' appearance is created and maintained by the inner membrane of the egg and as long as that membrane remains intact so does the air cell. Often when the embryo quits developing or dies the membrane disintegrates and the liquid inside of the egg is no longer held in place and the air cell becomes a free moving bubble.... sort of appears like a bubble in one of those '70s era lava lamps. Hence our term 'sloshy'.
We only use this appearance to describe eggs which are well into incubation, not when they are under a week.... I am not sure how to describe a 'Detatched air cell' but if you go to Sally Sunshine's Hatching 101 article it covers that also, but that is an issue before incubation begins, not at the end of it.

 

[Romoshka]

Well may be a bit off topic but I thinks its close enough that the moderators wont kick me off. In earlier posts I chronicled my one and only broody event. Lots of help was greatly appreciated. Only 2 hatched and after 3 days the 4 hens were off the 3 nests they were sharing/co-oping. Rest of the eggs were candled and placed in incubator. Have been advised about possible "grafting late hatches. I was successful for the first 3 but later hatches were greeted with aggresion so I pulled em out and into brooder they went. Wondered how late I could be successful at this. Now for the finale-went out after dark and dropped 1 chick in each of the 3 nests and observed for 10 minutes...no aggression. Today all chicks are alive and well. Had another 1 hatch last night and its been in incubator all day so will try again after dark. Will continue this experiment as long as eggs are hatching. Anyone have experience with?

 

[BLT79]

Well when we checked under her yesterday, it resulted in her smashing an egg, which is why I am scared to now. I didn't see or hear any chicks or chirping today. Should I pick her right up off the nest tomorrow? When will she leave the nest if rest of chicks didn't make it? Wonder if one in house will be only one.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Well when we checked under her yesterday, it resulted in her smashing an egg, which is why I am scared to now. I didn't see or hear any chicks or chirping today. Should I pick her right up off the nest tomorrow? When will she leave the nest if rest of chicks didn't make it? Wonder if one in house will be only one.

Since it is only day 21, try to keep hands off...I've messed up the hatch by looking too much (fairly certain that's how I got a "shrink wrap" this last time around...almost unavoidable as I was trying to replace a chilled chick...but the result was the same).

If nothing has happened by end of day 22, possibly morning 23, then I'd carefully look.

As to the little one in the incubator, I changed my tactics and added an antibiotic with the usual Chick Saver vitamin/electrolyte this last time and I think it made a difference. Sydney Acres gave me the tip as she is a wildlife expert and actually did necropsies on failed fosters/hatches and typically found bacterial infections. I think that can be the number one reason for failure to thrive these first few days, especially if there is any issue with an unclosed naval.

Good luck.
Lady of McCamley

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thought I'd post an update....

The little Buckeyes were out for the first time yesterday with Momma. I delayed as the 2 rescues are still smaller than the rest, but both Little Runt and Saran are doing really well....except nobody could find the way up the ramp last night and I had to do the Sylvester and Tweetie Bird dance to round them up for the hutch.

Fortunately both the Rhodebars and Buckeyes are exceptionally friendly, so once I caught them they were calm in my hands...but gasp...left them in today...I think I'll give the Bucks a few more days of growth to maneuver that ramp.

Lady of McCamley

Both the broodies and chicks did really well. Nobody got too aggerssive. Yay!

 

[BLT79]

Thank you so much for this info. Today is day 22 so I will leave them alone. The one in the house is tiny. The one that hatched on day on 20 was bigger but chilled and didn't make it. Husband doesn't want to put her back out with moms because of how little and fragile she is.