Broody Hen Thread!

[Lady of McCamley]

My RIR just hatched her first chick. It was hatched on the end of day 19, start of day 20 so quite early. Although she hasn't already naught she abandon the rest of the clutch to raise the couple that have hatched already. 3 have hatched for sure, 1 of them didn't make it so there could still be 11 eggs under her.

You will need to put the eggs in an incubator or under another broody hen if you want to finish them....although they may not be developing as broodies can be very knowledgeable about what isn't developing...have you candled them?

Or she simply got distracted with the early developers.

Lady of McCamley

 

[Pure Poultry]

You will need to put the eggs in an incubator or under another broody hen if you want to finish them....although they may not be developing as broodies can be very knowledgeable about what isn't developing...have you candled them?

Or she simply got distracted with the early developers.

Lady of McCamley

M
She still sitting on them now because it's falling night and tomorrow is day 21 so hoping they hatch soon so she doesn't have to sit much longer

 

[Pure Poultry]

I'll try and get a picture tomorrow morning

 

[Lady of McCamley]

M
She still sitting on them now because it's falling night and tomorrow is day 21 so hoping they hatch soon so she doesn't have to sit much longer

Okay...I misunderstood your question in your prior post...she hasn't abandoned them yet....she will likely stick with the nest until the rest hatch...most broodies will set for 2 to 3 days for the hatching process to finish as the eggs never hatch at the same time. Chicks have food/water left over from the absorbed yolk from the egg so that they don't need to eat or drink for a day or two, which allows the mother to finish hatching the clutch.

By day 2, at most 3, the hen is usually up and tending to the hatched chicks. Any eggs left by then are usually not going to hatch.

We look forward to pics coming soon.
Lof Mc

 

[Fentress]

How important is air flow around and underneath a nest? Last year, I made some enclosures with stacked straw bales and ply board for a roof. One end was left open, but covered with a screen to separate the nest from the rest of the flock. I used a drawer, with straw inside for the nest. The interior measured almost 2' by 3', a little tight, but it seemed adequate to me. My hatch rates in this type of setup was poor. It could have been the two inexperienced pullets that were setting, the lack of space or maybe a lack of air flow. Is air flow even relevant.? I like doing this, but not if it is fundamentally flawed. This year I might try it again, but make the space a little bigger and use something that is up off the ground for a nest. I have heard of people using drawers before, so that may not be the problem. Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

@fentress It sounds like a setup that should work well. Did the eggs not develop at all or did they "quit" ?

Also, where did you get the straw. I dont know if chemical residue would affect hatches but it could be a factor. We stopped using straw bedding on out acreage because we found our dog was allergic to some chemicals. At least we figured it was a certain chemical because it was only certain straw that he reacted to.

Good luck!

 

[Pure Poultry]

Morning of day 21 and she got off for 1 minute for food and water and straight back on so she doesn't look like leaving anytime soon

 

[Lady of McCamley]

How important is air flow around and underneath a nest? Last year, I made some enclosures with stacked straw bales and ply board for a roof. One end was left open, but covered with a screen to separate the nest from the rest of the flock. I used a drawer, with straw inside for the nest. The interior measured almost 2' by 3', a little tight, but it seemed adequate to me. My hatch rates in this type of setup was poor. It could have been the two inexperienced pullets that were setting, the lack of space or maybe a lack of air flow. Is air flow even relevant.? I like doing this, but not if it is fundamentally flawed. This year I might try it again, but make the space a little bigger and use something that is up off the ground for a nest. I have heard of people using drawers before, so that may not be the problem. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Airflow is important to birds so that the amonia vapors from feces doesn't build up and so that moisture does not become too high so that it causes mold to grow...chicken give off a lot of moisture as they breath and poo.

Now as to your set up...I can't imagine it NOT having enough airflow as that is hardly air tight. There would have to be quite a bit of ambient air flow. I've used a wooden box insert and have had fine hatches with it. My next boxes are about 2 x 3, which is pretty ideal size...just big enough to sit in, turn around, sit again.

So I doubt it was the air flow. More likely poor fertility in the eggs or inexperienced broodies. Possibly too much moisture if you saw any molding in the nest box itself, but I doubt that if it was nice dry straw bales...many a chick was hatched in the straw of a barn.

Lady of McCamley

 

[Angie16hearts]

I've been through 17 pages so this may very well be answered somewhere in the thread. I saw a couple of references to hens pushing out undeveloping eggs. Can they tell and does this happen often. Hope this dosen't show up in the dumbest things people have said thread.

No question is a dumb question...only the unasked one.

Yes, amazingly hens can tell and often do push out the undeveloping egg, especially if it has gone bad.

Hens have a keen sense of smell and hearing. They can hear the chicks moving in the eggs, and as you know, a rotting egg has a very distinct smell.

So many hens will push out those that are undeveloping/rotting.

However...having said that...do not assume that an egg pushed out is not developing or rotting (unless it smells bad or is cracked). Hens shuffle, and if they are in the main coop, others coming into the nest to lay can jostle eggs such that developing eggs get bumped out.

Always mark your set eggs, and it usually is best to keep the brooding hen and her nest separate so that others can't bump developing eggs out or lay others that start later giving a staggered hatch.

Lady of McCamley

I was wondering the same thing. Lady of McCanley I candled 5 eggs with my virgin eyes I believe 4/5 were good . I didn't want to disturb her to much. So I left it at that. It's hard seeing through some of the brown ones and blue. I found a string enough light. It was so neat to see a little embryo and air sac.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I was wondering the same thing. Lady of McCanley I candled 5 eggs with my virgin eyes I believe 4/5 were good . I didn't want to disturb her to much. So I left it at that. It's hard seeing through some of the brown ones and blue. I found a string enough light. It was so neat to see a little embryo and air sac.

The blue and dark brown eggs are really hard. I only use a simple dollar store LED flashlight (sparing no expense for my hens), and with the blue and dark brown (Marans) all I can see is a dot and some squiggles at about day 5...then as the egg development advances it's just too hard to see dark glob on dark...I often can't even see too much air cell. So I leave them and cross my fingers.

LofMc