Broody Hen Thread!

[PD-Riverman]

I'v also had a broken egg which has made a mess in the next box and gotten the other eggs dirty. Should i remove the broody hen, clean the box and replace the dirty eggs with clean ones? What am i supposed to do?

Think about that-----if you remove some of the eggs she has been sitting on for some time------then add new ones----then you will have a staggered hatch----meaning the first eggs will hatch-----if you do not take the chicks away from her and brood them-----she will probably not stay on the nest to hatch the ones you added.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I'v also had a broken egg which has made a mess in the next box and gotten the other eggs dirty. Should i remove the broody hen, clean the box and replace the dirty eggs with clean ones? What am i supposed to do?

My other hens insist on laying their eggs in the box that my bigger broody hen is in instead of the empty box.

My hens do the same, i'v seen 3 hens in the same box together when there is a whole row of empty boxes. They all like to lay in the same one. My broody has only been sitting for 3 or 4 days and the first few days i was still taking the eggs to eat. The last one i cracked open had blood capilaries in it so i decided to leave her and let her hatch some. But now this cracked egg's made a mess. I think because it's still early on i could clean everything and remove the dirty eggs and start again. Maybe i can get her to sit in a different box that the others don't use. But maybe there are still some clean eggs under her though, i'v not moved her to check, i just got rid of the broken egg and some of the really dirty ones around it but there was more under her i couldn't get to.

I know all of you are having Problems------I do not have to deal with these problems-----Because I move all my broodies to a private pen. Less chance of broken eggs, no fighting over the broodies box, no having to look under her daily to remove eggs that were layed in her nest that day. Just a good broody, sitting in her private nest----incubating her eggs without interference from the rest.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I know all of you are having Problems------I do not have to deal with these problems-----Because I move all my broodies to a private pen. No broken eggs, no fighting over the broodies box, no having to look under her daily to remove eggs that were layed in her nest that day. Just a good broody, sitting in her private nest----incubating her eggs without interference from the rest.

Not sure how moving the broody eliminates the risk of broken eggs - eggs can (and do) get broken in private nests.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Not sure how moving the broody eliminates the risk of broken eggs - eggs can (and do) get broken in private nests.

Sure it can still happen but a lot less percentage of a chance. Edited post to correct that part.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I think because it's still early on i could clean everything and remove the dirty eggs and start again. Maybe i can get her to sit in a different box that the others don't use. But maybe there are still some clean eggs under her though, i'v not moved her to check, i just got rid of the broken egg and some of the really dirty ones around it but there was more under her i couldn't get to.

If you start over----I would suggest you start with Fresh layed MARKED eggs---put them under her----then remove any new egg that gets layed in her nest daily. Then ALL your eggs will hatch at about the same time-----If you just leave eggs in her nest that get layed each day----you are allowing a staggered hatch-----which is Not a good thing--------the hen will "usually" leave the nest after the first few are born-----abandoning the rest of the eggs-----which will have live chicks in them at different incubation stages----they all die----unless you put them in a incubator--------a Marked clutch of eggs could have prevented that from happening! Good Luck!

 

[Demidog]

Thanks for the replies! I was wondering about eggs at different ages. And i never thought to mark to eggs, i will do that now! I cleaned the whole coup, moved her to another clean nest box, i gently wiped the eggs clean with some warm water and put them back with her. There is 7 eggs there, and i think 2 of them were new ones as they were less dirty than the others. She's been sitting for 3 or 4 days, is that too much time between the eggs? If it is i will just remove them and start again with fresh eggs. These are my first hens who are now a year old, i incubated eggs last year but want them do it this time so i don't have to. So it's a learning curve for me, all advice welcome!

 

[PD-Riverman]

Thanks for the replies! I was wondering about eggs at different ages. And i never thought to mark to eggs, i will do that now! I cleaned the whole coup, moved her to another clean nest box, i gently wiped the eggs clean with some warm water and put them back with her. There is 7 eggs there, and i think 2 of them were new ones as they were less dirty than the others. She's been sitting for 3 or 4 days, is that too much time between the eggs? If it is i will just remove them and start again with fresh eggs. These are my first hens who are now a year old, i incubated eggs last year but want them do it this time so i don't have to. So it's a learning curve for me, all advice welcome!

"I" would start her with New marked eggs----You will be happier in the long run---at the hatch. Everyday, you will have to tilt her enough to see and remove the new un-marked eggs and those will be fine to eat. On her 19th day sitting on these eggs I would not lift or tilt her any more----just leave her alone and let her hatch. No food or water where she can get to it while sitting on the eggs------she needs to get off the eggs to eat, poop, etc. When the chicks hatch---you will need to set-up chick waterers where the chicks can get to it------still not near the nest.

You will need to look around and chick proof your coop, yard etc. No containers of water that they can fall into and drown, no holes they can not get out of----make sure they can not get through the fence seperated from Mom-----if they can----you will probably loose some of them. I had a Hawk some years back that I caught setting on the fence----Mom had dug a hole close to the edge and the chicks got out----the hawk was waiting for the chicks to get away from pen so it could scoop down and grab one---I lost 3 to him. Good Luck

 

[sharol]

I've been incredibly lucky with my hatches (all 6 or 7 of them). The hens have stayed put, been moved a day or two before hatch to a different coop, and done a great job raising babies. The only glitch has been the one broody this year that abandoned her eggs to care for the first chick that hatched leaving me with 8 little dust makers in the brooder in the house.

I have hatched eggs that I got from a friend who has nice quality hens (Marans, Orps of all colors, and true Araucans and Breda Fowl) so the eggs were a different color than the ones my girls lay, so I can tell any new arrivals. In addition, my rooster is shooting blanks, so I don't have to worry about destroying a developing chick in that odd egg. ON the one time I hatched my own eggs, I marked them, though.

I agree with the other posters, I don't think I would add new eggs to developing eggs. At the same time, washed eggs have are more likely to get bacterial infections, so maybe starting over with new eggs would be a good idea. Unless the eggs under her are valuable or unusual, I'd start over. They just got started.

 

[16 paws]

I would try and move her first. Make sure she stays broody and then give her new eggs. I will only let my broodys hatch chicks if they let me move them to a safe location. I do not want other hens laying eggs in there with her. Sometimes they will even lay on top of the broody if she wont move out of the way. I have had too many eggs break. If she wont let me move her she has to go to the big bad broody busting coop where she stays for 3 days or so.

If you do try and move her do it at night, take some or all of her nesting material with her and then put some kind of towel or burlap over the area for a couple days to make it kind of dark. It all depends on the hen if she will stay on the eggs or not. I have some portable nest boxes that I can just move, broody and all and that seems to work the best. Lets see if I have a picture of one.....


I made these from instructions from Anna Whites website.

 

[Pennychickens1]

Love those they look really nice.