Broody Hen Thread!

[16 paws]

Update: The weak chick passed away tonight, but he was warm, dry and loved. Further research on the high number of deaths just after hatching lead me to Suzy Sunshine's article on Mushy Chick Syndrome, Somehow in my several years of chicken keeping I had never come across this. Guess you just have to know which is the right question to ask. Will have to revamp my brooding system as i have another girl going broody.

So sorry to hear that, I am glad you tried what you did.

 

[16 paws]

Couple of questions.

Can a Silver Pheonix rooster cross with a RIR or a Barred Rock?

I had a hen that was broody, for some dumb reason all my chickens lay in the same box so I was leaving things alone. I went to check about 3 days ago and most of the eggs had been broken. I gathered the remaining and made a home made incubator until i could go by one yesterday.

Can I wash off the eggs that were in the nasty nest?

How do I tell what is still alive and what has failed?

HELP

I would handle them as little as possible. How far along are they? You can candle them to see if they are still viable.
Marie

 

[16 paws]

I have a small game bantam that's laid a dozen eggs and today she didn't come out of the nest box until noon. She usually is out in the run, eating and scratching when I wake up. At first I thought she was going broody but she eventually came out.

Will she end up staying in the nest these next few days to hatch the eggs?

You will know in a few days if she is seriously broody. She will only come off the eggs to eat, drink and poo, maybe dust bathe and then rush back to sit on the eggs. She will also puff up like a blowfish if you try and mess with her on the eggs. Once she starts sitting it takes about 21 days to hatch.
Marie

 

[laurabelle]

I just got done candling them, I know for sure I lost 3, one of which exploded. I also have 3 I see NO air sac in. and the other 9, ????. The air sacs are anywhere between half to 1/8 of the egg and as far as motion. I am seeing NONE. But I am really, REALLY new at this. I have turned off the motion. I figure I will check daily but not touch them again for a week. If nothing by then, toss them all and wash the incubator and start collecting. I wonder why she started eating the eggs?

 

[laurabelle]

Well, #3 egg exploded last night some time, WOW does it smell in the incubator. I can take out the egg and the pieces but man, seriously YUCK on the smell. Thats make 2 that have gone POP. Is this in any way harming any of the rest, if they are any good that is?

 

[All Ball]

poppster,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on housing broodies and babies! Glad that has worked well for you.

 

[laurabelle]

HELP!!!

The incubator STINKS, I mean REAALLY STINKS, from the 2 exploded eggs. Do I chance the rest and clean it out or leave it and wait it out?

Seriously I need HELP.

 

[Muscoveyman]

I'm thinking of hatching a few Indian runners under a broody Dutch bantam any idea how many eggs she could handle?

 

[SilverLacedLady]

I have my first ever broody. She will be a year old next month. She is sitting on 10-11 eggs. She is a beautiful barred rock. I am now thinking that I would like to let her hatch the chicks and then I will put them in a brooder other than I really would rather have her raise them for me, but we currently have 6 ducks (pekins and muscovies) housed with the chickens in a large shed and they have time to free range a couple times a day. I am worried that they will be killed any ideas?

 

[SilverLacedLady]

Scarlet, my little broody bantam, has been so faithful setting her eggs.  Yesterday I noticed her talking to her eggs.  One hatched, and since he was doing so well and peeping out from under her wing, I went ahead and got excited about seeing more chicks this morning.  How depressing to find that the next 3 chicks that had hatched had never dried off and were dead.  One damp chick was still alive, though very cold.  I got him inside and warm and dry.  He was not standing on his own, but was peeping loudly.  I snuck him under Scarlett, but she left the nest taking the other chick with her and made a new nest next to the old one.  Tried again, same results.  She had buried the still breathing chick under the straw.  He was peeping so i dug him out, cleaned him off and have him tucked away in the bra-incubator while i type this up.  I'll get the brooder out when i'm done here.  Every once in a while he peeps, but he's not trying to get up on his own.

A couple of questions:

• What can i do to up his chances of survival, besides popping him in the brooder?
• This is the second of two hatchings where the chicks hatched but didn't dry off and survive.  Any ideas why?  The only thing I can think of is that the nests are 12" x 12" and that may be too small or too deep for Mom to give the hatchlings the room they need?
• What goes on under a hen during hatching anyway?  Does she raise up to give the babies room to get out of the shell?

Please don't anyone tell me I should put him down.  I like to give all my animals every chance i can.  I know he may not be able to survive on his own, but if he dies, at least he'll have been warm, dry and loved.

Electrolyte solution in his water, keep him warm, keep him hydrated. See if he will eat mash, I would never tell you to put him down. I hope the little one pulls through. I hope to see a happy update soon.