Broody Hen Thread!

[1HotChickenMama]

I should've specified....she stepped on an unhatched egg***

 

[chicknfun]

Ok, I have a broody that just hatched a chick on Friday, and one jthis morning. She still has 8 eggs under her. I got an egg from my d'uccle yesterday and slipped it under my broody. Will she hatch that egg? A friend had said he didn't think she would hatch it and I am just wondering why?
I have heard of people slipping eggs under broody hens, so I am confused.

 

[Jharper]

Ok, I have a broody that just hatched a chick on Friday, and one jthis morning. She still has 8 eggs under her. I got an egg from my d'uccle yesterday and slipped it under my broody. Will she hatch that egg? A friend had said he didn't think she would hatch it and I am just wondering why?
I have heard of people slipping eggs under broody hens, so I am confused.

Not unless the Duccle egg is due to hatch on the same day.

 

[Jharper]

I should've specified....she stepped on an unhatched egg***

Is the egg due? Could you post a picture?

 

[chicknfun]

Quote: OK....
she had 4 days between the 2 that have already hatched, and the other 8 eggs under her are in different stages of development due to the fact that another hen was laying eggs under her. I didn't realize that till I went to move her. I left all the eggs when I brought her in.Won't she sit there till they all hatch?
I have her separated from everyone else, and in the mud room. She has food and water right there next to her, so she doesn't need to go anywhere. I have been scooping her poo out several times a day too.
So, are the rest not going to hatch?
Oh noo, I don't have an incubator.
Thank you

 

[jenifern]

I'm on my second experience with a broody hen and so far everything seems to be going ok.. But I just found out I may be away while the eggs hatch. I'm sure the mother will handle everything but I have a few questions like
1. Should I move her to her own coop or can I leave her in the main coop?
2. Right now she is on the top level of my coop (my coop is built on 3 levels) and my although my chickens can easily just hop up to the 3rd level from the second do I have to worry about the chicks wondering in the 3rd level and possible fall down a level and injury or worse kill themselves?
3. Do I need to buy chick starter feed for my chicks even though they will be raised by their mom. I let them free range as often as I can but since I may be away I don't think they will get much free range time ( they do have access to a large run however.
4. Will the other chickens possible kill the chicks, their mom is one of the lowest ranking chickens in my flock? I would like to keep her in the main coop but I don't want to come back and find dead chicks.

Yes I would separate her from the rest of the flock, she will want to be where her babies/eggs are and they will stay with her once hatched, but if you give her too much room to wander or the potential of other hens/roosters poking their noses in you might come home to some dead chicks. Provide her and the chicks with chick start and water for sure. I had this problem with one of my own broodies and had to leave her in the main coop on her eggs bascially until the first baby hatched, as every time I tried to move her somewhere safe and away from the rest of the flock she just wanted to go back to where she was before. But once that first baby was hatched I was able to take her out. Thankfully she was sitting in a portable little box so there was little disturbance.

 

[jenifern]

OK....
she had 4 days between the 2 that have already hatched, and the other 8 eggs under her are in different stages of development due to the fact that another hen was laying eggs under her. I didn't realize that till I went to move her. I left all the eggs when I brought her in.Won't she sit there till they all hatch?
I have her separated from everyone else, and in the mud room. She has food and water right there next to her, so she doesn't need to go anywhere. I have been scooping her poo out several times a day too.
So, are the rest not going to hatch?
Oh noo, I don't have an incubator.
Thank you

I would say it's not likely that she will sit on them if the hatch day is more than about 3 days after the first chicks hatched out. Once most of the chicks hatch all of my broodies usually abandon their nest for a new spot, plus they are up and off the nest a lot more taking the babies out to feed and drink. If you have a styrofoam cooler and a low watt light bulb you can easily make a still air incubator. Good luck!

 

[1HotChickenMama]

Yes due tomorrow. Shehad 2 hatch already. I will get a pic

 

[1HotChickenMama]

Ok my phone won't let me upload a pic.... =( it just looks like maybe her heel crushed the egg right in the center. The size of a 50cent peice.

 

[1HotChickenMama]

Just candled it.... seems to be moving still but no internal pip yet.