Broody Hen Thread!

[DeesChicks]

Just candled my eggs last night and of the 14 we started with, we have 9 going strong. Not sure what I should have done with mama while candling eggs, as this was the first time. She sad on my lap watching what I was doing, and was growling. After about half of them were done, she had enough of that and started squirming. Hubby had to try to hold her as she got more and more restless. We let her get back on the nest box as I was almost done, and put the rest next to her to put back under her when I was done.

Survived that experience! This was day 11. Do I need to candle them again? Or am I good to go?

 

[Runawaylobster]

My hen hatched one egg last weekend, and on the same day as I hatched some in the incubator. I put 3 chicks under her
just now, they are hiding alongside her own chick in her feathers.. she seems happy enough but are there any signs
i should look out for.. ...


after i have given her a day to settle in with them i'd like to put her back in the coop with the others.. she is in a cat carrier with no door right now, and she can stay with that inside the coop?? is this OK..



just went to check and everything still looks OK

sorry i am such a worry wort...

everything looking good this morning !!!! they even gobbled up all the food in the night..

 

[kippyafd]

Do eggs always hatch on day 21, or do they sometimes hatch on day 20? I have a hen on day 19 right now....just wondering if her heat is hotter/better than an incubators?

 

[newtwinmom]

When does a broody usually disown her brood? Or the brood disown her? I have five with a first time FBCM and while she still protects them and is still sitting on them at night, they spend a lot of time hunting bugs by themselves. I wouldn't be concerned by this except that my flock ranges in my chain link fences back yard. At three and a half weeks, these babies can still easily get in and out of the chain link and I have found them in the front yard, a long way away from the flock, twice today. I'm very concerned that without the adults, they are easy pray for a hawk or other predator. Any suggestions? Should I take them away from mama and move them to the tractor with the other 25 chicks their age?

 

[Mohawk Chickens]

 

[Mohawk Chickens]

I had an EE (Cuckoo Marans/Ameraucana) go seriously broody on Good Friday so I left her have 10 Ameraucana eggs. She has since tossed out 4 infertile & 1 cracked egg so she still has 5. I marked them as the others keep laying in the same nest box and I take out the new eggs a couple of times a day. She has been joined on her nest by another broody, an Ameraucana. I also have another Ameraucana and an EE that are semi broody all trying to crowd into that same nest or the one beside it. That is 3 or 4 in the same 12" x 12" x 12" nest box! The semi broody ones fluff up and growl, but usually leave the nest when I go in the coop ~ leaving the 2 that are serious. I think that if these 5 eggs hatch they are going to have lots of mommies!

Marking the eggs won't hurt them? I gave my hen two eggs yesterday and now there are 6.... Hmmmm!

 

[newtwinmom]

Marking the eggs won't hurt them? I gave my hen two eggs yesterday and now there are 6.... Hmmmm!

Nope. Lots of people say use a pencil since eggs absorb things so easily but I know some use a permanent marker. Draw a pretty dark line all the way around. I just out an X on mine and having to roll them around to see if they are marked while dodging a ticked off hen is not fun!

 

[kannna]

Do eggs always hatch on day 21, or do they sometimes hatch on day 20? I have a hen on day 19 right now....just wondering if her heat is hotter/better than an incubators?

My broodies usually start hatching on day 20. I thought it was maybe just how Betty hatched, but Brunhilda started hatching today on day 20 also.

 

[questions543]

Hello, So I have a broody and I want to give her fertile eggs… Im wondering if when they hatch I will have to separate them or will the other big birds leave them alone/accept them?

 

[theresajm64]

I have a blue laced wyandotte that is broody. Can i put day old chicks under her at night and when she wakes up with them will she claim them as her own?