Broody Hen Thread!

[kimmerjo]

My Silkie is sitting on 8 eggs!! This is my first time so I don't know what to do! The eggs were laid on diffrent days between 1-2 weeks ago...will they all hatch on the same day? I plan on putting her in a cage so the other birds can't bug her and chicks if they hatch. Any advice????

 

[tankgirl88]

@tankgirl88 How is she doing today?

She doesn't look very good at all...I moved her out of her box earlier this morning and moved the golf balls like 2 feet away from her to see if she would get up and sit on them. I just went and checked on her and she is still in the same place. Eyes closed(shes alive) head bowed, beak resting on the floor. So I brought her in the house a few minutes ago and am giving her a warm bath to clean her vent so I can get a better look. She is in a couple inches of warm water right now. I had to rest her beak of something to keep it out of the water cause she isn't doing it on her own.

 

[tankgirl88]

If her vent is smelling gross (as opposed to the poo that is in the coop), then yes, I would definitely want to rule out vent gleet. It can smell pretty gross and can make a bird fairly lethargic as it creates inflammation in the egg tract if it goes unchecked.

Just on the far chance that it might be vent gleet, I'll link a good site on how to treat it.

I had one hen that had minor vent gleet and responded very well to yogurt, probiotics, ACV in the water (after lots of yogurt first), and gently cleaning her up and spraying Tinactin spray on her vent, which was a bit red looking. I treated for about a week, and kept her on the yogurt for a week more and she looked great afterwards and has had no further trouble.

I have Wound- kote, its a blue antiseptic spray. Would that do the same thing? I also have braggs that I give to them pretty regularly. But I don't think she has been drinking much water the last few days either.

 

[tankgirl88]

It almost looks like she might have a blocked vent. What do I do for that?

 

[tankgirl88]

It almost looks like she might have a blocked vent. What do I do for that?

I take that back. No she doesn't.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

@tankgirl88 How is she doing today?

x2

Lady of McCamley

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I have Wound- kote, its a blue antiseptic spray. Would that do the same thing? I also have braggs that I give to them pretty regularly. But I don't think she has been drinking much water the last few days either.

No Wound Kote is not the same thing...Tinactin has anti-fungal in it.

She doesn't sound well at all. Let us know what the status is after you clean her up.

Does she have any white patches around the vent? Is it swollen? Does she have white patches in her throat?

That could mean that she has a full blown case of gleet which would need Nystatin.

But there are other things it could be as well as diarrhea can be the symptom for so many things....you may need to post on diseases.

Does she have any labored breathing? Do you hear raspy noises? Does she have clear eyes and nose?

I'd definitely keep her isolated from the others until you get a handle on this....this is not broodiness but a sick bird.

So sorry.
Lady of McCamley

 

[Lady of McCamley]

My Silkie is sitting on 8 eggs!! This is my first time so I don't know what to do! The eggs were laid on diffrent days between 1-2 weeks ago...will they all hatch on the same day? I plan on putting her in a cage so the other birds can't bug her and chicks if they hatch. Any advice????

Good luck to you and your Silkie.

Eggs set at the same time hatch approximately at the same time (within a day or so). In that regards, it doesn't matter when they were laid but when they were set (put into the incubator or under the hen). It is always best to set all eggs at the same time to incur an even hatch and avoid staggered hatchings (much harder on a broody as she may attend to the older chicks leaving the eggs, or tend to the eggs not tending to the older chicks).

However, you may see a distinct fertility difference in the older eggs vs. the younger eggs. 2 weeks is fairly old for an egg to remain fertile depending upon how they were handled...it's about the maximum of age for setting....1 week is more likely to hatch better. It's best to set eggs within a few days. After 10 days, it gets dodgier whether they'll hatch simply because the egg cell (blastodisk) is older.

Lady of McCamley

 

[tankgirl88]

Does she have any white patches around the vent? Is it swollen? Does she have white patches in her throat?

That could mean that she has a full blown case of gleet which would need Nystatin.

She does have a white patch right below her vent, I thought it was poo before I cleaned her up. Luckily I have some Nystatin on hand.

 

[Hannahs Hollow]

This may be my last post here as 1 chick is almost a pullets at 9 weeks, Josephina. And Sophia is almost 5 weeks. These unexpected hatches and two broody mamas were a great learning experience!

Josephina has raised the younger Sophia for the last 2 weeks and has done a great job!

Today I set up a pen in the green house for day trips for them. they can be around the other hens and still be safe from them. after a while I tossed the other hens out of the green house for a bit to let the two younger ones roam and explore. Lots of delighted peeps!

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I look forward to reading more of your stories and sharing mine about the planned spring hatch if I'm lucky enough!

Thank you all for your help!