Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

Hi everyone!! Quick question

My broody was sitting on five eggs (all set on the same day) its her first time hatching, one egg hatched day 20 it is now day 24 and nobody else has hatched. I am moving the broody and chick tomorro and will candle the remaning eggs.

Is there any hope? anyone else have this happen?

Not a lot of hope, but don't give up till you candle to see how they look. My experience has been that if all eggs were given the same day then they usually hatch within 12 hours of each other (if they were from the same source).... any which haven't hatched by the next day have ended up being duds on our hatches. But like I said, don't give up till you check them, eggs certainly can hatch late.

 

[pogmobum]

U

Not a lot of hope, but don't give up till you candle to see how they look.  My experience has been that if all eggs were given the same day then they usually hatch within 12 hours of each other (if they were from the same source).... any which haven't hatched by the next day have ended up being duds on our hatches.  But like I said, don't give up till you check them, eggs certainly can hatch late.

Ya all from the same hen, i only candled one egg on day ten as i dont like to bother my broodys but im starting to think i just happened to pick up the one good egg as it was developing perfectly, will post an update tomorrow. :/

 

[Dknichelson]

Ok, tomorrow is day 21 and this is my first broody hen to hatch eggs (although it is not this hens first time. She is a seasoned pro apparently.) She got off her eggs quickly this morning to eat and drink, and I peeked at the eggs, but didn't notice anything.
Is there anything I should or should not do?

 

[pogmobum]

Ok, tomorrow is day 21 and this is my first broody hen to hatch eggs (although it is not this hens first time. She is a seasoned pro apparently.)  She got off her eggs quickly this morning to eat and drink, and I peeked at the eggs, but didn't notice anything.
Is there anything I should or should not do?

Theres nothing you can really do unless uou want to super glue her to the nest lol one of my broodys got off the nest really fast once every day when i went to feed her but hatched many successful clutches all the same. How long did she stay off the nest??

 

[ocap]

one of my Old English Game Bantams has been on eggs for two days, hiding in a cardboard box in the garage instead of going back to the roost/coop for the night.

 

[fisherlady]

one of my Old English Game Bantams has been on eggs for two days, hiding in a cardboard box in the garage instead of going back to the roost/coop for the night.

Sounds like you have a broody! Congrats... since it is only day two... are the eggs from birds you want to hatch out? If so, then you are good to go, if not you can gather hatching eggs from your preferred source and swap them out when you have them gathered.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Has anyone tried integrating incubator hatched chicks into a clutch of chicks under a broody hen that hatched several days earlier? Will the mother hen adopt them into the chicks that are a few days older?

I haven't heard back on whether or not my hatching eggs are going to be shipped but i need to start incubating the eggs I already have.

Quote:
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I've not done tons of fostering, but what I have done I have learned the hard way that some things work and some things just don't...unless you are one of those lucky people who plunk chicks down and all is well.

I would not recommend going beyond the 2 days...better if you can graft at day 1 after everyone has dried out and fluffed and is standing okay. The longer you wait with the fosters, the harder it is in my experience to graft. Not because mom isn't accepting because if she is a good broody mom, that won't be a problem. The issue will be with the fosters. Chicks generally imprint within the first 24 to 48 hours, and if they have imprinted with a big heat lamp, they can view the hen as scary and will not listen to her at the beginning. I would also keep the fosters dark as possible, if you can use red light in the incubating/first drying out process that might help as it will simulate dark better.

Placing at night can be helpful...or not...if the chicks are fearful they may stumble around in the dark.

I do load chicks up with water and electrolytes before placing with a foster hen. It gives them a better chance to integrate without becoming so stressed. Warmer weather is always better for placing fosters as there is less environment change, unless you put a heat lamp in with the broody...something I avoid doing as that is what the broody is for and it can be a fire hazard.

And, finally, I would not place fosters older than 2 days apart...I have had issues with trying to place baby fosters with week old hatchlings. The hatchlings grow very fast and thoroughly tromp over the fosters as they are trying to get used to everything which can further impede their bonding. I've not tried it, but I would possibly place week old fosters with 2 day olds as the grafting might be a little more even...although by then you do risk the hen rejecting the older chicks if she feels her hatchlings are being jeopardized.

Good luck.
Lady of McCamley

 

[ocap]

Sounds like you have a broody! Congrats... since it is only day two... are the eggs from birds you want to hatch out? If so, then you are good to go, if not you can gather hatching eggs from your preferred source and swap them out when you have them gathered.

she is on her breeds eggs (OEGB), I would rather have her brood Australorp, might surprise her with incubator chicks in a couple of weeks, she is less than half the size of a silkie.

 

[fisherlady]

she is on her breeds eggs (OEGB), I would rather have her brood Australorp, might surprise her with incubator chicks in a couple of weeks, she is less than half the size of a silkie.

That would work... though I wouldn't go more than about 4 or she will have a heck of a time covering them after week 2!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

she is on her breeds eggs (OEGB), I would rather have her brood Australorp, might surprise her with incubator chicks in a couple of weeks, she is less than half the size of a silkie.

That would work... though I wouldn't go more than about 4 or she will have a heck of a time covering them after week 2!

I agree...with large breeds under a small banty, keep the clutch size small or they out grow mom too quickly and in cooler weather (which I still have), that can be bad. (You can see what I mean by out growing mom's care below...difference is from 4 weeks to 6 weeks, I think)

Lady of McCamley






My Silkie Banty mothering 2 EE's....