Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

I think she meant that her pure breds are considered petting zoo chickens because around her no one worries about breed.



On a side note, I now have a second broody starting up, she will not get off the eggs, but I made a switch yesterday, and put all one kind of egg under her, and took out her one egg, today she laid another egg (or maybe it was yesterday) I know it was her, because my other silkie has been broody for a week now, on 3 silkie eggs, and a large brown egg. Silkie number two (2nd broody) chose a very inconvenient spot, I cannot reach her, I was collecting her eggs from that corner with my foot, this is also how I pulled the egg she had laid out of her nest yesterday, before rolling the desired eggs in, I cannot get back there to pull specific eggs, and I forgot to mark the eggs that I chose anyway. argh, I'm afraid that rolling the eggs out of the nest to mark them (while she's out for her mid morning constitutional) and pull eggs that don't belong, would hurt the developing chicks. is there a point that the larger birds will stop laying in the broody's nest? or will this continue all the way through? the silkies are my only bantams

Unfortunately the other hens will continue to lay in her nest, and she will continue to drag the new eggs under herself to add to her clutch. Careful handling of the eggs to candle or mark them will be fine. If needed use a large kitchen spoon or ladle to aid in getting them from an awkward location, or even tongs as long as they are allow you to grip very lightly.

 

[crazyroo102938]

Thank you luvmypet

 

[Joski1995]

My hens have been laying for about 3-4 weeks. I have been getting 6-9 eggs a day some are still small some are huge double yokers. I have a hen thats broody i collected eggs yesterday and today but i only got about 3 eggs yesterday and today so far ive got 4. I think its cuz its so hot. I keep my eggs on my counter but the AC blows directly on them so i was afraid to put any of them under her cuz i was afraid they had alreafy gotten too cold. So i started collecting eggs for her yesterday ive only got 5 so far. Because im afraid to use the big ones cuz ive gotten a lot of double yokers. Im also afraid to use the small ones. So from yesterday and today i put five under her all at the same time about 2 hrs ago. The ones i collected yesterday i left in the hen house in a safe place because i was afraid of them getting to cold in the house. I really dont know if it even matters any way i was hoping for more than five the girls just havnt been laying today and yesterday. Would it be ok to add some tomorrow or should i just leave it alone? Did i do it right?

 

[JekkaLynn]

I have a broody bantam who was laying on 18 eggs! I took 14 out and candled them then put them in my incubator. I left her with 4 eggs and she went back onto the nest after a drink. I went outside to collect eggs and she was off the nest again. . The eggs were still warm and she went back on after I checked them...is she just getting up more today because of the heat?

 

[kittykitty30]

I have a broody bantam who was laying on 18 eggs! I took 14 out and candled them then put them in my incubator. I left her with 4 eggs and she went back onto the nest after a drink. I went outside to collect eggs and she was off the nest again. . The eggs were still warm and she went back on after I checked them...is she just getting up more today because of the heat?

Broodies get up off the nest for about 15 to 20 minutes each day to drink, poo, eat, dust bathe, etc. They sometimes split their time two three or fours trips. That's what mine did.

 

[ochochicas]

I have a broody bantam who was laying on 18 eggs! I took 14 out and candled them then put them in my incubator. I left her with 4 eggs and she went back onto the nest after a drink. I went outside to collect eggs and she was off the nest again. . The eggs were still warm and she went back on after I checked them...is she just getting up more today because of the heat?

Mine spent more time off the next when it was hot out. Normally she was back in 20 minutes. However, when it was in the 90s she'd be gone for up to 40 minutes. All the fertile eggs hatched so apparently she knew they'd be ok.

 

[Sylviaanne]

Ok, I have a broody sitting on one chick and 3 eggs. I don't know if the eggs are going to hatch as there has been 2 eggs broken at different times. Each time I brought about half the eggs in and put them in the incubator, I already had eggs in it. At first other hens were sitting on her and laying their eggs so the eggs are at different hatch dates.

These babies in the incubator started hatching on the 19th, one then and now there are 8 in the incubator. I want to put the babies under mama but I have a few questions first and I know I have to do it faster than one or two a night since the baby under mama is already dry and fluffed out.

1. Should I turn the lights out in the coop to put the babies under her?

2. I know I should wait at least 5 minutes to put the next baby under her but is it possible that I could put 2 at a time under her and get away with it?

3. She is in a milk crate that has high sides. If I move her into something that the babies can easily get in and out of at night, do I need to put the eggs that haven't hatched in the new nest to get her to continue to use it?

 

[sonderah]

Tomorrow is a week for my broody EE!! I don't usually candle broody eggs, but I went to buy a dozen cream legbars eggs locally for her, & the lady only had 9 left, so she threw in some extra of this and that, 16 eggs total & I'm curious to see what all I may have in the future. Lol But, it'll probably be Sunday b4 I get time! :/

 

[irischick]

I have a BLRW sitting and it was due to hatch yesterday. No peeping from it and I candled it. There is total darkness. Do I give it a few more days?

 

[sonderah]

I have a BLRW sitting and it was due to hatch yesterday. No peeping from it and I candled it. There is total darkness. Do I give it a few more days?

At 21 days, half the time u can't see anything but total darkness because the chick fills the egg. I'd wait.