Broody Hen Thread!

[tntchix]

A happy ending. Sorry abt the other eggs.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Thanks, my friends! JaJean, I did that...just didn't have them handy when we first moved them. Just what I'd need, another clinker in the same day!

Edited to add: Sorry, forgot to answer your question. Short and sweet - too many! Ordered 12, 15 were shipped, one was beginning to have an odor a few days in so it went bye-bye. That left 14, then Scout hatched so there were still 15 eggs. Way too many for a rookie broodie and an equally rookie me! Live and learn, and boy, have I! The next broody gets broken pronto, unless it's summer time!

Sometimes if there are too many eggs, you can lose the whole clutch because they don't all fit under her. She'll pull them in under her, but then another gets pushed out chilled. I don't know if fourteen eggs is too many for a large fowl. (Is she a large fowl or bantam?)

 

[Blooie]

Sometimes if there are too many eggs, you can lose the whole clutch because they don't all fit under her. She'll pull them in under her, but then another gets pushed out chilled. I don't know if fourteen eggs is too many for a large fowl. (Is she a large fowl or bantam?)

I guess she'd be considered a large. The eggs were all warm when I went out there but Scout wasn't. Doggone it! I just now came in from outside where I stood by the window and just listened. She's crooning and I heard him peep. Feeling better tonight - both of us!

 

[drumstick diva]

Blooie had to come here to read the rest of the story. Scout is very special.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I guess she'd be considered a large. The eggs were all warm when I went out there but Scout wasn't. Doggone it! I just now came in from outside where I stood by the window and just listened. She's crooning and I heard him peep. Feeling better tonight - both of us!

If the clutch is too big for the hen to cover, the whole clutch, egg by egg, rotates through a chilling phase during incubation and you can lose the whole clutch. I don't know if that is why you lost so many eggs. Shipped eggs is the other possible explanation and probably a more likely probability.

Your post talked about your accepting responsibility and blame for the poor hatch. I don't think there is anyway you can link the poor hatch rate to your husbandry. There wasn't anything you likely did wrong.

Your hatch may have been doomed before they were shipped with bacterial contamination or poor packaging. They might have been damaged in shipping. Who knows. Blame isn't something you are likely to be able to assign.

 

[Blooie]

If the clutch is too big for the hen to cover, the whole clutch, egg by egg, rotates through a chilling phase during incubation and you can lose the whole clutch. I don't know if that is why you lost so many eggs. Shipped eggs is the other possible explanation and probably a more likely probability.

Your post talked about your accepting responsibility and blame for the poor hatch. I don't think there is anyway you can link the poor hatch rate to your husbandry. There wasn't anything you likely did wrong.

Your hatch may have been doomed before they were shipped with bacterial contamination or poor packaging. They might have been damaged in shipping. Who knows. Blame isn't something you are likely to be able to assign.

Thanks. And I'm sure you're right. That's what the adult, intelligent side of me says, too. The emotional, control- freak side of me just needs a little more convincing. I'm dreading sunrise right now but looking forward to it at the same time. The minute it starts getting light outside I'll be out there checking on them. Got down to 30 here last night.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Thanks. And I'm sure you're right. That's what the adult, intelligent side of me says, too. The emotional, control- freak side of me just needs a little more convincing. I'm dreading sunrise right now but looking forward to it at the same time. The minute it starts getting light outside I'll be out there checking on them. Got down to 30 here last night.

If the chick didn't make it there might have been something else going on. Infection in the egg often manifests itself several days later. Poor hatch rates, chicks that pip but don't hatch and chicks that die soon after hatching. The chick doesn't need any food or water for a few days. They are still living on their egg yolk that was pulled into their body just before hatching. We are all waiting anxiously for news that all is well.

 

[Blooie]

Just came in from cleaning the poop board and Scout is doing just great! Oh, I'm doing the happy dance this morning!

 

[troy007ramz]

Day 21 is TODAY! Happy Halloween! Our first borrowed egg hatched under our broody. A friend talked me into letting my broody just do her thing and give her some fertile eggs from her flock (I don't have a rooster). I have a happy hen, and so far ONE very cute baby. The kids want to call her Boo.

 

[Angie16hearts]

Anyone have any thoughts ? I'm baffled after so long ! No eggs at all!

Before she stopped laying almost 7 weeks ago we got a egg a day. Never fail! Is it because she was going broody and I pulled her clutch ? She's 8 months old. Any thoughts? She had 8 eggs 2 golf balls and just couldn't make up her mind if she wanted to be a mom. So after almost two weeks I pulled her clutch cause it was hot and I didn't want rotting eggs.