Broody Hen Thread!

[TiaRC]

HELP!!!

The incubator STINKS, I mean REAALLY STINKS, from the 2 exploded eggs.  Do I chance the rest and clean it out or leave it and wait it out?
.

Seriously I need HELP.

Clean it in intervals. Few minutes then close it up for 15 minutes. Then 2 minutes again. And keep doing that til it is reletivly clean

 

[the poppster]

My little grey hen hatched out 5 eggs that I know had been left to get cold more then once...I was sure that they weren't going to hatch...but she was so determined to set them I thought what the check...let's see how it goes....and to my surprise I candled them on day 20 and I could make out movement....they all hatched by day 22....I don't think it would hurt to take the eggs out for long enough to clean the incubator...then put them right back in...I wouldn't leave it all stinky...it's bacteria you are smelling...that can't be good for the developing chicks...my hens have left the nest for half an hour and the eggs have hatched...good luck!!! Don't give up!!!

 

[chicksurreal]

Latest broody this year, number 8 out of 11 Dark Cornish girls. This is Maybelle. She's been waiting, not so patiently, for about 2 weeks to get a spot of her own. I set 9 eggs under her last night. Go Maybelle!

 

[16 paws]

Latest broody this year, number 8 out of 11 Dark Cornish girls. This is Maybelle. She's been waiting, not so patiently, for about 2 weeks to get a spot of her own. I set 9 eggs under her last night. Go Maybelle!

She looks like she is ready...Happy sitting Maybelle!

 

[chicksurreal]

She looks like she is ready...Happy sitting Maybelle!

She is SO ready! When I put her in there and she saw all those eggs, it was like she was in a dream. She just moved slowly to the nest and started pulling them under her with her beak. Sweetest thing ever.

 

[kfloydlezak]

Clean it in intervals. Few minutes then close it up for 15 minutes. Then 2 minutes again. And keep doing that til it is reletivly clean

my understand is you need to clean it as it will develop a bacteria and could harm the other eggs.

 

[16 paws]

She is SO ready! When I put her in there and she saw all those eggs, it was like she was in a dream. She just moved slowly to the nest and started pulling them under her with her beak. Sweetest thing ever.

Yes it really is a miracle how their instinct takes over and they just know what to do. Gotta love those broodies!

 

[CanaDawn]

My Silkie is broody again for the second time in two months. She's got no eggs, she's got no roo.
Last time it took her a couple of weeks to snap out of it.
How often is she likely to want to sit, and is there something triggering her?
It's been dry here, but I'm suddenly remembering that last time was during a wet spell, and we've just had some rain again...but that probably is irrelevant.

ETA, I THINK she's broody, but I just took her off the nest and now she's a sorry looking black fuzzball in the middle of the lawn.

 

[the poppster]

Broodyness is caused by hormones...some say you can snap them out of it by cooling them down. ...ya know what they say about the wet hen? They are referring to breaking a broody hen cycle....I've never tried it...but some say to give her a bath in lukewarm water...actually they say ice water, but I wouldn't do that to any of my birds. It's not that important to me to break the cycle,maybe cool water and a quick dry off with a towel on a warm day might do it...and keep her out of the nests...she won't be laying anyway if she is broody.

 

[CanaDawn]

Broodyness is caused by hormones...some say you can snap them out of it by cooling them down. ...ya know what they say about the wet hen? They are referring to breaking a broody hen cycle....I've never tried it...but some say to give her a bath in lukewarm water...actually they say ice water, but I wouldn't do that to any of my birds. It's not that important to me to break the cycle,maybe cool water and a quick dry off with a towel on a warm day might do it...and keep her out of the nests...she won't be laying anyway if she is broody.

yeah, I was reading some of those methods on here and elsewhere and didn't think I wanted to try some of them!
I don't really care if she's broody or not, TBH, I just don't want her to be run down by tucking herself away and not eating as much as usual, etc.
I halfway want to find some fertile eggs for her, as she would be a great mom (she is "mama" to the seramas - and actually they are kind of stressed that she's not out and about with them) but we really don't want more chickens so that doesn't seem like a great decision!

Should I do anything re food etc? Mostly I just pick her up and put her out whenever I'm out there, and she did wander around and drink shortly after I watched her be a fuzz-lump, but she was back 10 min later.