Broody Hen Thread!

[the poppster]

My little serama has been sitting on a Sumatra/Silkie egg for about 21-23 days (I can't remember the exact date I put the egg under her, around July 7th-9th). I've been having concerns because this is such an odd mix and my Serama is a brand new broody - this is her first egg. I've seen a lot of growth to the point where the egg is black with a huge air cell! I also think it moved the other day, and I may candle it again today. I've been trying to keep it untouched but I have yet to see any pips, peeps, or zipping. I'm just concerned that this chick may have had a late death, or is a late hatcher? Any tips or advice is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Wishing I'd have let Betty sit on two eggs. Poor little Peeper is getting left more and more by herself now that Betty is off doing her own thing. Sometimes she just stands around and cheeps because she's suddenly by herself. It's the most pitiful thing I've seen.

Wishing I'd have let Betty sit on two eggs. Poor little Peeper is getting left more and more by herself now that Betty is off doing her own thing. Sometimes she just stands around and cheeps because she's suddenly by herself. It's the most pitiful thing I've seen.

they do that even when there's a bunch of them...I've got a dozen little crying babies....I just give them a treat to get them into the chick tractor as a bunch..and leave them...they quite down...it is sad to have just one....put it in a cage with food and water inside the coop at night...it will be safe and not completely alone...when . It gets a bit older it will be ok.

 

[katatonic123]

She's safe enough. She goes to bed with everyone. It's just when they are out wandering and she gets interested in a bug or grass and Betty takes off after something she will suddenly be alone until she finds her again. She's just young enough that she doesn't quite fit in with the younger flock as well as being raised in the other coop where the older chickens are. In another couple of months it probably won't matter as they will all be "adults".

 

[Angel16]

Congrats on the chick!!

The momma will show it food and water as long as she can get to them. The baby will follow her wherever she goes and should do well.

Feel free to ask any other questions.

Thanks! Its really exciting! well she just sits on her nest and wont move...... I did try to give the chick some water but I'm not really sure what else to do..?
She has two other eggs under her, should I remove them? I'm not 100% sure if they will hatch or not.. I didn't really except this one to hatch but I'm happy it did I just really don't want anything to happen to this chick, any suggestions??

 

[16 paws]

Thanks! Its really exciting! well she just sits on her nest and wont move...... I did try to give the chick some water but I'm not really sure what else to do..?
She has two other eggs under her, should I remove them? I'm not 100% sure if they will hatch or not.. I didn't really except this one to hatch but I'm happy it did I just really don't want anything to happen to this chick, any suggestions??

If there is food and water within the hens reach she will show them what to do. They really dont have to eat for a couple days but I always make sure the food and water are close by. Make sure the baby cant drown in the water if you have an open bowl in there. You can hang a water bottle with a nipple in there also.

 

[SFrati]

Hey Everybody! I am new to this thread. I have a little backyard city operation going on. I have a lavender orpington, a black australorp, an easter egger, 3 white leghorns, and a fuzzy footed buff bantam cochin. I just acquired 14 eggs picked for their beautiful egg coloring. My black australorp is named Pecka. This past spring she went broody and i couldnt get ahold of eggs in time. She lasted for a whole month and dropped a bit of weight. She has since put the weight back on and just went broody again. This time I knew i had to get clutch ready for her. I found someone offering eggs on craigslist so i picked up a dozen and he threw in two extra.

Today I introduced Pecka to her new eggs. I took out the golf balls that she has been trying to hatch and placed the 14 new golf balls that will hatch under her. I picked up her nesting box and moved in into the brooder to give her space and privacy. She got off of the eggs and ran out into the yard. After 10 minutes she went back to where her old nest was. I picked her up and moved her again and locked her in with the eggs for 20 minutes. After I checked in on her she was right back in mother hen mode sitting on her clutch. Hopefully she will take her job seriously and get the job done. Today she started sitting so i am counting tomorrow(7/31) as day 1. That means that the eggs should hatch on Aug 20th.

Fingers crossed everybody is a healthy pullet! (A girl can wish... right?)

 

[kherokee]

That egg looks delayed, if it is supposed to be day 21.  Too much fluid in it.  If you watch it for a while while candling, do you see any movement at all?  Is Mama still sitting?  The only thing that a float test will tell you is if the chick is moving in the egg at the time of the float test.  Sleeping chicks won't be moving, so... the egg won't wobble in the water.  I've tried floating a couple of times, and found it to be not at all helpful (IMO)  Were there other eggs that hatched?  Any chance that this egg was a late entry to the game?  You could give it an other 2 days and candle again.  If no change, I'd pull it.  Sometimes broody eggs are delayed in hatching, though i doubt this would be the case with all the heat we've been having.  I wish you the best.  I have my first broody in about 45 years!  But, have enjoyed 4 good hatches in my home made bator in the past 3 years.

This is the only egg I gave to her thats fertile for sure from my other hen & roo because the two she went broody on were her own which were not fertile. I collected the egg in less then 24 hours of it being laid and slipped it under her. Im thinking maybe the size of the egg vs the size of her little body may be delaying the egg a little. I took out the broody (Elff) to let her perch on my shoulder & clean herself off and eat while I took out the unfertile eggs then put her back down where she still resides relentlessly on that egg haha!

Im not positive what a delayed egg looks like from a late death but I'm gonna leave baby under there as long as I can. To anyone else who've been hatching eggs for longer then I, what do those pictures look like to you guys? :s much appreciated everyone!!

 

[the poppster]

My little serama has been sitting on a Sumatra/Silkie egg for about 21-23 days (I can't remember the exact date I put the egg under her, around July 7th-9th). I've been having concerns because this is such an odd mix and my Serama is a brand new broody - this is her first egg. I've seen a lot of growth to the point where the egg is black with a huge air cell! I also think it moved the other day, and I may candle it again today. I've been trying to keep it untouched but I have yet to see any pips, peeps, or zipping. I'm just concerned that this chick may have had a late death, or is a late hatcher? Any tips or advice is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

leave her to her eggs don't mess with them and give her some more time...at this point in the possible hatch moving the eggs around by handling them can only be detrimental to the chick if it is alive...be patient and let mom nature and your broody girl do her job...I candle the eggs at about a week to check for development....and again around 17-18 days and discard any that are clear or watery...then I wait for the hatch...up to 25 days...if some have hatched before that I will gently check for chicks and remove any shells and any other debris from the hatch...that might harbor bacteria...once the chicks have all hatched...I remove them and MOM to a prepared secure broody tractor in my yard, a short distance from the coop...an area that has grown back after the birds have been ranged on it...and so far my chicks have thrived...Ive had to resist the urge to interfere...and it's tough...but I figure if it was me setting those eggs, I wouldn't want to be pestered....so I wait and give her her space...hope your concerns turn out to be unfounded and baby hatches..let us know!! One way or the other!!

 

[the poppster]

To Kherokee...size of the egg can make a difference as to how long it takes to hatch...but if the hen is only setting one egg she shouldn't have any problem covering it...I had a Japanese vantage hen that hatched out bared rock mix eggs...what a mom!!! By three weeks of age it was comical to watch those big chicks burrowing under their tiny mom...they would literally lift her up...she spread herself out as much as she could...A virtual feathered hen quilt...so fun to watch!!!

 

[the poppster]

If there is food and water within the hens reach she will show them what to do. They really dont have to eat for a couple days but I always make sure the food and water are close by. Make sure the baby cant drown in the water if you have an open bowl in there. You can hang a water bottle with a nipple in there also.

I've tried putting some well washed grit in a shallow pan and filled it with water.....rather then the marbles, I've used in the past...the chicks can drink but they can't drown in it...they have grit available...they crud it up but I rinse it well with the house on sprinkle....it washes/floats the dirt and grass out of the grit....they seem to like it...once they get big enough I switch to a regular waterer.

 

[katatonic123]

This is less of a question about broody hens and more about breeding pairs. I know it is better to breed father to daughter than brother to sister, but what about halves. I have japanese bantam silkie crosses and EE silkie crosses. Same silkie roo fathered them. Could I breed the bantam to ee and vice versa without side effects as I have a roo and hens of each cross or would it be better not to?