Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

 

[NDgoatgirlNV]

I'm so excited! The first of my hen brooded eggs is pipping right now! It's one of my Bantam/polish crosses.....how long does it take from pip to zip?

 

[fisherlady]

It can be an hour or 12 hours, no way to know time for sure . A broody hatching is like an incubator hatching....you aren't supposed to open it because you can mess up humidity and cause chicks difficulty. Try to not bother the hen, especially after day 19 or 20. On day 22 or 23 you can check for progress if you think it is needed.

 

[fisherlady]

I'm so excited! The first of my hen brooded eggs is pipping right now! It's one of my Bantam/polish crosses.....how long does it take from pip to zip?

In addition to my above reply...

Congratulations on the broody! It's a wonderful and frustrating thing all at the same time. It is hard to not be able to see what is going on...

Edited to correct the stupid auto correct!

 

[PD-Riverman]

I'm so excited! The first of my hen brooded eggs is pipping right now! It's one of my Bantam/polish crosses.....how long does it take from pip to zip?

I have set hundreds of broodies and I can Not answer your question, because I never look under my broodies when they are due to hatch. If I lifted her or tilted her to see under her, I would cause her to loose some of the moisture under her-----that she might need for the hatch-----No Way Would I touch mine during that time!! You and others can do how you want with yours----might not affect yours, but It did mine years ago.

 

[NDgoatgirlNV]

He hatched out, but didn't make it.....we live in So. Nevada, and I think the dryness might have made the membrane harden up, sigh, well there's still about 10 more eggs to go. He still had yolk showing on his abdomen....

 

[microchick]

Found my chick starter today. Bless Orschelns is all I can say. 3 days from 'Lockdown' I don't think my hen is getting off the nest much. If she is making a 'bathroom and McDonald's run' she is doing it at the speed of light. I wanted to fill her chick feeder with starter for her but the rest of the flock roosts in the coop where she is nesting and frankly they are gluttonous pigs. I left her regular food (with a mix of sunflower seeds, and a little raw oat meal which is her their favorite treat) in the chick feeder for her and set a little can of chick starter in the nest with her so she hopefully will get a chance at it before the others decide to risk her wrath by sampling it. She still has to get out of the nest to poo and get water so hopefully this arrangement will work.

 

[PD-Riverman]

She still has to get out of the nest to poo and get water so hopefully this arrangement will work.

Hopefully you will move the feed so she can not reach it at least during her last 3 days because she Will have to Do One Of 2 things----either leave the nest to poop which can cause her eggs that are pipping/hatching to dry out or she will poop in the nest----a major mess if the chicks get into it.

 

[Wendy High]

My 2nd broody hen hatched 7 of 11 eggs. Saw 1st baby on Monday (I think) and she didnt come off nest until Thursday. She still has all 7. Am enjoying her be a momma too much. Gotta get nesting/brooding area reworked.

1st day I saw a chick.

It was a very long 72 hour wait until she came off nest. I took the advice from site a did not interrupt her.

Lots of good posts and enjoyable photos on thread. Am going ti definately rework nesting/brooding area and encourage hens to be mommas.

 

[NDgoatgirlNV]

After doing some research, and examing the hatched egg shell, I could see the little guy was malpositioned as the air sack was completely intact on the other side of the shell, he may have been struggling a long time to get out. Poor little thing, I really need to get an incubator!