Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

Ok so I might have worded it wrong the chicks from the hatchery get here April 15. But if I let my chicken sit on eggs they won't hatch until a week after my hatchery chicks arrive.

Let her set on fake eggs, not real ones....then pull the fakes and replace with the day old chicks when you get them.
A hen doesn't really care if she is on real or fake eggs, she just wants to sit on something...

 

[heatherlaw]

Does anyone else have a hen you can make broody anytime? I have a little silkie who seems to think hatching chicks is her life calling. Anytime I want to hatch, all I have to do is put her on the nest and stick a few "eggs" under her and bam, she's broody. She just settles down and starts acting like a broody even though just minutes before she wasn't at all. Here are the last "eggs" I used. I couldn't find my golf balls so I gave her old drawer pulls. LOL

 

[Klay]

Let her set on fake eggs, not real ones....then pull the fakes and replace with the day old chicks when you get them.
A hen doesn't really care if she is on real or fake eggs, she just wants to sit on something...

Thank u for the help.

 

[FarmerMac]

Let her set on fake eggs, not real ones....then pull the fakes and replace with the day old chicks when you get them.
A hen doesn't really care if she is on real or fake eggs, she just wants to sit on something...

X2, I have done this in the past and it works. I introduce the chick at night, I stick my hand under the hen and remove all the eggs, then I put all the chick under her, once she hears the chirping she settles down and the rest id history.

 

[trailrider330]

Out of curiosity, have any of you ever used a broody hen to hatch shipped eggs?

If so, do you have any tips? For example, does the same resting period for incubating shipped eggs apply to using a broody? If so, what is the optimal time to rest the eggs, and in what position, before giving them to your broody?

And, what was your hatch rate?

Thanks in advance!

 

[nchls school]

Out of curiosity, have any of you ever used a broody hen to hatch shipped eggs? Yes.

If so, do you have any tips? Let the eggs stand roundend up for 24 hours, then put them under the hen. For example, does the same resting period for incubating shipped eggs apply to using a broody? Yes. If so, what is the optimal time to rest the eggs, and in what position, before giving them to your broody? As above.

And, what was your hatch rate? First hatch 11 out of 20 hatched. Second hatch 0 out of 12. Third hatch 5 out of 8 hatched.

Thanks in advance!

 

[fisherlady]

Out of curiosity, have any of you ever used a broody hen to hatch shipped eggs? 

If so, do you have any tips?  For example, does the same resting period for incubating shipped eggs apply to using a broody?  If so, what is the optimal time to rest the eggs, and in what position, before giving them to your broody?

And, what was your hatch rate?

Thanks in advance!

We did this once, eggs shipped about 250 miles...we left them sit in cardboard carton for about 12 hrs and then gave them to the broody. Air cells looked good and they had been well packed. We ended up with 8 out of 8 hatching....I won't hold it against the broody that 7 of the 8 were roosters!

I would read up in the other threads about how to handle shipped eggs before putting them into the incubator, you should evaluate for wonky air cells or damage. I honestly think that even if the air cells look rough a broody gives them as good a chance as they could have.

 

[nchls school]

We did this once, eggs shipped about 250 miles...we left them sit in cardboard carton for about 12 hrs and then gave them to the broody. Air cells looked good and they had been well packed. We ended up with 8 out of 8 hatching....I won't hold it against the broody that 7 of the 8 were roosters!

I would read up in the other threads about how to handle shipped eggs before putting them into the incubator, you should evaluate for wonky air cells or damage. I honestly think that even if the air cells look rough a broody gives them as good a chance as they could have.

I definitely agree.

 

[nchls school]

With the second hatch candling showed that every air cell was scrambled before they were incubated. I was pretty sure it was a no go before giving the eggs to the broody, but hoped...

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Ok this may come across as a weird question but can you put your rooster to "stud" by isolated him with only the hens that you want bred or will he only breed with his "chosen"?