Broody Hen Thread!

[WildHens]

I would float test to be sure but it sounds like her eggs quit at some point. 26 days is just too long in my experience.
If you can find a source for day old chicks I would graft 3 of them to her and let her get up and raise them.

X2.. I get super nervous when I have a girl sitting 22 days.. my broodies are all tiny bantam breeds tho too, so probably lose weight faster than an Orp, but I'd still want her off the nest asap. . Check your feed stores if you can't find anyone else with chicks. .wish we were close, I'd send u plenty.

 

[kendallb12]

Thanks you everyone who replied, I just candled again. She has been sitting on them non stop, she only has gotten up like twice!! I'm really worried. I figured they are dead but just didn't wanna believe it. When I candle them they are dark with the air cell at the fat end like normal. I noticed something really funny though. when I hold it and twist it it's like sticking? it's really hard to explain with words really. to me I thought I felt a little movement from one! I'm not sure what went wrong. My BO has been a great sitter!

 

[kendallb12]

She is in a private nest, the only time other chickens could see her is when they come in to roost but we have a curtain guarding her from everyone else and no problems with other hens getting to her

 

[16 paws]

She is in a private nest, the only time other chickens could see her is when they come in to roost but we have a curtain guarding her from everyone else and no problems with other hens getting to her

Are you sure on the date?

 

[kendallb12]

Are you sure on the date?

I'm positive that she started April 8th

 

[kendallb12]

anyone!! I'm up for anything suggestions/questions/comments??

 

[16 paws]

anyone!! I'm up for anything suggestions/questions/comments??

That is strange that none of them have hatched. Have you ever hatched eggs from your rooster?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

anyone!! I'm up for anything suggestions/questions/comments??

They sound like they are gonners.

So many things could have happened.

Some may not have been fertile. Others started then stopped.

I would float test, then crack one open to see if it is a blob of green goo or a formed chick.

Glob of goo tells you it wasn't fertile or an early quitter.

If roo is younger, he simply may not be getting the job done quite yet.

It is frustrating....I know.

LofMc

 

[gpeters3]

I know, theoretically, that you can go to a lot of trouble trying to turn a hen into a brood mom and hatch eggs but i still believe you guys are way overthinking this.

First just let them sit where they want and the brood mom, if there is one, will show up. She will be the one sitting when everyone else is running around and if you leave the eggs you will notice one nest seems to be filling up and one or 2 hens always seem to be fighting over who gets to sit on them. About that time you mark a few eggs, collect the rest and see if they keep sitting. I didnt protect the brood nest from other hens, i let them all sit on the eggs if they wanted to. Eggs dont care who sits on them, they just need to be kept warm. At that point note the calendar, keep collecting unmarked eggs and see if any chicks show up in 21 days. If so you have a good rooster and at least one good brood mom. Now you can separate the broood mom and chicks into a brood pen large enough for her to take care of them and have their own feeders. i keep the pen in with the flock so the chicks become part of the flock.

If not then either the mom didnt stay on them enough or the rooster had a vasectomy when no one was looking because he didnt want to pay child support.

Thats how i did it, had a lot of fun, got some chicks and didnt kill myself with worry in the process.

 

[WildHens]

I know, theoretically, that you can go to a lot of trouble trying to turn a hen into a brood mom and hatch eggs but i still believe you guys are way overthinking this.

First just let them sit where they want and the brood mom, if there is one, will show up. She will be the one sitting when everyone else is running around and if you leave the eggs you will notice one nest seems to be filling up and one or 2 hens always seem to be fighting over who gets to sit on them. About that time you mark a few eggs, collect the rest and see if they keep sitting. I didnt protect the brood nest from other hens, i let them all sit on the eggs if they wanted to. Eggs dont care who sits on them, they just need to be kept warm. At that point note the calendar, keep collecting unmarked eggs and see if any chicks show up in 21 days. If so you have a good rooster and at least one good brood mom. Now you can separate the broood mom and chicks into a brood pen large enough for her to take care of them and have their own feeders. i keep the pen in with the flock so the chicks become part of the flock.

If not then either the mom didnt stay on them enough or the rooster had a vasectomy when no one was looking because he didnt want to pay child support.

Thats how i did it, had a lot of fun, got some chicks and didnt kill myself with worry in the process.

I believe that's true in some aspects, and sounds very much like what the poster did, other than not getting chicks at the end.. that's what she's asking help for ?
Sometimes, a hen can't just be left in a main coop when broody, for several reasons..what if she's at the bottom of the pecking order..that could lead to another hen killing her chicks at hatch, or even ruining the hatch before they have a chance. Or other hens could like that nest the best, and eggs could be broken, rolled out of the nest, who knows...
Imo (which may not be worth 2 cents) there's not really any certain way it has to be done, just whatever works best for you and you birds. Doesn't mean that someone is doing it wrong if they don't chose your way, just means they are doing it differently. Both methods should results in chicks. . However, in this case, despite doing what sounds like a perfect setting by Kendell's girl, she didn't get chicks. .that's what she asking for advice on ..
Hope I didn't hurt anyone feelings, not trying to be rude...just wanted to let her know whatever happended5, wasn't her fault, she's not to blame.. and I honestly believe her method should have in all reality had her a nice group of fuzzy butts, but for whatever reason didnt..

Kendall, it kinda sounds like a humidity issue..which I've never seen under a hen?? Has it been really rainy where u are? I'm not really sure what advice to offer at this point, but I would take the earlier advice, and do an eggtopsy on one (after a float test to ease your mind on whether it is alive or not) and post the results here.. what feeds do they get? I doubt that had that type of affect on that many eggs tho, and if there was growth and movement earlier, your boy is doing his job..
So guess all that to say, I'm at a loss as to why it happened. . Honestly sounds like a textbook setting