Broody Hen Thread!

[LadyCluck77]

If you are worming your chickens,can you set the eggs during withdrawal time or would that cause issues with development?

I would not set eggs from hens on wormer medication. Someone on another thread had a very sad hatch of deformed chicks, most died shortly after. She had used Wazine, I'm not sure about the other types of wormers.

 

[PD-Riverman]

If you are worming your chickens,can you set the eggs during withdrawal time or would that cause issues with development?

I have hatched 100's and 100's of them in the last couple years and have almost 100% hatch rate, with No after hatch problems and I used a wormer stronger than wazine.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

While it is natural to assume worm medicine is not beneficial for hatching eggs, and while most of us prefer not to hatch eggs during the toss period, it doesn't seem to be supported from the research that I can read.

A number of meds have actually been shown in researched studies to have no affect on the hatchability of the eggs, a concern for the hatchery and breeding industry.

Fenbendazole shows no affect after 2 doses
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8310628

However, Fenbendazole can affect the quantity and production of semen in Turkeys, and therefore is either cycled out among the toms or replaced with something else
http://japr.oxfordjournals.org/content/15/2/307.full

Flubendazole (a UK product and not available in USA) shows no affect on hatchability of eggs
http://www.nutritech.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/Flubendazole_safety_in_breeders.pdf....page 20 of the brochure

Studies are limited that I can find, however, I find a lot of mention about non-use in laying hens (with concern for drug residue in the human food chain) but allowed use in breeders.

Nutrition does have a strong impact on hatchability of eggs.
https://ps.oxfordjournals.org/content/76/1/134.full.pdf

Worm overload can definitely starve a hen of her nutrition resulting in poor condition. Since worming often coincides with the possibility of poor nutritional condition of the hen, since many worm upon the tell tale signs of pale comb and actual worms in droppings, I should think it wold be hard to know if a poor hatch was from the worm medicine itself or from poor nutrition, or some other issue with the brooding/incubation.

I cannot find studies on Amprolium specifically relating to hatchability, but I do know that Amrpolium interferes with the ability to metabolize B vitamins in the protozoa (coccidia) and I've suspicion in susceptible hens as well. Vitamin B deficiency does cause embryo defects and poor hatch....but then again coccidiosis also starves hens from vitamin B.

Most worm meds affect the neurological system of the worms themselves either through the chloride gate or GABA gate, and many stay solely in the gut with little if any residue passing into the egg. These meds are used because there is little to no affect on the hen from the meds due to the difference in physiology between birds and worms.

So until I can find direct correlation between a worming medicine and poor hatchability, I can't say that worming medicine in itself is harmful to hatching eggs. On the contrary, a hen on a well balanced diet likely will benefit from worming to produce eggs with more nutrition than be hindered by the worm medicine itself.

I would be very interested in hearing actual results of studies for specific worm medicines for breeding flocks if anyone has any.

As a general rule of thumb, most of us prefer not to hatch eggs that potentially carry worming med residue, but I cannot say across the board that it would be harmful to do so.

LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I have hatched 100's and 100's of them in the last couple years and have almost 100% hatch rate, with No after hatch problems and I used a wormer stronger than wazine.

Thank you PD-Riverman.

And there you go....personal experience from experienced breeders is very valuable as well.

I've hatched a lot of eggs with my hens on and off Hygromycin B, (and come to think of it...after Ivermectin too) and I can't say I've noticed any difference in hatch rates.

Again, it is more likely that poor nutrition in the hens (and therefore eggs) will impact the embryo development more than any possible med residue.

LofMc

EDITED TO ADD: Elanco, the manufacturer of Hygromycin B products, recommends it continuous feed for pullets and breeders....so I will assume that means hatchability is not affected by Hygromycin B either.
https://www.elanco.com/pdfs/hygromix-press-release.pdf

 

[katatonic123]

Thanks guys!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I have hatched 100's and 100's of them in the last couple years and have almost 100% hatch rate, with No after hatch problems and I used a wormer stronger than wazine.

@PD-Riverman What wormer are you using?

We can add that to the line up of wormers that don't seem to affect hatchability: Hygromycin B, fenbendazole (Safeguard, Panacur) and flubendazole (although only UK approved and attainable).

Note though: fenbendazole has been implicated in funky feather re-growth during molt, which often occurs after brooding in hens, although, I know one BYCer who uses it during molt and has personally experienced no issues.

LofMc

 

[PD-Riverman]

@PD-Riverman What wormer are you using?

We can add that to the line up of wormers that don't seem to affect hatchability: Hygromycin B, fenbendazole (Safeguard, Panacur) and flubendazole (although only UK approved and attainable).

Note though: fenbendazole has been implicated in funky feather re-growth during molt, which often occurs after brooding in hens, although, I know one BYCer who uses it during molt and has personally experienced no issues.

LofMc

I use fenbendazole, Never seen a problem. Normal fertility rate and great hatches.

 

[warrens]

Hi, we have a very good broody speckledy, shes raised one flock already and she's currently looking after a two day old duckling, if we incubated six chicken eggs now so they hatch in three weeks would our broody adopt them ??.

 

[Junglefowlboss]

Some chickens will and some dont. My bantam got broody and has 5 chicks and I gave her some other chicks and she adopted them. You most likely need to put the chicks under her at night but if youre lucky like me she will adopt them in broad day light but dont leave them there with her. Keep a close eye on her and the chicks. Good luck

 

[Morrigan]

Hi, we have a very good broody speckledy, shes raised one flock already and she's currently looking after a two day old duckling, if we incubated six chicken eggs now so they hatch in three weeks would our broody adopt them ??.

How did the duckling adoption happen? Did she hatch the egg? Was she in a broody phase and you gave it her then? Or, did she just glom onto the duckling when she saw it? I've heard it is very rare, but not completely unheard of, for a hen to adopt chicks if she doesn't think they hatched under her. But, if she took the duckling right in, even if she wasn't broody, maybe she's one of those rare hens that just loves to nurture chicks. But, I would be prepared to raise them yourself if she won't take them. If she hatched the duck egg, or was in a broody phase and the duck adoption snapped her out of her brood, I would think it quite unlikely that she would want more chicks three weeks from now.