Broody Hen Thread!

[lilwildrabbit]

Bwahahqha chicken DEC, Dept of Egg collection!!!!! Omg lol there are eight nest boxes but only two of them have a clerk in them to help you with your business. Lol im dying ))

It's so true just like a toll booth 8 there but only two open

 

[Finelyfound]

I have two Broody hens at the moment. One is an Ameraucana who has been broody for a while, I broke her for a couple of days on 2 separate occasions, but she's back at it. I also have a very sweet Cochin who has just gone broody. This is my plan, I'm posting for feedback since I've only had chickens for a little over a year. My Cochin is in great shape and eats and drinks every time I put her out of the box. The Ameraucana is more stubborn, I didn't want to use her as a broody b/c she is less friendly and a bit thin. I'm thinking that if I put them both in a huge dog crate with food and water and hatching eggs my Ameraucana will take better care of herself than my constantly trying to break her broodiness. She seems pretty determined to hatch some eggs. I figure is she gets nasty once the chicks hatch then the Cochin can raise them all and I can put my brooder in the pen with her if they need extra warmth. I mention this b/c I was warned that Ameraucana hens can be aggressive towards chicks. What is the most eggs you would put under the 2 hens? At what age do you usually integrate your chicks into the flock?
Thank you,
Jocelyn

 

[16 paws]

I have two Broody hens at the moment. One is an Ameraucana who has been broody for a while, I broke her for a couple of days on 2 separate occasions, but she's back at it. I also have a very sweet Cochin who has just gone broody. This is my plan, I'm posting for feedback since I've only had chickens for a little over a year. My Cochin is in great shape and eats and drinks every time I put her out of the box. The Ameraucana is more stubborn, I didn't want to use her as a broody b/c she is less friendly and a bit thin. I'm thinking that if I put them both in a huge dog crate with food and water and hatching eggs my Ameraucana will take better care of herself than my constantly trying to break her broodiness. She seems pretty determined to hatch some eggs. I figure is she gets nasty once the chicks hatch then the Cochin can raise them all and I can put my brooder in the pen with her if they need extra warmth. I mention this b/c I was warned that Ameraucana hens can be aggressive towards chicks. What is the most eggs you would put under the 2 hens? At what age do you usually integrate your chicks into the flock?
Thank you,
Jocelyn

You have to be careful about putting two hens together once the chicks are hatched. A lot of times a fight will start and one of the chicks would get hurt. I would separate them with some sort of partition in between once the chicks hatch.They would each have their own food and water. I bet they would do fine. On how many eggs that is your call, I would give them maybe 6 each and see how it goes. If they are standard size hens they can take more but it all depends on how many chicks you want.
Good luck and happy hatching, its really fun and exciting!
Marie

 

[mysterychick]

If anyone has some words of encouragement (or discouragement if appropriate!) please feel free. I have my Silky currently on Day 21 with shipped hatching eggs, and there are no pips. We only had 2 viable eggs at Day 15 and I've not candled since then, but they DID look great at that stage and my hen has been a trooper. These eggs have had an adventure, first being shipped apparently roughly (despite great packaging), then my hen accidentally locking herself out of the nesting box area on about Day 14 for an unknown amount if hours, and then her switching to the wrong nesting box temporarily (until I found her) and sitting on another hen's eggs on about Day 17 (again for an unknown time period, and I guess I lied - I did my best to candle one egg only outside after this incident, and as soon as I saw veining looking good still and the mass where it should be I got it right back under her). Lastly, we finally got our act together and built her her own coop and nesting box and moved her on Day 19, but I had prepared for the move days ahead by putting her and the eggs in a tray that I could lift out with of her current box with her still on top on Day 19 and place into the new coop intact so as not to disturb anything, and I think that move was probably the least of our concerns. So it hasn't been a text book process here for the eggs at all.

So - any chance these babies will hatch?!?! I feel like I've done everything wrong! If there is a chance, please tell me how many days to go past 21. And will my hen know if they aren't viable and leave the nest, or will she just hang on forever?? Oh and is it terrible for me to lift her up to peek at the eggs at this point??? (Yup - I've done that too)

Thanks a ton for any replies!

 

[microchick]

There is always a chance, especially if she was off the nest long enough to cool the eggs. If that is the case then they might be delayed. If no show at day 23 (don't hold me to that but I think that is what is recommended) then candle the eggs and see if your two that were viable still are. Silkies are pretty determined broodies. If your eggs don't hatch tis the season for feed store chicks. Slip a couple under her at night and she will wake up a happy camper and never know the difference.

Good luck

 

[lilwildrabbit]

If anyone has some words of encouragement (or discouragement if appropriate!) please feel free.  I have my Silky currently on Day 21 with shipped hatching eggs, and there are no pips. We only had 2 viable eggs at Day 15 and I've not candled since then, but they DID look great at that stage and my hen has been a trooper.  These eggs have had an adventure, first being shipped apparently roughly (despite great packaging), then my hen accidentally locking herself out of the nesting box area on about Day 14 for an unknown amount if hours, and then her switching to the wrong nesting box temporarily (until I found her) and sitting on another hen's eggs on about Day 17 (again for an unknown time period, and I guess I lied - I did my best to candle one egg only outside after this incident, and as soon as I saw veining looking good still and the mass where it should be I got it right back under her).  Lastly, we finally got our act together and built her her own coop and nesting box and moved her on Day 19, but I had prepared for the move days ahead by putting her and the eggs in a tray that I could lift out with of her current box with her still on top on Day 19 and place into the new coop intact so as not to disturb anything, and I think that move was probably the least of our concerns. So it hasn't been a text book process here for the eggs at all.

So - any chance these babies will hatch?!?!  I feel like I've done everything wrong!  If there is a chance, please tell me how many days to go past 21.  And will my hen know if they aren't viable and leave the nest, or will she just hang on forever??  Oh and is it terrible for me to lift her up to peek at the eggs at this point??? (Yup - I've done that too)

Thanks a ton for any replies!

Well I have 10 chicks at this moment that were abandoned by the hen last big cold snap we had here by the time I found out she had abandoned the nest theveggs were ice cold I put them in the incubator hoping that just maybe one would survive well from 11 eggs 10 hatched!!

 

[16 paws]

mysterychick,
I agree, dont give up.
Give it a few more days, and dont think you did everything wrong, I highly doubt that!
I peek at mine all the time

no haters please....
Many chicks have hatched after the eggs were cooled.
Keep us informed....

Marie

 

[16 paws]

There is always a chance, especially if she was off the nest long enough to cool the eggs. If that is the case then they might be delayed. If no show at day 23 (don't hold me to that but I think that is what is recommended) then candle the eggs and see if your two that were viable still are. Silkies are pretty determined broodies. If your eggs don't hatch tis the season for feed store chicks. Slip a couple under her at night and she will wake up a happy camper and never know the difference.

Good luck

x2
Hi Microchick....

 

[microchick]

Hey 16 paws LTNS! What's up?

I agree, you don't want to push your luck, but eggs are surprisingly forgiving. I have a Welsummer hen who hatched 8 of 8 eggs three weeks ago. She escaped her broody pen and plopped herself down on a neighboring nesting box for anywhere from 2-4 hours. The eggs were chilled but not cold. I did a quick candling after I got her settled back on her eggs and saw movement in 3. Recandled after they had a chance to warm up and saw movement in 7. All hatched on time. Mom just went back to the flock and her babies are now with the 11 chicks I hatched in my incubator the end of Feb.

 

[HeavensHens88]

:cd