Broody Hen Thread!

[Tiana's chickens]

I posted on the main incubating and hatching thread, but I haven't had much advice. Just wanted to post here too. I have one of the dumbest broody hens ever.... She had no egg sense! None. She is perfectly content sitting on dirt and staring at her eggs.... . She started sitting Easter Sunday on 6 eggs. Several times in the first 2 weeks I found one or two she wasn't sitting on. At first I tucked them under her. As this kept happening, I finally just but them in the incubator. They were viable eggs. Finally she got down to 2 eggs.

(Note this is the 4th time she's gone broody in 7 months. Each time she sucked at it. She has raised the day old chicks I put under her. She did lose one, so I now move her into a heated brooder for her to raise the babies.. lol.)

One of the 2 eggs was either infertile it died early. I check her daily and had to tuck eggs under her numerous times. The incubator I had had issues and the 4 eggs in it did not survive. I bought a new incubator. So we were down to 2 egg under her. Yesterday was day 25. I candled and baby was alive, but no internal pip. I assume it's alive due to delayed development due to Dumb Broody.... Cuz how else could it be alive day 25. We only have 2 laying hens. The other is a pullet and lays smaller darker eggs, so I know it was not added to the nest late.

Anyways yesterday we left to go to a 4-H meeting. When we returned, I checked in hen. She was sitting next to the egg. Thank goodness air temps were near 82 degrees. Egg was cool, but not cold. I tried to candle and could see it pipped internally. Do sound no movement. Hoping for the best, I put it under dumb broody. 25 min later Suspense was killing me. I checked the egg. It was breathing beak was moving!!! Tucked it back under momma and told the kids it was alive, but had a 20% chance at surviving. This morning as I had coffee, I hoped that I would go out and hear chirping. 8 looked out the window and saw dumb broody in the coop. I ran outside to check egg. It was warm. No external pip. But My worried consumed me enough I brought it in to candle. Still alive, but air fells was now huge having pipped about 15 hours earlier. I decided to intervene and make an external pip.

Curiosity got me and opened s hole large enough to see if it was ready to hatch. Concerned getting cold had made it weak. I saw a larger than expected vein, so into the bator it went after applying bacitracin to the membrane.

It's been 3 hours. Still alive. No chirping and only small movements. Fortunately I can see it breathing and see the big vein. I know it's ok. I have peace of mind being able to see it. New bator holds consistent temps. . Anyone else have a chick hatch day 26 due to Dumb Broody?

In the photo you have posted, I can tell your chick is not ready to come out of the egg yet. It needs to absorb all the blood and yolk first. Only thing you can do is wait now

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Joining this.
My hen just hatched a chick and was lightly pecking at the face including eyes,is this normal,should I be concerned?I seen it come out around her and she didn’t seem to peck at it so much that time as she did when I first took it from under her,who knows,she may be cleaning it.It seems healthy and etc.
Also,should I take her and the chick out tomorrow to eat?I am concerned about Her abandoning the eggs though,but there may be more by tomorrow.Any tips?

 

[Ahavati]

We have 2 broodies currently. One, a first timer, Orpington, with 15 eggs lol. The second, a second time (and amazing) mama, BCM, with 9 turkey eggs!! A couple times the orpington had moved and left some of her eggs, I tucked them under her and she wiggled over them. So far they're both doing great!

 

[aart]

Also,should I take her and the chick out tomorrow to eat?I am concerned about Her abandoning the eggs though,but there may be more by tomorrow.Any tips?

Leave her be, chick doesn't need to at or drink for 2-3 days after hatch,
she'll know when to come off nest to feed chick.
Did you give her all the eggs at the same time, and not let anymore be added to nest?

 

[Honora]

I have had a lot of drama with my hatch. I have had a broody (Orpington) sitting on eggs for 3 weeks, and when we went out of town for the last week, another hen (EE) also went broody and was squeezed into the same nesting box. I didn't really want the EE hen to hatch, cause she is a nasty aggressive hen. But by the time we got back, it was almost hatch day, and I figured it was too late to change anything at that point.

Unfortunately, when hatch day came, 2 chicks were killed by one of the hens (pretty sure it was the EE). There were 2 chicks that were ok, and I took them away & brought them inside. I threw the EE in the broody breaker cage & left the Orp sitting on a couple of eggs.

Well...to my surprise, one of the remaining eggs just hatched (Day 23). The hen seems calm and is not acting aggressive toward the chick. My question is...should I just leave the chick with the Orp hen? She seems fine with it, and the other hen is separated from them now. In fact the other hen will be going to the butcher in the next few days cause I am fed up with her.

 

[dunnmom]

I have a broody BO sitting on 13 eggs right now. This is her second broody period, but last time we broke her. She is a sight to behold, and the other 5 hens are really confused. I'm letting her brood in the coop so that she doesn't need to be integrated again afterward.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Can I put the hen on probiotics electrolytes just like the hens

 

[TheTwoRoos]

I meant can she be on it with the chicks

 

[fisherlady]

I have had a lot of drama with my hatch. I have had a broody (Orpington) sitting on eggs for 3 weeks, and when we went out of town for the last week, another hen (EE) also went broody and was squeezed into the same nesting box. I didn't really want the EE hen to hatch, cause she is a nasty aggressive hen. But by the time we got back, it was almost hatch day, and I figured it was too late to change anything at that point.

Unfortunately, when hatch day came, 2 chicks were killed by one of the hens (pretty sure it was the EE). There were 2 chicks that were ok, and I took them away & brought them inside. I threw the EE in the broody breaker cage & left the Orp sitting on a couple of eggs.

Well...to my surprise, one of the remaining eggs just hatched (Day 23). The hen seems calm and is not acting aggressive toward the chick. My question is...should I just leave the chick with the Orp hen? She seems fine with it, and the other hen is separated from them now. In fact the other hen will be going to the butcher in the next few days cause I am fed up with her.

If she seems good with it you can probably let her raise it, you may be able to sneak the other 2 back into her also if you don't want to brooder raise them.... worth a shot at least.

 

[fisherlady]

I meant can she be on it with the chicks

I don't think the hen would have any trouble being on a supplement or probiotic.