Broody Hen Thread!

[andalusn]

Never say never... there is a group on here somewhere that is more like a club of folks that buy fertile eggs from Trader Joe's and hatch them... They are refrigerated and could be older...

 

[FarmerBoy24]

Quote:
how long has it been refrigerated.

Ir was in the fridge for two weeks. So far it has been under the hen for about 1 week. I figured it was old enough it wouldn't develope. LOL oh well. It will just have to be a single chick for a few weeks. I did pull 3 eggs out of the fridge that had been in for a couple days to add to my hatch. I have hatched eggs I pulled out of the fridge before so I figured I would add to it by doing that again.

I will get some new pics up of my broody with the babies today or tomorrow. I kidnapped three pullets and sold them yesterday and added two turkey poults to her brood.

The egg that has been in the fridge for 2 weeks is it developing?

 

[Lifesong Farm]

It is about 7-10 days along and does not like when I candle. It moves like crazy.

This int the first time I have incubated eggs from the fridge. Its just the oldest I have grabbed.

 

[lottyloo]

Woohoo, ive been so worried about the eggs i put under my broody's as some were given to me by a friend and were freezing cold when i put them under (i thought there was no hope for them) well.... I SEE DEVELOPMENT

i candled today and all eggs seem to be doing well, veins, air sac .ect is all present and correct!! Just cant see in the larger, darker eggs but fingers crossed the extremely large egg from my best hen (ex battery hybrid) will hatch

Now i cant wait until the others hatch because i have no idea what is inside

(obv chicken lol but no idea what breed).

One quick question, one of my broody's that i have now on three eggs hatched 5 chicks last year butu unfortunatly was a bit clumsy and killed them (

) but i have given her a chance to hatch some eggs and if things dont work out with her ( its a big risk as i dont want to loose any of the chicks) i will watch her very carefully when they hatch... if she seems to be the same as how she was last year with her chicks do you think if i moved them to another broody which would have chicks of the same age, would she accept them? (i have three broody's so if one won't accept i could try another or will they know how many they have and only be prepared to look after the one's SHE hatched?? anybody ever tryed this (with success?)??

-Lotty

 

[Lifesong Farm]

Lotty I have heard they don't do well with accepting new chicks but mine has so far. I put 5 chicks in the day after her brood hatched. Then took 1 chick out for a week due to it breaking a leg ( not sure how. Heard a commotion in the garage and found her dragging a leg) then put her back in a week later with a second chick that was in iso and yester day I added two 2 day old turkey poults. So she now has chicks that are 2 weeks old, 3weeks old and 2 days old.

 

[debilorrah]

Well, I am holding on at three broodies. But now my other hens are laying on the floor because the hissers have taken up the next boxes.

I have no CLUE how many eggs they are on as two are really mean broodies.

 

[Lifesong Farm]

Quote:
Have they been taking lessons from mommy?

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Have they been taking lessons from mommy?

The turken is nice to me. She just lightly pecks my hand, but the other two BITE! One cochin and a BR. I think I am gonna have a lot of chicks.

 

[emjay]

okay, I'll join this thread.

I just finished with my last incubator hatch. And I'm not planning on doing anymore this year.....due to................TOO MANY BROODY'S !!


First up was my Buff Orp/WHite Leghorn, she was on 10 ducks - 5 hatched Easter weekend.

2nd up is another one of my Buff Orp/White Leghorn hens, she is due today or tomorrow, not sure exactly , but any darn day now !! She is on 12 eggs.

3rd up is my pretty wyandotte Princess (her moms name was Queenie, haha) anyhoo. She is due to hatch about about 13 eggs May 16.

4th and 5th up are my Welsh Harlequin Ladies, they are sitting/sharing a nest of 22 eggs, they are due May 21st.

6th up and this has got to be the last, I was going to turn away the next hen, but, little Mia is so sweet and she will actually let me pet her and look at her eggs, so she deserves to be a mom !!

She is a bantam cochin. I moved her tonite. She is on 12 eggs (most are small eggs from my bantam x hen) She is due May 26, give or take, as she has been on the nest box the last day or so.

and that is it !!!!!!!!!!! I have no more vacant spaces.

 

[andalusn]

wow! Doing the math on that broody group made my head spin. If they are successful there won't be any free space, there will be peeps everywhere

Good luck to all the broody hens in your flock.