Broody hen went berserk

[Altairsky]

They're zipping right now, no more incidents so far. We'll see in the next few hours.
I had to serve her water and food while sitting though. She's so spoiled.

 

[Altairsky]

2 hatched tonight, so far so good.

 

[Altairsky]

Only 2 so far. Hope more will hatch today.

 

[Altairsky]

So here is the final verdict. Out of 9 eggs:
- 5 chicks hatched and doing well.
- 1 bad egg that died early
- 1 died late around day 19
- 1 chick got crushed while hatching and died
- SHE REALLY ATE MY DANG CEMANI

So hatching rate of around 60% which is the same as my not-particularly-ideal incubator. Is this decent for a broody? Would you let her hatch more eggs next year? This is the first time she has been allowed to sit on eggs (previous owner only hatched in incubator). She's 1.5 years old.

 

[Love Donkeys]

I have an older hen that goes broody every year and gets REALLY MEAN towards other hens. This year she decided to go broody while my husband and I were on vacation. Our 27 y/o grandson called in a panic, he thought the hen would kill everyone including him. I told him at night when she's asleep lock her up in the coops' Sick Bay with food and water. Ian also made her a nest box and gave her 10 eggs to set on, all under the cover of darkness.

 

[aart]

Would you let her hatch more eggs next year?

Wait and see how she takes care of this batch of chicks.
Then if she goes broody again, you can decide whether to let her set.

 

[The Birb King]

I have an older hen that goes broody every year and gets REALLY MEAN towards other hens. This year she decided to go broody while my husband and I were on vacation. Our 27 y/o grandson called in a panic, he thought the hen would kill everyone including him. I told him at night when she's asleep lock her up in the coops' Sick Bay with food and water. Ian also made her a nest box and gave her 10 eggs to set on, all under the cover of darkness. View attachment 3875638

Yea my second oldest hen is 8 years old, and she goes broody at least twice a year. I let her raise chicks every time because shes such a good mom. This year she has 13 which is the most shes ever had

 

[The Birb King]

So here is the final verdict. Out of 9 eggs:
- 5 chicks hatched and doing well.
- 1 bad egg that died early
- 1 died late around day 19
- 1 chick got crushed while hatching and died
- SHE REALLY ATE MY DANG CEMANI

So hatching rate of around 60% which is the same as my not-particularly-ideal incubator. Is this decent for a broody? Would you let her hatch more eggs next year? This is the first time she has been allowed to sit on eggs (previous owner only hatched in incubator). She's 1.5 years old.

Honestly I feel you about the cemani. Last month one of my Seramas went broody and hatched 3 chicks, first time mom. She was fine with the first 2 which were brown, but the third one was all yellow. I'd never hatched a yellow Serama chick before that, and didn't have any white adults so I was confused who the parents were. Well she didn't like it and proceeded to murder it by ripping the skin off its head. I had to take the other 2 chicks away. I was really excited about that one it was really unique. I even tried to get some more by putting another batch of Serama eggs in, well they hatched, but I didn't get a single yellow one. It's always the cool and unique looking ones that don't make it and then you can never get another one!

 

[Altairsky]

Mine ate the cemani egg when it was 17 day into incubation. She had 9 eggs, all the same shell color but different breeds. And my luck is so bad that she picked the only cemani egg to calm her hunger, lol.
The hatched chicks, some are white, some are black and she has no problem with the color.

 

[Love Donkeys]

I wonder if the the hen knows there is something wrong with the chick, possibly even before it's hatched and that's why they kill them.

I had a Border Collie that gave birth to 4 pups. One pup was very tiny and weaker than to others. The dog killed the weak pup and buried it. Maybe, like the hen, she knew something was wrong and didn't want it to suffer.