Broody Hen- would like to set eggs under her....

[CowgirlMama]

I have almost always used refrigerated eggs and have had great success but just so you know, refrigerated eggs will not incubate. The eggs should be this weeks or newer (some say 2 weeks or 10 days but why try with older eggs? get as fresh as you can), put them on the counter and bring them to room temp before you put them under her.

Thanks! I was able to use most of today's eggs and few of yesterdays that were still on the counter. They are marked and under the hen!! She took them very nicely... there were a couple that didn't fit under her at first, but she pulled them under herself like a pro!! I'm so excited!! By my calculations, we should have fuzzy butts around Feb. 6th!! Can't wait!

 

[lclough1998]

very nice! How exciting, we love fuzzy butts! Just keep a close eye on her, you will be pleased with a good momma hen compared to raising chicks in a brooder. All you have to do is supply the chick starter and water, momma teaches them how to do everything! Hope it goes well, if you think of it pm me and let me know how it is going! I love the babies. Let me know if you have any questions, although lots of people here would be happy to help you! I will check on this thread if you keep it going!

 

[CowgirlMama]

Thanks for all the help! So far, everything seems to be going well. I will try to keep this thread going, but will definitely keep you posted! I'm very excited!! I grew up on a ranch with cows, horses and sheep. But I've never seen/had a chicken raise a brood!! So this is totally new to me!! I'm sure once babies come there will be more pictures than you can count!

 

[lclough1998]

Be sure that when they hatch to move them down and be sure that rats and such cant get to them. I have used a dog crate for brooding and that has worked well for me except my silkie babies were so tiny they could get through the bar, I thought it was cute until one morning 3 were gone. Yep, I learn the hard way, uggh. A broody hen is an awesome thing, all those babies running around, then someone makes a noise, the hen settles where she is standing and all the babies climb under her to get warm, little heads poking out from behind the mommas wings. TOO CUTE!

I have a Silkie hen setting on some orpington eggs that I bought, this is another learning lesson for me. This is my second go around with bought eggs, the first none hatched, so I bought 3 lavender orpingtons to put under her so she would have a few babies, one died. Now this 2nd broody, I bought 7 supposedly rare breed orp (Chocolate, khaki, lemon) and they have been under her for 7 days. Pretty sure they are doing okay, I see veins when I candle and all but it has been cold and today my girls were home from school and the 11 yr old thought the mom wasnt sitting on the eggs. There have been alot of distractions in their house and silkies tend to pile up since they don't roost and another silkie was sneaking eggs into her nest and the 2 orpington chicks are about the same size as the full size silkies. So my dd tells my dh and so they ended up moving the broody and eggs into the garage in a small crate to get her totally alone with the eggs. They didnt feel warm enough to me when I checked them but I just dont know if they are ok or not. I thought it looked like moving chicks when I candled them.

 

[CowgirlMama]

I will definitely be moving them once they hatch! I plan on making a small "pen" in my coop for them to use for at least a couple days till I can make sure the rest of the flock is ok with the babies. I'm most concerned about my roos... one is at least 2-3 yrs old (he is a "rescue") and the other two are last years hatch (1 y.o. in April). As far as rats etc, my coop is, shall we say, a fortress... DH built it w/the intention of being able to move it with a pickup, but it will actually take a large tractor or backhoe to do the job!!! Anyway...

I hope your eggs are ok! Has it been cold up there? I can't wait to see pics of your cuties!! What is the expected hatch date?

Thank you for all your help!! And I will let you know if I have any other questions!!

 

[lclough1998]

Sunday the 28th will be 21 full days. I hope it works out ok! Its just been snowing the last couple day and in the 30's before that.

The things that I have shared with you are my own personal experiences with broody chickens, this was our first year of having chickens and the two silkies I started out with have been broody 3 times each in about 9 months. Each hen has hatched their eggs and eggs from our Orpington Roo X Delaware, Orpington hens. All but one egg has hatched each time with our own eggs, only with bought eggs have I had trouble. We sold all the large breed chicks we hatched for 10 bucks each unsexed and all but 5 silkies, which 3 turned out to be roosters, so I have found 2 of them homes, working on the 3rd. Have a cute splash pullet and a dark gray pullet that I am keeping. bought 2 white pullets, 2 buff chicks and 2 supposedly lavender silkie chicks, I want to sell silkie eggs and offer a mix of colors. Either that or I will have 8 or so broody hens all summer long....

 

[CowgirlMama]

Went into the coop tonight to attempt candling the 13 eggs under my broody Australorp (a.k.a "Babs"- Chicken Run)... lifted her up to find one egg broken open and completely crushed... I was really bummed, cause it actually had veining!!! Arrgh! I think I saw veining/dark spots in most of the other eggs, but need to do some more research. I will try recandling them tomorrow night and post my findings!

 

[CowgirlMama]

Went in to try candling the eggs again... of the original 13, only 11 were left... one the hen had completely smashed (see previous post). The other was cracked when I went in a couple morning ago to check and collect eggs. I pulled it from the nest and brought it inside and left it on the counter to open when DH was home. Of the 11 eggs that were left- 8 of them had veining and/or movement!!! YAY!!!!!!!! 2 of the eggs I brought in were clear, 1 was totally rotten!!!! Smelly and looked like someone had scrambled it in the shell then hardboiled it!!! It was AWFUL!!!! DH and I opened the one that was cracked with I brought it in a couple days ago and... I saw the "ring of death"... BUT- there was an embryo in it!!! We could see both eyes- and I could even make out his little wings and drumsticks!!! So sad (DH even said "poor little guy"...), but the COOLEST science "experiment" I have ever seen... (I was homeschooled and raised on a cattle ranch, so I've seen LOTS of "science experiements"- but NONE as cool as this!!!)!! I am really excited about the 8 eggs still sitting under the hen... She seems to be a good mama... Although, I came home from town today (I was gone 5 hours) to find the eggs cold... she was sitting on another nest with ONE egg in it... so I thought everyone would be gone... but, there was movement tonight when we candled... so I am hopeful and excited that in 12 days (give or take) we will have a few fuzzy butts running around!!! The countdown is on!!! I will candle again in a week or so, just to double check (unless someone here thinks I shouldn't...) and will post again!

 

[CowgirlMama]

Sunday the 28th will be 21 full days. I hope it works out ok! Its just been snowing the last couple day and in the 30's before that.

The things that I have shared with you are my own personal experiences with broody chickens, this was our first year of having chickens and the two silkies I started out with have been broody 3 times each in about 9 months. Each hen has hatched their eggs and eggs from our Orpington Roo X Delaware, Orpington hens. All but one egg has hatched each time with our own eggs, only with bought eggs have I had trouble. We sold all the large breed chicks we hatched for 10 bucks each unsexed and all but 5 silkies, which 3 turned out to be roosters, so I have found 2 of them homes, working on the 3rd. Have a cute splash pullet and a dark gray pullet that I am keeping. bought 2 white pullets, 2 buff chicks and 2 supposedly lavender silkie chicks, I want to sell silkie eggs and offer a mix of colors. Either that or I will have 8 or so broody hens all summer long....

How are those sweet little eggs coming...? Any pipping yet? Can't wait to hear that you have cute little fuzzy butts running around!!

 

[lclough1998]

How are those sweet little eggs coming...? Any pipping yet? Can't wait to hear that you have cute little fuzzy butts running around!!

hopefully sunday they will be hatching - will update!