Broody Hens Instinct O_o

[Orpy]

My first time hatching - I had broody hens so I bought some 'fertile' eggs, by day 14 some were and are still viable, 4 to 5 more days now and I'm expecting them to hatch. I'm nervous about the last 3 days of hatching, I've also bought an incubator which every article I've read on incubation says not to turn the eggs in the last 3 days of the incubation period. Will my hen's instincts kick in? Will she "know" not to "mess" about with them LOL. I know this may seem odd but it really does have me nervous and curious.

 

[CayuseRanch]

Think of it this way, incubators are mans ways and mans directions on how to hatch chicken eggs. Momma hen is God's way and quite a bit more accurate. Our desire to do it ourselves, candle, turn, lift momma up and cluck thru glass is our way of trying to be a momma hen. Let her do her job her way and the success rate will be better. Its just soooo hard though isn't it?

 

[Orpy]

Think of it this way, incubators are mans ways and mans directions on how to hatch chicken eggs. Momma hen is God's way and quite a bit more accurate. Our desire to do it ourselves, candle, turn, lift momma up and cluck thru glass is our way of trying to be a momma hen. Let her do her job her way and the success rate will be better. Its just soooo hard though isn't it?

Great advice

thank you for that. So far she has done a very good job sitting on them

 

[SilkiesForEver]

Think of it this way, incubators are mans ways and mans directions on how to hatch chicken eggs. Momma hen is God's way and quite a bit more accurate. Our desire to do it ourselves, candle, turn, lift momma up and cluck thru glass is our way of trying to be a momma hen. Let her do her job her way and the success rate will be better. Its just soooo hard though isn't it?

I couldn't have said it better myself. Hens know just what to do in this situation. God has planted strong instincts in their small brains.

She knows what to do.

 

[CayuseRanch]

I read a really interesting article once about a hen communicating with her chick in the egg and how it moves the eggs under her based on the stage of development that egg is at. Wish I would have flagged that page, it was great. I don't know of any incubator that does that.

 

[SilkiesForEver]

I read a really interesting article once about a hen communicating with her chick in the egg and how it moves the eggs under her based on the stage of development that egg is at. Wish I would have flagged that page, it was great. I don't know of any incubator that does that.

Aw! I would have loved to read that.

Only God's incubator does that.

 

[CayuseRanch]

Ok, so I got curious and googled. I don't know if this is the same article but it basically says the same thing.
Link to whole article at the bottom.....

Communicating with Chicks and Monitoring Development
Vocalization is even important during the brooding process. Scientists have discovered (using tiny microphones connected to eggs and placed in the nest) that the hen hears vocal responses from the embryos to her vocalizations.
These responses give her clues as to how the embryos are developing compared to each other. Based on that communication, she turns the eggs at different rates—moving one that is maturing a little more quickly out to the edge of the pile to cool off and slow down, while moving one that is maturing more slowly to the center of the nest to speed development.
http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/broodiness-in-chickens.aspx

 

[Orpy]

Ok, so I got curious and googled. I don't know if this is the same article but it basically says the same thing.
Link to whole article at the bottom.....

Communicating with Chicks and Monitoring Development
Vocalization is even important during the brooding process. Scientists have discovered (using tiny microphones connected to eggs and placed in the nest) that the hen hears vocal responses from the embryos to her vocalizations.
These responses give her clues as to how the embryos are developing compared to each other. Based on that communication, she turns the eggs at different rates—moving one that is maturing a little more quickly out to the edge of the pile to cool off and slow down, while moving one that is maturing more slowly to the center of the nest to speed development.
http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/broodiness-in-chickens.aspx

awesome, thank you for the link

this is going to be an interesting read

 

[Orpy]

well after reading that article i'm going to leave the dang eggs alone, knowing that i've candled the eggs and moved them around from where she had them positioned is a little saddening

 

[CayuseRanch]

I'm sure they are fine and she will place them as they should be.