Broody mom sitting for 22 days, what do I do ?

[MamaChic21]

My white beauty has beend sitting since November 20. I've made her a broody coop in the garage, so once all the eggs hatch, I
m going to seperate the mom and baby chics from the rest of the flock but it's been 22 days and nothing ! What do I do ?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/73058_dsc02703.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/73058_dsc03018.jpg

 

[Baralak]

Try to get a few of the eggs from under her and candle them is what I would do.. Key word is try.

 

[MamaChic21]

Once I look under a candle and something is there inside, should I put it back ?

 

[Baralak]

Of course... Look for a mostly full egg... Around the air sac is where you will see any movement.

 

[MamaChic21]

I've been at their coop several times today hoping to catch her off her eggs but no luck ! Once I get her in the move, I will sneak andget an egg ;-)

 

[daisychick]

You may not get her to move if she is close to hatching time. I once had to wear gloves (in case of protective pecking) and go out there after dark and quietly reach under her and grab an egg. She only pecked a few times, but did not move. I took my small flashlight that I used for candling with me and I candled the egg right there and did my check on it and then carefully put it right back under momma. Hopefully you see something in the eggs and if they are close to hatch the egg will be almost full of darkness with a little light on the airsack end. Good luck!

 

[Judy]

Unless I smelled something bad, I'd leave her alone for at least two more days. I've never candled a broody's eggs, or any eggs, for that matter.

If you just have to reach under her, hold her neck with one hand and reach under her from the side with the other. Sounds awful but it can be done very gently; you're really just sort of holding her head away from the hand that is under her. I did that quite often with this broody because I couldn't get her out of the regular coop til they hatched, so was checking daily for new eggs. Another thing that works is well insulated gloves (which I kept leaving at the house.)

I still have a tiny scab on one hand where she got me good.

 

[MamaChic21]

sorry she bit you :-( For some reason, I'm always scared that they'll beak at me. I've got dogs and cats and I'm not affraid when they were puppies or kittens and bitting me and actually drawing blood, but birds, I'm affraid ! It's dark here now, but I'll check her out first thing in the morning. This white beauty is my favorite, she's like a buddy to me. One day I gave her lots of worms and next thing you know, we're inseparable

. But I think I could do it with thick clothed gloves :-D

Now do some hens think they're having babies and in fact they're not ? I've seen her with Robert (the rooster). Can she be sitting on her unfertile eggs ? How can you tell ?
If so, then when will she stop ?

Thank you all for your feedbacks and waiting for some more :-D

 

[Judy]

They will try to hatch unfertile eggs, golf balls or even thin air. It's a hormonal thing that causes the broodiness. You cannot tell if an egg is fertile unless you crack it open, or incubate it. While instinct is supposed to cause them to lay a clutch of eggs and then start the setting, they will still try to hatch air. They stop when the hormones change, whenever that is. I had one stay broody for 4 months a couple of years ago, before I had a mature roo -- thought I was going to lose her. I finally mail ordered some fertile eggs and put them under her, and a couple of them hatched, which solved the problem. Had another who was broody for about the last 3 or 4 weeks. I would set her off the nest when I went out there, which is usually 3 or 4 times a day. She gave up yesterday. You just never know. (I won't let her hatch eggs because she killed her last chicks. So much for instinct.)

LOL -- it's just a tiny scab, and I have old lady skin; no biggie. I used thick gloves the first few times. She would peck my hand, but I could tell through the glove that it really wasn't that hard, though I'm sure she thought it was. So when I left the gloves in the house I tried the hand thing and it worked fine. She still won't let me near her or the chicks.

Here's a couple of articles about fertile eggs and broodiness I've found on here:

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16008

I would know almost none of this if I weren't such a BYC addict!

 

[MamaChic21]

OMG what if we ate fertile eggs before, oh God ! That spot is sooo tiny !!! She has 14 eggs in all and they all look good and don't smell. So that's a good sign

My 8 year old son is also very excited for the baby chicks, don't want him to be disappointed, otherwise he'll never believe me again when they're brooding.
Thank you for the feedback, now all it's let is to wait

I'll just have to let nature take it's course.