Broody Questions

[Bookworm chick]

Quote:
Tell them not to wash them either.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

The egg under her isnt fertile. I just out it under her so she has something to sit on.
When I put the eggs under her, so I just slip them in?

 

[jennh]

That's what I do.

 

[kasey08]

Yes my silkie hens just let me switch them with her laying on them. Of course they growl and puff up. Only one has pecked at me but not hard.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

This girl has pecked at me once.
Should I put them under her at night?

 

[jennh]

She is just protecting her eggs. Did she peck you hard? If not, just stick them under her. If she means business, wait until nighttime.

 

[chicken delighted]

i have had 9 broody hens this spring so far

i have 2 broody hens tha sat on dud eggs for a week till the fertilized ones i order arrived they are about to hatch the end of next week.i had a broody hen that sat on eggs only to have one was alive, but did not make it out of the shell. if felt awful

. one of our feed store had just recived a day old batch of light brahmas so i bought 5 and placed them under her during the day and she took to them like duck to water

. then last week i had moved one of my hens out of the main coop, she had sat for 3 days when i moved her she would not stay in the broody pen but want to be back in the main flock in the nesting box, which is a big no no to me. so i let her be for 2 days in the broody pen with fed and water but she would not go back to the nest but was still doing the broody hen dance so out of shear desparartion i bought 5 more chicks and place them next to her in the pen it took less then 5 minutes and there sat a happy hen with chicks and one crazy chicken lady relived i did not have to have chickens in my house agian

.
good luck

p.s.when moving my broodies from the main coop to the broody pen i always do it in the late eveing, place something under the hen and her eggs scoop them up together and place then in the broody pen area always with fresh bedding and water and a mixture of sunflower seeds oat and corn only corn in the early spring when temp is aways uncertain it help every one stay warm also with heat lamps above helps keep hens comfortable.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

It wasnt a hard peck, it just scared me more then anything.
The nest box she is using, is also the only one my EE hen will use. The EE gets in the box, lays her egg and then leaves. Is this ok?

 

[NewHopePoultry]

After last nights storm, my hen hasnt been back on her nest.
She stayed on it all night, but this morning she got up and hasnt been back on it yet.

 

[hensonly]

Quote:
Probably too late by now, but an egg that's going to be hatched should NOT be washed. It should be stored with the big end UP because that's where the air cell is. I've heard of refrigerated eggs hatching, but they need to be brought to room temperature before beginning incubation.

That's about all I know about handling fertile eggs for hatching!