Can a broody hatch eggs successfully if they were set on multiple days? Should I move the early hat

[Shahann]

I have a very dedicated brood hen sitting on eggs. Today I was almost positive that it was day 19. I thought I better check the nest to clean the broody poop that usually ends up on the back edge of it so that I had a nice clean place for chicks to hatch. I moved my growling, broody hen and to my surprise two of the eggs piped! In disbelief I tapped on one of them and it started rocking and chirping.

This is my third experience with a brood hen.

My question is, if two eggs hatch early and I still think the other four eggs have a good chance of hatching, should I remove the two chicks that hatch and put them under the light that I have my week old chicks under? Should I leave them with the brood hen and hope that she does not abandon them to take care of the hatched chicks?


The egg on the bottom of this picture has the pip and is rocking. The egg directly above it to the right has a piece of shell missing. If it matters... of course the greenish blue egg is from my Lavender Americana *the brood hen). The other eggs the rooster is a 1st generation Easter Egger; the hens are either Buff Orpingtons or Red Sex Links.

I know that the greenish blue egg was set about 20 later than the other eggs.

Here's the history on the brood hen. She was getting broody. A lady I met via Craigslist had Maran eggs for me. I was going to use this broody for six Maran eggs only. After sitting on daily eggs and golf balls for about five days I gave her the six Maran eggs and one Americana egg. I moved her to her own private suite in the brood side of the coop. She still was laying eggs, so I knew she was not truly broody. The next day she was off the eggs. I immediately took the eggs to my friend with an incubator. I took the seven eggs and 16 other freshly gathered eggs. Of those eggs, nine hatched. At least three of them are the Marans! So I know that I got those to the incubator in time and know that it can be used in an emergency.

I came back from a long weekend (4th of July) camping trip and the same hen was broody again. I gave her five eggs because she was acting broody again. The next day she laid the greenish blue egg. I marked it just in case she continued to lay more eggs. She did not lay any more eggs. This was her last egg for the time being.

She has been my most dedicated brood hen so far. Every single time I look in her private suite she is on those eggs in her broody trance.

Can a broody hatch eggs successfully if they were set on multiple days? I'm assuming that chickens have been doing this for years and years... I just wasn't expecting eggs to hatch until Monday, and they are piping on Saturday.

 

[justin24]

I have a very dedicated brood hen sitting on eggs. Today I was almost positive that it was day 19. I thought I better check the nest to clean the broody poop that usually ends up on the back edge of it so that I had a nice clean place for chicks to hatch. I moved my growling, broody hen and to my surprise two of the eggs piped! In disbelief I tapped on one of them and it started rocking and chirping. This is my third experience with a brood hen. My question is, if two eggs hatch early and I still think the other four eggs have a good chance of hatching, should I remove the two chicks that hatch and put them under the light that I have my week old chicks under? Should I leave them with the brood hen and hope that she does not abandon them to take care of the hatched chicks? The egg on the bottom of this picture has the pip and is rocking. The egg directly above it to the right has a piece of shell missing. If it matters... of course the greenish blue egg is from my Lavender Americana *the brood hen). The other eggs the rooster is a 1st generation Easter Egger; the hens are either Buff Orpingtons or Red Sex Links. I know that the greenish blue egg was set about 20 later than the other eggs. Here's the history on the brood hen. She was getting broody. A lady I met via Craigslist had Maran eggs for me. I was going to use this broody for six Maran eggs only. After sitting on daily eggs and golf balls for about five days I gave her the six Maran eggs and one Americana egg. I moved her to her own private suite in the brood side of the coop. She still was laying eggs, so I knew she was not truly broody. The next day she was off the eggs. I immediately took the eggs to my friend with an incubator. I took the seven eggs and 16 other freshly gathered eggs. Of those eggs, nine hatched. At least three of them are the Marans! So I know that I got those to the incubator in time and know that it can be used in an emergency. I came back from a long weekend (4th of July) camping trip and the same hen was broody again. I gave her five eggs because she was acting broody again. The next day she laid the greenish blue egg. I marked it just in case she continued to lay more eggs. She did not lay any more eggs. This was her last egg for the time being. She has been my most dedicated brood hen so far. Every single time I look in her private suite she is on those eggs in her broody trance. Can a broody hatch eggs successfully if they were set on multiple days? I'm assuming that chickens have been doing this for years and years... I just wasn't expecting eggs to hatch until Monday, and they are piping on Saturday.

She will set till day 23 or so till every thing should have hatched if not fire up the incubator now and keep an eye on her each hen is different some will stay on the the nest till every one hatches and some won't so just watch her and have the incubator going because new moms can be tricky

 

[Shahann]

Here's an update one day later:

There are no worries about 'inbreeding' chickens. Chickens can inbreed for several generations and it won't likely cause any serious harm. If they are from a hatchery, they are likely not closely related at all. My Easter Eggers where laying by about 22 weeks.
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• Shahann
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Good morning world! New chick hatched last night or this morning. Wiggles the rooster is the proud dad. "Martin" (named by my friend's 8-year old) may be the mama. This little one was the first to hatch. Another hatched right before I checked the coop today. Four more eggs to go! Surrogate mama is sitting patiently on the nest.


Chick #2 hatched, but didn't make it. It was alive when I took this pic, but two hours later it wasn't.







Here's chick #3. That was quick! There was just one pip mark two hours ago. Yeah!!! It's grey like it's mom.



I know for a fact that this is the mama of the grey one. She laid this blue/green egg the first day I gave her eggs on which to sit.



That's it for now. I won't be bugging her until later this afternoon after church. She's looking a little rough and having a bad "hair" day. Brooding and growling is hard work.

 

[justin24]

Here's an update one day later: There are no worries about 'inbreeding' chickens. Chickens can inbreed for several generations and it won't likely cause any serious harm. If they are from a hatchery, they are likely not closely related at all. My Easter Eggers where laying by about 22 weeks. ReplyQuotehttps://www.backyardchickens.com/t/361185/easter-egger-club/6290# 0 Add a comment? (optional) Add to ReputationCancel ReplyQuote Multi 0 Add a comment? (optional) Add to ReputationCancel post #6295 of 6295 3 seconds ago

• Shahann
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Good morning world! New chick hatched last night or this morning. Wiggles the rooster is the proud dad. "Martin" (named by my friend's 8-year old) may be the mama. This little one was the first to hatch. Another hatched right before I checked the coop today. Four more eggs to go! Surrogate mama is sitting patiently on the nest. Chick #2 hatched, but didn't make it. It was alive when I took this pic, but two hours later it wasn't. Here's chick #3. That was quick! There was just one pip mark two hours ago. Yeah!!! It's grey like it's mom. I know for a fact that this is the mama of the grey one. She laid this blue/green egg the first day I gave her eggs on which to sit. That's it for now. I won't be bugging her until later this afternoon after church. She's looking a little rough and having a bad "hair" day. Brooding and growling is hard work. That's wonderful sorry for ur lost. What kind of hen is that

 

[Shahann]

Here's a pic of my first time Lavender Ameraucana brood hen. She successfully hatched three of six eggs that she seriously sat on. They hatched Sunday night, 8/9. That evening (just a little before dark) I nervously gave her nine more chicks. They hatched eight days earlier via a friend's incubator. She has totally accepted them. Here's the picture of them this morning. You can only count six chicks, but know that there are six of them under her. I believe that she is out of the nesting box because her own chick that she hatched -- her egg! is the smallest chick. It cannot get back in the nest by itself yet. She is being an awesome mom. The one little chick seems weaker than the others, but it is also much, much smaller because of the breed. She is making sure that it is eating even though the others are very active. I'm going to let nature take it's course. She seems to know what she is doing already.

Oh I just love to peek in the brooder and see little chicks poke their heads out from under her wings!!! The cutest thing ever!