MTR
Songster
- Apr 13, 2020
- 252
- 384
- 161
I had a broody chicken start sitting on eggs about 6 weeks ago. It was in the coop so I didn’t notice it until she was on it for a while so I thought I’d let her hatch them. Then about a week later another hen went broody along side the first. We eat our extra chicks we raise so I figured no big deal.
I didn’t expect the second hen to steel the first hens chicks when they hatched. This theft left one hurt broody momma and a bunch of 14 day or so old eggs in a rough spot. I was hoping to get the first momma to adopt the eggs and finish the hatch but she was pinning for her other chicks. Felt terribly for her.
After a few hours of no hen sitters on the “left” eggs I fired up the incubator. Since I didn’t know exactly how far a long they were I left them without turning and high humidity. Over the next 10 days 15 of 18 eggs hatched.
A few observations. My first instinct was that the eggs wouldn’t make it since they weren’t kept warm for hours. Glad I gave them a chance. Second- is egg turning over rated? Third - don’t let two mommas brood side by side. Not sure if this is common but an interesting 2 months of keeping chickens and learning.
I didn’t expect the second hen to steel the first hens chicks when they hatched. This theft left one hurt broody momma and a bunch of 14 day or so old eggs in a rough spot. I was hoping to get the first momma to adopt the eggs and finish the hatch but she was pinning for her other chicks. Felt terribly for her.
After a few hours of no hen sitters on the “left” eggs I fired up the incubator. Since I didn’t know exactly how far a long they were I left them without turning and high humidity. Over the next 10 days 15 of 18 eggs hatched.
A few observations. My first instinct was that the eggs wouldn’t make it since they weren’t kept warm for hours. Glad I gave them a chance. Second- is egg turning over rated? Third - don’t let two mommas brood side by side. Not sure if this is common but an interesting 2 months of keeping chickens and learning.