First broody chicken, I think!

[Rosie65]

I’m sorry if this isn’t in the right place but it was the most relevant I found.
I think I have my first broody hen which I’m quite happy about.
A few ‘learner’ questions if I may.
If a rooster mates with a hen does it just fertilise their next egg and is that the case even if the hen doesn’t lay for a few days? Or is it like us and only last for a very limited amount of time?
It’s an Australorp and from what I’ve been able to find on the web they are average for broodyness and motherhood. Is that your experience?
She’s been sitting on a clutch of eggs for 2 days now. There’s 8 in there and they are a mixed bunch. Has she been stealing them from other nesting boxes or do you think she’s just pounced on what got laid in that box on day 1? The boxes have lips on them so I find it hard to believe that she could have hooked them out rolled them along and lifted them in to the next box along, but heck I’m new to this so what do I know.
Will she keep laying whilst she’s trying to hatch this lot and therefore do I need to remove any new eggs each day?
I have a dog crate which I can keep out in the non chicken part of the barn. I can unscrew this nesting box and move it and her in to that. Is that the best thing or should I set up something new and fresh to minimise any germs etc from the other chickens that have laid in that box? Alternatively I can move her in to the garage where it will be warmer. It could easily get to -10.
Should I candle her eggs after the first week and dump any which aren’t fertilised. sorry that’s a lot of questions and I have more but I’ll save them for next post.

p.s. I got an incubator for Xmas and thought I would have a trial run with that. Put 6 eggs in a week ago and did candling last night. How many need to hatch for them to survive? I’d rather stop it now than see chicks die later on. I think I could see 2 developing but there were a couple I was unsure about. As these eggs are obviously older than the ones under my broody hen I’m assuming I shouldn’t slip the ones I think are fertile under her?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

When a rooster breeds a hen provided it is a successful insemination, the semen is stored in the sperm storage ducts in the vagina. It will stay there till the next egg is laid and some is pushed out which then make their way up the oviduct to the infundibulum where it again is stored in more sperm storage ducts. When that happens, the next ovum that drops should be fertilized so it is possible it could take a few days to get a fertile egg.
The infundibulum is where fertilization happens. After the future egg leaves the infundibulum where it spends about 15 minutes, there is no longer an opportunity for fertilization.
By successful insemination I mean that if the two cloacas aren't matched together, the shot of sperm can't enter because, unlike ducks, mammals etc., there is no penetration. Also, really fluffy breeds may need some trimming of feathers around the cloacas so there is no barrier. So while mating usually results in fertilized eggs, just seeing the act taking place is no guarantee.
Chickens are one of the few animals that can store semen at body temperature for quite some time. An inseminated female can lay fertile eggs for 2 or 3 weeks. What's cool is that if a rooster dies or is taken by a predator, the hens can make more roosters of his line.
They don't roll eggs. They do steal them. They tuck them under their wing and carry them from nest to nest.
Have you opened any eggs to see if they are fertile? Check to see if the dot on the yolk is a blastoderm or blastodisc.
A hen needs no help and doesn't need a unique space but it is easier if you have one.
If they are with the flock, you need to mark all the eggs under her now so you can remove any eggs that other hens volunteer to the nest or that she steals to prevent a staggered hatch which usually ends up with dead embryos when she leaves the nest to care for live chicks.
Some people do but I never candle eggs under a broody hen. I don't see why I would if I know they are fertile eggs. I leave the hen alone. I think the more I bother her, the more problems I create.
I've kept broody hens with the flock about half the time. But I do have some broody apartments that I occasionally use. They are a trapezoid shape. A normal nest box in a space about 4' long and small end is about 2' and wide end is about 3.5'.
I clean it out, put fresh bedding in with chick starter, a water fount with the hen and eggs. I then forget about her except to check there is still food and water and remove the feces a couple times a week. She's in a trance and needs no interaction with humans or other chickens.

 

[Rosie65]

When a rooster breeds a hen provided it is a successful insemination, the semen is stored in the sperm storage ducts in the vagina. It will stay there till the next egg is laid and some is pushed out which then make their way up the oviduct to the infundibulum where it again is stored in more sperm storage ducts. When that happens, the next ovum that drops should be fertilized so it is possible it could take a few days to get a fertile egg.
The infundibulum is where fertilization happens. After the future egg leaves the infundibulum where it spends about 15 minutes, there is no longer an opportunity for fertilization.
By successful insemination I mean that if the two cloacas aren't matched together, the shot of sperm can't enter because, unlike ducks, mammals etc., there is no penetration. Also, really fluffy breeds may need some trimming of feathers around the cloacas so there is no barrier. So while mating usually results in fertilized eggs, just seeing the act taking place is no guarantee.
Chickens are one of the few animals that can store semen at body temperature for quite some time. An inseminated female can lay fertile eggs for 2 or 3 weeks. What's cool is that if a rooster dies or is taken by a predator, the hens can make more roosters of his line.
They don't roll eggs. They do steal them. They tuck them under their wing and carry them from nest to nest.
Have you opened any eggs to see if they are fertile? Check to see if the dot on the yolk is a blastoderm or blastodisc.
A hen needs no help and doesn't need a unique space but it is easier if you have one.
If they are with the flock, you need to mark all the eggs under her now so you can remove any eggs that other hens volunteer to the nest or that she steals to prevent a staggered hatch which usually ends up with dead embryos when she leaves the nest to care for live chicks.
Some people do but I never candle eggs under a broody hen. I don't see why I would if I know they are fertile eggs. I leave the hen alone. I think the more I bother her, the more problems I create.
I've kept broody hens with the flock about half the time. But I do have some broody apartments that I occasionally use. They are a trapezoid shape. A normal nest box in a space about 4' long and small end is about 2' and wide end is about 3.5'.
I clean it out, put fresh bedding in with chick starter, a water fount with the hen and eggs. I then forget about her except to check there is still food and water and remove the feces a couple times a week. She's in a trance and needs no interaction with humans or other chickens.

Thank you, there’s some great info there.
I was going to candle because I’m really not sure if the eggs are fertile. We do have a Rhode Island that is being rather frisky.
Is there an optimum amount of eggs I should leave under her? Maybe if 8 isn’t enough I should take some of the others from today and pop them under her?

 

[Marieaa70]

Thank you, there’s some great info there.
I was going to candle because I’m really not sure if the eggs are fertile. We do have a Rhode Island that is being rather frisky.
Is there an optimum amount of eggs I should leave under her? Maybe if 8 isn’t enough I should take some of the others from today and pop them under her?

How many Hens per rooster,?

 

[Rosie65]

How many Hens per rooster,?

Well there are 4 but they are juvenile and 3 look identical so I’m not sure how many are approaching the hens. I’m going to go mark the eggs now and see if the pile has grown!

 

[Rosie65]

Well there are 4 but they are juvenile and 3 look identical so I’m not sure how many are approaching the hens. I’m going to go mark the eggs now and see if the pile has grown!

And that for 24 hens. We thought there were only 2 and we just had to get rid of our very aggressive rooster on Xmas day.

 

[Marieaa70]

And that for 24 hens. We thought there were only 2 and we just had to get rid of our very aggressive rooster on Xmas day.

Okay that's good 6 hens per Rooster is good, Yes never keep a aggressive rooster they can hurt some one very bad, and they never change there ways,

 

[Rosie65]

Okay that's good 6 hens per Rooster is good, Yes never keep a aggressive rooster they can hurt some one very bad, and they never change there ways,

Sad news, when I went back to mark the eggs she was out playing with her friends and all the eggs were very cold. So looks like there’s no babies for me just yet. i will get the nursery prepared just in case someone decides to go for it. Was really considering cutting back to two roosters. What do people think?
It’s really great to be able to discuss this with knowledgable people so thank you everybody.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Sad news, when I went back to mark the eggs she was out playing with her friends and all the eggs were very cold. So looks like there’s no babies for me just yet. i will get the nursery prepared just in case someone decides to go for it. Was really considering cutting back to two roosters. What do people think?
It’s really great to be able to discuss this with knowledgable people so thank you everybody.

Stick them in your incubator.

 

[Lizzy733]

When she goes broody, she will stop laying completely. It's pretty unmistakable as her behavior will change entirely. You will hear her purr-growling or barking and she will rarely go out with the others. She will lay a 'clutch' and start sitting once she feels she has enough and that includes stealing from others.
Depending on how human-friendly she is, you may or may not be 'allowed' to handle her eggs. Either plan on segregating her or her nesting area or mark the eggs she is sitting. Anything added 'after' she has started sitting should be removed otherwise you will have varying hatch times. The eggs won't start developing until she starts brooding them 24-7. Within 7 days of sitting, candling can make it pretty apparent which ones are and aren't developing. Your hen will also 'kick out' duds, but a first-time mom can make errors, so check any she does kick out just in case and check the nest for quitters if you notice a rotting egg smell. I find hatching eggs to be pretty robust; even if they are chilled - as in cold to the touch - this isn't a death sentence perse... I've had chilled eggs hatch and grow up to be healthy birds.