First experience of a Broody Hen ✌

[moali99]

Its my first time experiencing a broody hen! I'm just wondering how many eggs this hen can hold under her. She's got 4 at the moment and the other 2 hens are laying eggs each day and adding the eggs to her collection. How will this work out in terms of what days the eggs will hatch?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It won't work. Every day a hen volunteers an egg, that egg will hatch a day later. Once the chicks start to hatch, the hen won't continue to incubate more than a couple days so the rest of the staggered embryos will die.

You need to mark the eggs that are under her now so you can remove any volunteers daily.

 

[moali99]

It won't work. Every day a hen volunteers an egg, that egg will hatch a day later. Once the chicks start to hatch, the hen won't continue to incubate more than a couple days so the rest of the staggered embryos will die.

You need to mark the eggs that are under her now so you can remove any volunteers daily.

Oh right thanks for the reply. So in this case I don't think 4 eggs is enough. Any suggestions on what I should do?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If she just started sitting yesterday you could add more today but I wouldn't stagger more than 2 days.
Can you borrow an incubator? Or build a temporary one?
You could date the eggs the day they go under her and remove the later ones and stick them in the incubator.
I've had hens sit on just one or two eggs. It still works.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Oh right thanks for the reply. So in this case I don't think 4 eggs is enough. Any suggestions on what I should do?

Enough for who - you or the bird? The bird will have no issue with 4 eggs, but if your goal is more chicks from this setting I would suggest removing these eggs, placing some dummies and collecting for the next several days to build the clutch you want, then place those under the broody.

 

[moali99]

If she just started sitting yesterday you could add more today but I wouldn't stagger more than 2 days.
Can you borrow an incubator? Or build a temporary one?
You could date the eggs the day they go under her and remove the later ones and stick them in the incubator.
I've had hens sit on just one or two eggs. It still works.

She's been sat for 2 days, I already have an incubator in which I have 10 eggs in at day 13. Quite coincident that she's broody right now lol

 

[moali99]

Enough for who - you or the bird?  The bird will have no issue with 4 eggs, but if your goal is more chicks from this setting I would suggest removing these eggs, placing some dummies and collecting for the next several days to build the clutch you want, then place those under the broody.

I meant it isn't enough because the fertility rate I have with my hens is quite poor so I'd prefer more eggs to be under her. But yeah what you said sounds like a useful idea

. Thank you

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I meant it isn't enough because the fertility rate I have with my hens is quite poor so I'd prefer more eggs to be under her. But yeah what you said sounds like a useful idea

. Thank you

Is the bird in your avatar one of your breeding cocks? What breed(s) of hens is he over? For those breeds with heavy amounts of "fluff" in the vent area fertility can be an issue due to the logistics of mating and the fluff getting in the way.

 

[moali99]

The one in my avatar is my rooster lol, this one is my broody hen.

 

[moali99]

Is the bird in your avatar one of your breeding cocks?  What  breed(s) of hens is he over?  For those breeds with heavy amounts of "fluff" in the vent area fertility can be an issue due to the logistics of mating and the fluff getting in the way.

My rooster is the smallest in the flock which makes it harder for him to mate