First hen setting-Help!

[UK Chicken rancher]

We were gone over the weekend and noone to get eggs for us, so I said to my husband "it will either be a mess when we get back or maybe it will put one of my young hens into setting mode"! Yeah! It seems to have worked in my favor!!!! But now what to do?! We got home to one of our Australorp hens sitting on 5 eggs all warm. Checked again today and she definately has been setting on them all day, pile of poop in nest box and one more egg makes 6.
Questions:
How long before d-day is here?
And how long do they continue to lay adding to the clutch they started with?
How long should they be staying off the nest while eating, etc.
And if you want to add other eggs, they still have to be warm from just being laid right? Will she accept them if I just put them in there when she's not looking?
Any advice would be helpful, my plan is to mostly leave her alone but not block her off from rest of flock until chicks are hatched then may keep them in a dog kennel for first 24 hrs or so.
So excited!!!!!

 

[Kittymomma]

If she's broody she isn't laying anymore. Other hens will crowd in and lay in her box though so you'll want to block it off so they can't do that. Most broody girls will get off the nest once a day to eat, drink, and poo but some won't and will need a little help.

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:

 

[Kittymomma]

How is she doing?

 

[UK Chicken rancher]

THanx so much for your share of knowledge KittyMomma.
SHe was doing great. I decided not to block her off because I enjoyed the fact that she was getting down to eat and get a few moments of free ranging in etc. I marked the eggs with a marker in case any others were laid there then I'd know which ones to take out. But I never thought about her loosing her nest....................... we have a light on a timer for a few hours in eve. and morn. Apparently she was down when the light went off and she hopped back in the wrong nest with nothing under her.....;o( The eggs were cold by the time I went to check, I put her back on them, but I suppose that is the end of that huh? Soooo sad, i should have taken your advice and fenced her off, I still could have taken her out and let her wander awhile each day. I didn't want to mess with hand feeding her, she is a little shy anyways so wasn't sure how that would go.

 

[UK Chicken rancher]

So I closed her off in her own little pen and since she has done awesome, very vigilant. I candled the eggs when I put her in there and could see veins on most of them so that was encouraging but still didn't have much hope. So, I was leary to check them again but finally did a few days ago and 5 out of 7 have almost completely developed chicks inside yeah!!!! I made my husband crack the 2 others open and they had never started to develop, not even a bloody spot and they weren't rotten yet either! So we are now anxioulsy awaiting Monday or Tuesday when the 5 should start hatching!!!!!

 

[UK Chicken rancher]

Two black chicks poked their heads out of mama's feathers this afternoon, but she is still setting faithfully so left her alone to hatch the last 3, yeah!

 

[UK Chicken rancher]

Here are the first 4 (3 black with some white and yellow,barred rock and Australorp crosses, 1 dark brown, EE cross) that hatched. You can see some of their shells and the green egg that we were still anxiously waiting on to hatch:

Then on day 2 or 3 I noticed that the chicks could get out of the wire dog cage I had them in so I carefully taped cardboard all around the outside to make sure they didn't get out and get pecked on by the other chickens. The next morning we went down to find Greenie had hatched yeah!The lightest one is her with the heart on her forehead:

................But the two largest most beautiful black chicks had found the one slat that I hadn't gotten completely covered with the cardboard and had gotten out..............they didn't find there way back in and died from cold. They other chickens had not harmed them at all, just didn't have Mama for warmth. I felt so horrible and guilty............hard lesson learned. So, we drug in an old stock tank and moved Mama and remaining 3 chicks in it, no more wholes to escape. That night we went to the feed store and got 3 Ameracauna pullets and stuck them under Mama after dark, she excepted them just fine and is a great Mama to all 6 now. I was leary of doing that for the obvious disiese threat etc. but we are taking the chance and so far all is fine.
Thanx for your support thru this trying and exciting time!
Notice the chick on top of Mama's back here:

The one on the left below is Greenie, 2 in the middle are ones we bought, one on the right is the other Ameracauna she hatched:

 

[ranchhand]

Now that's a lot of awwwwwwwww.... moments!