First time hatching eggs

[maddogdodge]

Well there you go... a few days after putting eggs under my first broody hen, another one has gone broody too!! So I figured, I'm going to have chicks anyway, why not chuck some eggs from my flock under her? So she's now happily sitting on some eggs in my dog's crate in the chook yard. I'm taking a different method with her, going to let her raise them in with the flock... hopefully it will go okay!

So in a perfect world, In a few weeks I'll have a total of 16 chicks running around... but I'm not sure that things are going to go that well ... we shall see!

This lot will be due to hatch on the 17th of Nov.

(excuse the mess behind her, Its just dirt on the back of one of the nesting boxes... It got mud on it when I was moving it into the yard)

 

[Aphrael]

Yep. Broodiness tends to be a highly contagious disease.

Fortunately, most of mine will co-brood very nicely together. They seem to prefer it that way in fact. They take turns on the eggs while the others go out to eat, drink, forage and dust bathe. It always starts with one, then a day or two after I let her have eggs there'll be another in there with her. then a day or two after that there will be another, and then yet another, and so on. Usually end up with 4-5 sharing the clutch of eggs. Have never had problems with fighting over eggs or chicks like some people have. So I count myself very lucky.

ETA: Your hen is super cute all fluffed up on her eggs!

 

[seagirl]

you eggs are beautiful!!!
i now have a silkie hen that is setting on a few eggs for about a week now, thanks to byc i learned how to candle the eggs so i know that at least one is fertile!

i didn't check the others cause she was doing a mama chicken growl so i thought she should do her thing. im so excited!!

 

[maddogdodge]

Yep. Broodiness tends to be a highly contagious disease.

Fortunately, most of mine will co-brood very nicely together. They seem to prefer it that way in fact. They take turns on the eggs while the others go out to eat, drink, forage and dust bathe. It always starts with one, then a day or two after I let her have eggs there'll be another in there with her. then a day or two after that there will be another, and then yet another, and so on. Usually end up with 4-5 sharing the clutch of eggs. Have never had problems with fighting over eggs or chicks like some people have. So I count myself very lucky.

ETA: Your hen is super cute all fluffed up on her eggs!

Thats awesome

I wasn't feeling confident that my two won't fight over eggs, so I figured I'd play it safe and let them do it separately

 

[maddogdodge]

you eggs are beautiful!!!
i now have a silkie hen that is setting on a few eggs for about a week now, thanks to byc i learned how to candle the eggs so i know that at least one is fertile!

i didn't check the others cause she was doing a mama chicken growl so i thought she should do her thing. im so excited!!

It is so exciting isn't it!!

I haven't candled any of mine yet, not sure If I will at 7 or 10 days, but it will be around then.

I'll have to try and catch her off the nest (my first broody only gets off every second day!) If I go near her when she's on her nest, she fluffs herself up and growls very loudly at me. If I go to put my hand near her, she has a good go at me, and it hurts too! She is extremely protective of her eggs!

 

[maddogdodge]

Just checked my barnevelder eggs while my broody was up off the nest. I'm disappointed to find that the other day when it was pouring rain (and she decided to hop off the nest while it was raining) she must have had muddy feet because a few of the eggs have got mud on them and one of them looks like it has chook poo on it too (perhaps that was stuck to her feet too).

Should I worry about this and try to do something about it? Or just leave them the way they are?

 

[Aphrael]

Thats awesome

I wasn't feeling confident that my two won't fight over eggs, so I figured I'd play it safe and let them do it separately

probably the safest bet. I only cobrood the ones who choose it themselves. They all sit together in the same nest of their own accord. I don't know that it would work out well to try to make them brood together.

Just checked my barnevelder eggs while my broody was up off the nest. I'm disappointed to find that the other day when it was pouring rain (and she decided to hop off the nest while it was raining) she must have had muddy feet because a few of the eggs have got mud on them and one of them looks like it has chook poo on it too (perhaps that was stuck to her feet too).

Should I worry about this and try to do something about it? Or just leave them the way they are?

If it were me, unless it is very light soiling, I would clean them off. The mud and poo could introduce bacteria into the egg that could kill the embryo.

 

[maddogdodge]

probably the safest bet. I only cobrood the ones who choose it themselves. They all sit together in the same nest of their own accord. I don't know that it would work out well to try to make them brood together.

If it were me, unless it is very light soiling, I would clean them off. The mud and poo could introduce bacteria into the egg that could kill the embryo.

How would you clean them? I was told that you're not supposed to use water to clean eggs. I use a fine sanding block to clean eggs that I sell for consumption.

 

[seagirl]

it seems like two of my girls have gone broody together! my silkie fluffy has been setting for a little over a week now and now for the past couple of days my white hen mayo has been setting just a few feet away! they look like two sisters! I am hoping to have two sets of baby chicks in the next couple of weeks

 

[Aphrael]

How would you clean them? I was told that you're not supposed to use water to clean eggs. I use a fine sanding block to clean eggs that I sell for consumption.

Very warm water (99-100 degrees (ish) and antibacterial soap. If the mud/poo is really stuck you can let them sit in the water a minute or two. Then wipe them gently (no scrubbing!) until they are clean and pat them dry with a soft cloth.

it seems like two of my girls have gone broody together! my silkie fluffy has been setting for a little over a week now and now for the past couple of days my white hen mayo has been setting just a few feet away! they look like two sisters! I am hoping to have two sets of baby chicks in the next couple of weeks

Congrats!