First time with a broody- hatch day is here-not sure what to do?!!??

[tatiana916]

We gave the new broody the 6 eggs we got. We were going to set her up in a dog crate but there wasn't enough room in it for her to roam a little when she needed to stretch her legs so we went ahead and set her up in the broody box. She was ticked off at us for a while and even kicked the eggs out of the nest at one point which made us worry she was going to refuse to sit. We had to leave to go get some things to fix a light switch in the house and when we got back she qas settled on the nest with the eggs. So now the wait begins. Our hatch date should be July 16th. I am excited about seeing what comes out of this hatch as the breeds that could be in the mix are interesting. I may even get me another polish or polish cross!  I would so love that! 
Now I have to come up with a name for this broody. She is a meanie so I was thinking about something that goes along with that. I've been thinking about Helga!

Mostly because I picture this huge, mean German woman!

Were due on almost the same day! (I'm 15th) I've got some polish expected too and I've got a super aggressive broody aswel. She's called Batman, she's black, obviously but with white 'eyebrow' feathers that give her a cross look anyway so at the moment she's really scary. She bites my hand off even when I go to feed her.

Although she hasn't been off the nest to poop since Sunday. I cleaned out the coop so its spotless and easier to see if she's been off the nest. She hasn't moved.

It's suddenly got very hot here, so I had to move water and food to within pecking distance (very dangerous without a glove) and iv been giving her diced cucumber and blueberries (isn't she spoilt) so that she is getting as much liquid as possible.

So excited about hatch day and I'm only on day 5!!!! Keep going in there expecting something to have happened lol. I'm going to be a wreck in 2 weeks!

 

[marlowmanor]

Were due on almost the same day! (I'm 15th) I've got some polish expected too and I've got a super aggressive broody aswel. She's called Batman, she's black, obviously but with white 'eyebrow' feathers that give her a cross look anyway so at the moment she's really scary. She bites my hand off even when I go to feed her.
Although she hasn't been off the nest to poop since Sunday. I cleaned out the coop so its spotless and easier to see if she's been off the nest. She hasn't moved.
It's suddenly got very hot here, so I had to move water and food to within pecking distance (very dangerous without a glove) and iv been giving her diced cucumber and blueberries (isn't she spoilt) so that she is getting as much liquid as possible.
So excited about hatch day and I'm only on day 5!!!! Keep going in there expecting something to have happened lol. I'm going to be a wreck in 2 weeks!

Do you have kids that named your hen? I finally decided to name this broody Maria. Yeah with my last broody I was pretty anxious when hatch day drew near. This time I am just planning ot let nature take it's course and let her do her thing. I know the eggs should be fertile and the guy I got them from has had good hatches lately so I expect at least 3-4 from the 5 eggs that are left. Possibility of a 100% hatch though. I'm enjoying watching the lone chick from our last broody grow up. It is 3 weeks old now.

 

[tatiana916]

Haha no they were named by my boyfriend!

Our other hen is a Bluebelle called Wolverine.

Will you be candling your eggs? Im desperate to but I like having my hands with all 5 fingers still attached! thank god I'm not using an incubator I would never be able to leave for work in the mornings!

 

[bufforphington]

 

[shelbear81]

Kind of bummed this morning. I guess what I *thought* I heard yesterday as chipping and pipping was only my imagination. I stuck my hand under Ida this morning just to check things out and there are definitely not any hatched chicks and it doesn't feel like there are any cracks or pip holes in the eggs either. Today marks day 22 or 23 (I'm not sure of the exact date she started sitting.)

The last time she got off the nest for food/water was sometime Thursday. It hasn't been extremely hot or humid here, but I don't want her to become dehydrated or starve over eggs that aren't going to hatch. Should I take her off the nest and try to break the broodiness or wait? Nothing smells rotten or bad, but I'd rather an egg not explode either.

WHat a crummy way to start a Monday. I think I am going to have to order some chicks to make up for this. I so wanted Ida to be able to be a Momma. She is 3 years old and the only one of my hens who has been committed as a broody.

Should I assume that the eggs weren't fertile or that they just didn't develop for some reason? Is something wrong with my roo? Is there a chance they could still hatch this late?

you are forgetting that you through out some eggs... these ones may have been laid later than you thought also!! Don't give up yet, I wish you luck!!

 

[marlowmanor]

Haha no they were named by my boyfriend!

Our other hen is a Bluebelle called Wolverine.

Will you be candling your eggs? Im desperate to but I like having my hands with all 5 fingers still attached! thank god I'm not using an incubator I would never be able to leave for work in the mornings!

I am not candling this time. 1) I don't know how to do it well 2)I'd rather not disturb her 3) the guy I got eggs from has great fertillity so I am just going to let nature take it's course and let Maria do her job.

 

[marlowmanor]

I don't know how many others here wiht broodies are going through a heat wave like we are here in NC. If any of y'all are having a heat wave too how are your broodies doing?

Maria has been doing okay and Hazel and her chick are doing well too. I have been wetting down my chicken run every day for this weekend as the temps have been in the 100F and up range. So the chickens have been getting frozen water bottles in their waterer, frozen vegetable treats, and a wetted run, plus I have been spraying the chickens too (which they aren't huge fans of!). I even sprayed enough to get Maria wet in her broody coop today because she was off her nest and panting today when I went to soak the run. No casualties here, hope it is the same for everyone else with broodies who may be dealing with a heat wave too.

 

[CarolJ]

We are out of town - and I'm VERY nervous about leaving my chickens for someone else to care for - especially with a broody hen. We have a very trustworthy neighbor who is taking care of things for us - but still, he'll only be there once a day to gather eggs, re-fill waterers and feeders. We've been having temps around 109 for several days. Hopefully all the chickens will be okay. Onyx and her babies were doing well when I left home, but I have one more broody hen, Blackie, who is sitting on 8 Swedish Flower Hen eggs. I candled one of the eggs on Friday and there was an active chick inside. I'm thinking that with these high temps, the eggs will probably hatch by this coming Friday. If they do, I won't be home for the hatch. Sigh! I love vacation - but this extreme heat makes me anxious about how my chickens are doing without me.

 

[GoChick]

My broodie was siting on 7 eggs. Six hatched last Wednesday morning, and I decided to let the broodie decide when to abandon the last one. Well.. she sat on it until Friday afternoon, when it finally hatched! she then left the nest, and the poor thing of course could not walk yet, so I took it and put on a coop by itself - with temperatures above 100F, I didn't even put it under a lamp! well, the cutie slept all afternoon, and I put it under the broodie late at night.

Check the little thing out - Chipmunk - father is a Dark Brahma, mother is a New Hampshire! Isn't it cute?

 

[CarolJ]

My broodie was siting on 7 eggs. Six hatched last Wednesday morning, and I decided to let the broodie decide when to abandon the last one. Well.. she sat on it until Friday afternoon, when it finally hatched! she then left the nest, and the poor thing of course could not walk yet, so I took it and put on a coop by itself - with temperatures above 100F, I didn't even put it under a lamp! well, the cutie slept all afternoon, and I put it under the broodie late at night.

Check the little thing out - Chipmunk - father is a Dark Brahma, mother is a New Hampshire! Isn't it cute?

Awww - what a cute baby!