Hatch-Along - Setting eggs this weekend (Jan5/6) WHOS WITH ME!

[FeyRaine]

depends on the stage of sitting (sometimes they off & on for a few days while still laying new eggs) in which case the early laid eggs likely won't hatch.
Which is why some ppl discard those when the hen goes into "hard broody" replacing w/ a known good batch of whatever eggs you really want to hatch.

Also depends on weather, in very hot weather I've seen them get up more often, in fact I've had broodies get off for long periods in extream heat,
when it was so hot it was ruining the eggs, ie well over 102 for several hrs

But normally a "hard broody" will only get up 1-2 x/day for only a few mins each, then the last day or two until she gives up on unhatched eggs sometimes even 3-4 days solid she will not get off the eggs/chicks at all. That of course is a really GOOD broody.

Hope this helps.

 

[fisherlady]

here is our chick hatched lastnight..hoping our blrw hatches too this morning it was wobbling and you could hear scratching too and maybeeee a small hairline crack

I missed seeing this somehow! How are they doing now?? What is your count up to since January?

How many times in a day will a setting hen get off of her nest. I have a buff orpington that started setting but i see her off of her nest at least 8 times a day.

see below...

depends on the stage of sitting (sometimes they off & on for a few days while still laying new eggs) in which case the early laid eggs likely won't hatch.
Which is why some ppl discard those when the hen goes into "hard broody" replacing w/ a known good batch of whatever eggs you really want to hatch.

Also depends on weather, in very hot weather I've seen them get up more often, in fact I've had broodies get off for long periods in extream heat,
when it was so hot it was ruining the eggs, ie well over 102 for several hrs

But normally a "hard broody" will only get up 1-2 x/day for only a few mins each, then the last day or two until she gives up on unhatched eggs sometimes even 3-4 days solid she will not get off the eggs/chicks at all. That of course is a really GOOD broody.

Hope this helps.

Well said!
she may be 'getting into the mood' rather than being in the solid mood yet. Another determining factor is if she goes to her roost up at night or stays on the eggs. One of my hens spent a week or two deciding before finally settling in.

 

[SilkieSensation]

I forgot this thread was still going!!!!

I have scovies, 3 kinds of quail, calls, a goose, anconas & silkies in lockdown right now.

In the bators I have turkeys, more quail, more scovies, runners, showgirls, welshies, calls, polish, ee bantams, & pekins.

In the brooders I have keets, a poult, calls, runners, scovies, welshies, ee bantam chicks, lf mixed chicks, bantam mixed chicks & coturnix quail.

I have spare drakes in runner & pekin available if any needs any!!!

And I forgot the broody has EE bantams & calls under her.

 

[FeyRaine]

something like 12 doz chicken eggs in 3 bators atm

the last doz were b/c the dh did not want to mess w/ Monkey our 3 yr old almost banty mixed polish mutt hen who appeared to be sitting the eating eggs, he told me this on day 3, sigh, so I collected, candled, & added another doz mutt eggs to the very nice eggs from other's flocks.

Most of these eggs were 11 doz about 2 wks old from a breeder's over flow & they are running about 10% good I think.
It is day 5 so I'll likely toss about half tonight.

Meanwhile, the Bourbon Sisters ( 2 Bourbon Red Turkey hens) are sitting side by side in one large nest box
(the smaller gal decided to nest there a wk after her sister rather than in the other nest box, okayyyy)
Anyway, we don't have a Tom.
So either the local wild turkey tom paid a visit,
or that sneaky Sizzle Roo left yet another big surprize before I sold him.
1st Turkey hen started sitting June 1, the egg we flashlight candled to intense turkey hissing last night looked like it might have something in there so a few more days and we will know...