Hatching shipped eggs under broody advice request

[Sagenovese]

I have never hatched eggs before but decided it could be fun. My broody is only 1 year old and broody for her second time and very persistent. I ordered 3 fertile hatching eggs just to see what might happen. They are in transit now and I expect them to arrive later today or tomorrow. They are traveling about 400-500 miles. I have heard to expect about 50% hatch rate from shipped eggs.
I know I am to rest them for 12-24 hours (fat end up) when they arrive in a clean egg carton. Beyond that I only know to set them under my broody and leave it to her.

I assume I will need to pull her out of the coop and away from other chickens and put her by herself in a comfy safe spot... though I worry that moving her might break the broody (Although, I know when you are trying to break broody that never works. Ha!)

I have read to rest room temp, or down to 60 degrees. I have read disinfect with listerine/water spray and not to. What's best?

Having no experience here, I guess I'd like to hear what others have to say and if there is anything extremely important to do or not do. Please share your hatching advice.

Thanks for all input!

 

[Chicken Chat]

I do not wash my hatching eggs, if they are really dirty I don't incubate those. I would separate your broody, I had too many times where another hen tried to lay eggs in the same box and broken eggs were the result. I use a temporary nest box on the floor in the coop for broody moms and chicks to use. Sometimes I put up a temporary fence around the nest box to keep the others away from her until after the chicks hatch if my broody tends to try and return to another box or if another hen gives her trouble. I always fence off after the hatch so I can give them a day to themselves so they can learn to eat and drink without the rest of the flock bothering them then remove the fence and my moms take them outside to forage with the rest of the flock. If you move her, I would do so before the actual eggs arrive to make sure she stays put. Put some fake eggs under her to help her relocate if you aren't already doing so.

 

[Arielle2]

Your options:

Get your broody set up in a new house NOW to see if she will maintain her broodiness. Give her time to settle into her new location. Bring all her bedding with feathers into her new location.

Otherwise, if she is a very strong willed hen she will not give up her nest to any other hen, unless she is a very good friend of hers, she can stay in the group.

Both ways have risks.

Do not clean the eggs in anyway at this point unless very dirty. THey have a special coating to protect the eggs on the outside that is removed when cleaned. I have disinfected eggs occassionally, but prefer not to, so I only buy from trusted sources.

A broody will defend her eggs/nest. Other hens are likely to invade her space to leave an egg in a good location guarded by a broody. However, the broody will get agitated and jostle the eggs around and that is NOT want you want with shipped eggs. I usually put shipped eggs into an incubator.

My preference would be to put the broody in her own space... see if she will accept a new location that is safe and secure.... and if not, move the others out. She needs to NOT jostle those eggs that have been shipped. Often shipped eggs have the whites lack in firmness and integrity... much more fragile than a recently laid fresh egg gently handled and coooled down to storage temps quickly.

A hen will provide the perfect hatching environlment as far as humidity and temperature control.... and incubator takes practice to get it right. Only a few are very good and need little monitoring. ( See other threads for model recommendations.)

Remember to have fun and learn..... I was thrilled to get a 50% hatch rate from my own unshipped eggs using an incubator for the first time...... many factors effect hatch rate.......

Also,

 

[Sagenovese]

Thanks! I will move my broody today. Fingers crossed. How quickly after hatch can I return hen to flock with chicks. Would other hens attack the chicks? (I realize the question implies that I am counting chicks before hatch. <big smile> I know there may be no chicks at all-just have a hard time thinking that way.)

 

[Miss717]

My last hatch I left the hen and chicks separate until the hen started to abandon the chicks. I have also let the hen hatch the eggs right in the coop with the other hens and the chicks did fine. I prefer to let the hen hatch the eggs in a separate area, but as far as when to introduce the chicks to the rest of the flock, I really don't have a preference either way. If you are going to put the hen and her chicks back in right away, I would wait until the hen actually starts to take her chicks out of the nest, a day or two after they hatch. As far as the other hens hurting the chicks the mother will do a pretty good job of protecting them and the chicks will most likely run to their mother if they are being picked on. PS. I like the glass half full attitude.

 

[Sagenovese]

Eggs arrived. Broody is in new pen and seems content to sit on her fake eggs while the fertile eggs rest. I was stunned when I opened package though. My eggs are very rarely dirty... I suppose because the nest boxes are clean? Not sure. But the purchased eggs that just arrived are really really dirty! Covered in feces. I wasn't expecting that at all. I figured that they would not send the dirtiest eggs. Now what? Do I clean? Do I leaved them as is? I am so disappointed and surprised by this. Is it typical?

 

[Ladybird CA]

Are they all dirty? I've once had one dirty egg and about a dozen clean eggs. I tried cleaning it with a paper towel but it didn't look any different. I didn't want to use water because I read that that can introduce bacteria. I've only read about spraying water on duck eggs but maybe there is info out there saying to use on chicken eggs..the only egg that hatched was the dirty egg. I don't know if it "killed" the other eggs or if the other eggs were doomed from the start. If the seller came from an area that had rain the hens might've gotten muddy and so did the eggs but some sellers don't like to wait for the next set of eggs in case the buyer is buying the eggs to have the same start date as other eggs which happens often with smaller egg orders.

 

[Sagenovese]

I've never hatched anything before. I only ordered 3 fertile hatching eggs of a mixed variety which means that they choose what to send. They sent 4 eggs which was nice. But, all 4 are very dirty. I guess I will not wash them as I would not want to jeopardize them. Hopefully, at least one will hatch. Never having done this before I was just very surprised. I have been reading a lot before ordering and keep hearing the repeat advice of not to incubate dirty eggs... but that is all I have and I paid for them. Wish us luck. I got them this morning so they've set all day. My broody marans has taken to her new nest in her own private deluxe suite. She is still trying to hatch the fake eggs so I guess I will swap them for the fertile ones. It is 12 hours now and bedtime so I don't know if I should do it now or wait for 24 hours and swap in the morning when she's more apt to notice. Hmmm....

 

[Ladybird CA]

Good luck! The eggs I mentioned were from about 10 years ago so a lot of new info and advice online has surfaced since then. I've read that night time is best but it could depend on the bird. My silkie hen probably would've accepted any type of egg, any time of day.

 

[Dharmachick]

How is your hatch going? I leave my broodies where they choose, and they move themselves to a place on the floor when they are ready. I had 1 chick hatch out of 5 shipped eggs from my first broody, and none of the 6 I bought locally from a breeder hatched. I had one hatch 2 days ago from my 2nd broody, and the other 9 were rotten. It smelled up the whole coop. I have another broody sitting on 15 shipped eggs, that may be too many, but I'm not expecting much.
The first hatch we had last year 8 out of 10 hatched from 2 broodies with shipped eggs. I was really happy and expected the same this time. The first were EEs and I sold them all at 6 weeks. This year we were really excited, not knowing that last year was a fluke. So, I have one chocolate orpington chick, and one lavender orpington chick, 5 weeks apart. I removed the rotten eggs and the broody isn't moving.