Help!! Broody question

[noortychooks]

Hi all,

Two of our flock have been broody for about a week and we decided that we would try and let them hatch some chicks.We don't have a roo so acquired some eggs of another local chook keeper who has 3 roos (so a good chance of being fertile).

The two broody hens had been sitting in the regular nestbox so when we collected the (maybe)fertile eggs we set them up in a 'broody pen' which is made of an old rabbit hutch... That was Friday so they have only been sitting for 2.5 days.

One of the broodys is clearly a natural and leaves the nest quickly each morning to eat, drink, poop and dust bathe and is straight back to her nest. The other didn't seem to be eating or drinking so yesterday (Sunday) I took her off the nest, she done her business but then went back to where the nest used be....... that should have been the warning i needed!!

Well today was the first time they were unsupervised all day (back to work) and when we got in broody #2 was sat in the original nesting box and the eggs she should have been sitting on were cold to the touch.... I've no idea how long she was off the nest but it was potentially 8 hours!!!

I suppose I already know the answer to my question but I assume these eggs have now had it?? I'm in the UK and it was not very warm today (approx 20c or 68f)..... so considering these eggs have only been sat on for 2 days do I wait and see what happens? or call it quits on those eggs and quickly replace with new ones? or just try to 'break' her broodyness (considering shes already been brooding for about a week)...... If I do go down the route of waiting or getting a new batch should i put her back in the nest she always returns to (even though its in the main coop) or stick with the new 'broody pen'??

Any advice appreciated

Many thanks

Dee

 

[gimmie birdies]

I have to put the hen back alot, I don't move my hen though, I mark the eggs i let her keep. when she leaves the nest another hen lays an egg while she is gone. then later I remove the fresh egg. and she is back at it. as the chicks hatch I remove them so she will keep setting.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I have this broody on 17 eggs- too many for a bantam, but, oh well, some are due the 9th, some are due the 14th, some are due 17th, I will remove chicks as they hatch so she keeps sitting
.

 

[noortychooks]

So did I make a mistake by moving them to the 'broody pen'??

I'm a newbie to the hatching game and there's soooo much conflicting information.... I followed the advice of remove them from the rest of the flock?.

Also, any advice on the viability of the eggs... they were cold to the touch, had potentially been left for 8 hours and had previously only been sat on for 2 days...

 

[Fancychooklady]

I usually mark the eggs and move momma and chicks into a brooder once they are hatched. Alternately you could put an a frame or small brooder box inside the main coop and make it nice and inviting. A rabbit hutch works well. Once the hen sets the eggs shut her in , with feed and water.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don’t know if those eggs are viable or not. If you can, I’d replace them and start over.

A hen stores up a log of fat before she goes broody. This is mainly what she lives on while she is broody. They will lose a lot of weight while broody, but it’s mainly fat stored for that purpose. How fast this fat runs out will depend on how much she had stored and how much she is eating while broody. Most broodies can go 5 to 6 weeks with no problems. I’d think you’d be fine starting her on some new eggs.

The reason you get so much conflicting advice is that a lot of different ways work. There are different risks and advantages to different ways, isolating them or letting them hatch with the flock or some variation on these.

If you decide to let her hatch with the flock, collect all the eggs you want to give her and mark them. I use a black Sharpie and draw circles on them so I can tell at a glance which eggs belong. Start all those eggs at the same time and then check under the hen every day after the other hens have finished laying. As long as you remove new eggs every day, they are still good to use.

If you isolate a broody, build a jail so she can’t escape. It needs to have a nest, food and water, and a bit of extra room for her to go poop. Even with room that might wind up in the food or water anyway, but at least try. Make the nest dark, that seems to help. Then at night, move her to the new nest and lock her in there. I made my nest so I can lock her in the nest itself. When I move them, I leave them locked in the nest the next day until just before dark. Leave her locked in that new pen so she can’t go back to the old nest and the other hens can’t lay in her new nest.

Some hens accept this type of move easily, some just can’t handle it at all and break from being broody. After a few days you can try letting her out if you want. She might return to her old nest or she might return to her new one. After 3 or 4 days, mine normally return to the new nest. Normally. Or you can leave he r locked in there the entire incubation.

Good luck with it, however you decide.

 

[noortychooks]

Thank you for the replies,

I shall go on the scrounge for more fertile eggs!

Thank you again!!

 

[spotsplus]

It wouldn't be unusual for a broody hen that had her eggs moved to mistakenly go back to the old nest area. I would of put the hen back in the place where the eggs are and make it so she can't get to the old place. I would have put the eggs in the incubator and candled them at 5 days to see if they were growing or not.