hen hatching

[trudyg]

Okay, last year one of my hens hatched out 3 chicks on her own, all I did was leave some eggs out for several days and she started sitting on them. I'm trying again this year but, so far, no luck. One of them started a nest in the bedding, not the nest box, so I left an egg there that day, the next day there were 3, etc until there were 12. As I went to mark the 12, one hen raised such a ruckus like I was murdering her, so I only marked 11 and took the 12th with me. Since then, I have removed the unmarked eggs daily but no one is sitting on them. Or maybe someone is--I just went out there and there are only 10 marked and I removed 3 new ones. But, wow, they were all hot. Not ambient temp warm, but hot. So I wonder if someone was sitting on them. They come running when I come out the back door, so maybe she just wanted a treat? I don't have a camera out there, so I can't watch them. How long should I wait without being sure they are being sat on before I remove them all? I'd hate to have them rot, but I don't want to pull them if someone wants to sit. Our daily temp has been mid 70's but it's supposed to rain tonight and then get cooler for several days.

 

[igorsMistress]

All the eggs will be warm if someone was laying not long before you went out. You'll have to keep an eye out to see if one hen is sitting.
In my experience a broody will cluck and sound like she's already talking to her wee ones when she's off the nest for food and water.

 

[trudyg]

Well, today is rainy and cool and no one is sitting on them. I removed all but 3 and put in 2 ceramic eggs. Will get the others later today, probably, only stopped because someone was wanting to sit in the nest to lay. Fingers crossed that I get lucky.