Hen with pips

[TSP]

I did take a look at a couple of them just as you suggested, in the dark with a flashlight a couple of days ago. Every one I picked up was viable, but I didn’t look at all of them. Last year when I hatched a batch in the incubator, we got 100% hatch. I hatched a batch for a friend this spring and only got about 50%. Figured one aging roo wasn’t getting the job done, so was going to raise one of the cockerels to have a second roo. The hen on the nest was one of the Roo‘s favorites, so should be fertile. Seven out this evening, will update tomorrow with hatch total of the 13. Thanks all!

 

[aart]

I did take a look at a couple of them just as you suggested, in the dark with a flashlight a couple of days ago. Every one I picked up was viable, but I didn’t look at all of them. Last year when I hatched a batch in the incubator, we got 100% hatch. I hatched a batch for a friend this spring and only got about 50%. Figured one aging roo wasn’t getting the job done, so was going to raise one of the cockerels to have a second roo. The hen on the nest was one of the Roo‘s favorites, so should be fertile. Seven out this evening, will update tomorrow with hatch total of the 13. Thanks all!

Could be some of those eggs are from other birds laid after the broody started to sit.
Once she comes off the nest to feed the chicks remove any remaining eggs and maybe put them in the incubator.

 

[TSP]

Looked this morning
12 chicks, one unhatched egg. If it hasn’t hatched by this evening, I’ll candle it.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Looked this morning
12 chicks, one unhatched egg. If it hasn’t hatched by this evening, I’ll candle it.

Congratulations that great! My broody hatches have always been very high too, 90-100%. Times that a bunch of broodies, & u will soon end up with zillions of chickens!

 

[TSP]

“Zillions of chickens” is what I’m afraid of. I have room for about a dozen when it gets really cold (northern Wisconsin) so I’m going to have to talk to all my chicken keeping friends about taking some babies off my hands. They are so cute though. Once they are moving around, I’ll post some photos.