Hopefull, hen has gone broody!!! :)

[Theapplechicks]

We are excited and just hope the eggs are fertile.... We wanted to try to hatch some eggs this spring but our broody hen was killed by a neighbor dog and none of the others seemed interested so we went and bought some chicks. Well last week we got rid of our rooster and a couple days after he was gone our little game hen has decided to sit on the eggs that were in there. (I think he was chasing them out any time they tried to sit on them) A few in there had been left from when we had our roo but the rest are from after he left. I read somewhere that they hold the sperm inside them for a little while so is it possible the new eggs will be fertile? She started just sitting on them for a little while each day but the last few days she has been on them most of the day and only gets off at night when I go out to check their feed and water. She ruffled her feathers made a horrible noise when one of the chicks went near her and the nest last night when we had them out to play! So we are very hopefull... what do you think our chances are?

 

[hannakat]

I read somewhere that the eggs will be fertile for 2 weeks so I think you're in luck! Hope she does a good job!

 

[Theapplechicks]

yeah! I hope so!!!

She's been sitting on them faithfully now for over a little over a wk. She gets up once or twice a day just for a few minutes gets something to eat and drink and goes right back to sitting on them. She's so tiny but she fluffs herself out and stretches to cover them. I go out there and stroke her back and talk to her and she coos at me. It's so sweet!

 

[ScissorChick]

Chances are very good.

Hens can lay fertile eggs up to 3, somtimes (but rarely) 4 weeks after

the rooster is gone. If she's getting off the nest at night, she's not 100% broody.

She's just ruining your eggs.

Let her set on fake eggs for a few days

until she sets for 3-4 days straight, and only getting off the nest for 15-20

minutes a day, Then give her real, fertile eggs.

I wish you luck!

~ScissorChick

 

[Theapplechicks]

oh no she stays on them at night. She only gets off in the afternoon when we go out and put fresh water and check the food. She's off maybe 10min or so and gets back on. I noticed today that when she got off my cochin went and sat on the eggs for a little while and she sat on a few in the box over and then they switched. The cochin has done this a couple times. I've got the eggs marked to see if there are any new ones and there hasn't been so I guess she's just helping out??? I really hope they hatch. She'll be so dissapointed if they don't!

 

[jenlynn4]

My friend and I just hatched eggs that were kept for 3 and 4 weeks and they did pretty good! So there is hope for yours.

 

[ScissorChick]

Quote:
Great!

Sorry for misunderstanding! haha good luck.

-ScissorChick

 

[Theapplechicks]

Thanks! This is our first hatch. We are really excited and hope they do hatch! Even though my hubby is gonna shoot me because I had just gone and bought 7 new babies because I didn't think any of them were gonna go broody! LOL! Oops!

 

[hannakat]

Quote:
This is good to know!

 

[Singlemaple]

ok so we built our own incubator on the 14th and had been collecting eggs to put in it since the 8th. i was candling the eggs last night and it looks like all the 2 of the 19 eggs i put in there quit they have not gotten bigger since day 7 when you could see the blood and the veins and stuff... but now in all the eggs is a deep dark blood ring in just a section of egg but there is like nothing else in the eggs... for the two i think have chicks in them will hatch the 3 and 4th of may...

now when we built are incubator we where having a very very very difficult time getting the humidity up it was at 30% for the first 4 or 5 days then we figured to put water right next to the light and it now stays at 56% humidity and 95˚ which is right right?

now on the other hand, One of my hens ( an easter egger ) is extremely broody she will not let me take eggs from her and she is having our other 5 hens lay in her box i have a suspicion that she has at-least 12 eggs under her. she looks like she is having a difficult time sitting on all her eggs but she gives us the stink eye and kinda growls at us when we try to take eggs from her ( its kinda funny) but i have no way to tell when they will hatch i believe she started to lay on the eggs the 15th and she hasn't left, other then for food i have see her do once.. but i have caught her turning the eggs but as soon as she see's that i am there she puffs up and lays on the eggs....

so what should i do is there like concrete signs that the 17 eggs in the incubator did give up? and about my broody hen should i bring her inside we have a big old bird cage that we could put her in. or will it be okay with the roo and the other hens will they kill the chicks? or will they be fine since they are there eggs?


could any one help me? this is my first time hatching eggs.