how do broody hens create humidity?

[Lisa202]

I have a bantam EE who has been sitting on 2 eggs...today is day 21

...I not going to touch her at all, after reading all the "incubator lock down" posts I figured the same applies to real brooders. But really, in this cold weather, how is it going to be humid enough under her?

 

[happyhens44]

There sweat id think, I dont know they know how, but hatch better then a incubator

 

[Sunny Side Up]

It's so awesome! The broody hen plucks/molts feathers off her breast so that the eggs are in contact with her nice moist bare skin. When you pick up your hen feel her breast on each side of her keel. You should be able to feel her two "broody patches".

She will probably stay on the nest the whole day that the chicks are hatching, and won't get up for her daily coffee break. Sometimes I've seen the hens eating the membranes from inside the hatched eggs, for nourishment or hydration? But she won't get up until the next day, when she'll take her new family for their first outing.

Let us know how everyone is doing! I have a banty on eggs due to hatch March 7.

 

[Lisa202]

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Now I'm so curious as to her belly feathers!

I've been giving her wax worms twice a day. I would put food in front of her, but she wouldn't eat anything...but she just can't resist those wiggly little guys. I have water right at her face and a bowl of food (scrambled eggs, oatmeal, cracked corn, cottage cheese) but it just stays there barely eaten, so I wonder why would she eat the membranes when she has all this yummy food?

I'm dying to know what's going on under her....but I won't peek...I'm sitting on my hands.

Of course I'll post photos. Lately I take a picture of practically everything (new eggs, weird eggs, me cooking eggs, me eating eggs, eggs in baskets, egg shells, beans sprouting, wheat grass growing...heck, yesterday I even took a picture of my smallest egg next to a regular size egg next to my biggest egg next to a store bought egg...so yeh, I'll definitely have pictures of new babies)

 

[Luvducks]

Good Luck!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

While hens are setting they usually only get up to feed once a day. That seems to be all the nourishment they need. They also will pass a huge smelly poop almost every day. While they're brooding they're not expending as much energy as usual, not running around nor producing eggs. I don't hand-feed nor offer tempting treats to my setting hens, just provide little dishes of regular feed & water in their little broody cages.

But on the day their chicks hatch they usually will not leave the nest at all, not wanting to expose any emerging wet babies to the elements. So I guess if they're feeling like having a snack that day they'll eat the egg membranes. It's probably as nourishing as anything else they could have.

Do you hear any peeping yet? Seen any tiny faces peeking out from under the hen's feathers?

 

[Lisa202]

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It's day 22 and so far nothing. I try to listen for peeps, but either their muffled underneath her or nothing is happening. Can this take longer than 22 days?

 

[SilkieChickenLover336]

So my friend was hatching eggs under her broody silkie and they didnt hatch until day 24!!! i dont know why she kept them under there for soo long but wait until day 25 to discard them!