How not to let a broody hatch chicks.

[Hensndoes]

So my hatchery cuckoo last year proved to be an incurable broody therefor I gave her chicks which she didn't stray from until 7 weeks. This year i thought I'd let her sit in genpop knowing I wasn't winning the argument and I had nowhere else to put her. I'm too busy to build a second coop this year.

Well my honey decided to give her eggs before the weekend as he was kinda excited. Thing is I only wanted her to sit on the blue eggs - my blue copper marans roo over my cream legbar hen. So I awoke to see he put the 2 freshly laid eggs and the 7 from the fridge under her (after they sat out all night in 80 weather). Okay can't stop the train now.

So mama knows best and being in gen pop I start to wonder where the eggs are. I attribute it to heat for a few days before we realize mama has 13 eggs. I take away all the green eggs (I didn't mark the blue- don't not do that) and days later close her off. She kicks out 5 blues that prove to be partially developed when I want an egg on my Sammy. She is left with 5.

One hatches on time. The next is days later. Days later I have another. Fortunately mama is pulling double duty but this is odd and they don't normally sit and raise. Ma rolls her eggs to the feed area to care for babies and rolls back to the nest at night.

She has 2 eggs left in a staggered hatch and I'm amazed she kept on this far. I have no idea how people raise chicks via broody in genpop... but I won't do it again. The suspense is killing me!

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

What an exciting hatch! Keep us posted....with photos, too!

 

[pallas]

Thats quite interesting

 

[Hensndoes]

So today I noticed mama had an egg not quite under her. Then totally not under her. I decided she must have rejected it but left to do errands and figured I'd deal with it when I came back. She was on it when I returned and kept it since. We will see. Saturday would be the latest day for hatch I think since I closed her off and took eggs from her ( eggs that it appeared she rejected)

 

[chuckun]

Adorable! I am tempted to let my broody orpington hatch some fertilized eggs, but I don't know where to start. Assuming I find a source, can you recommend a primer, maybe on this site? How many should I put under her if I want no more than 3 more chickens?

Congratulations on your success. I look forward to seeing more photos!

 

[Hensndoes]

I'm not sure what a primer is... I didn't give her eggs until I was certain she was broody. She did toy with the idea a week earlier but didn't stay so I put the eggs in the fridge . Just don't do what I did!!!

Oh - I didn't mention. So far all chicks are girls - olive eggers. Selectively bred from my roo and hen to ensure I knew at hatch.

 

[KikiLeigh02]

Gorgeous chicks! Congrats! I am extremely impressed with her multitasking skills!

View attachment 1516423 So today I noticed mama had an egg not quite under her. Then totally not under her. I decided she must have rejected it but left to do errands and figured I'd deal with it when I came back. She was on it when I returned and kept it since. We will see. Saturday would be the latest day for hatch I think since I closed her off and took eggs from her ( eggs that it appeared she rejected)

 

[chuckun]

By primer I just mean a "how to" article or post. I take it from your advice a broody hatching eggs should always be separated? Any more photos?

I'm surprised that fertile eggs can survive in the fridge before incubation!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

@chuckun you don't have to separate the broody, you just need to mark the eggs that you give her, and give them to her all at once. This let's you remove eggs that the others lay in the nest so you don't end up with staggered hatching like the OP is experiencing.

I use a sharpie and draw a ring all the way around the middle of the egg so that no matter which way it is laying I can quickly see which to leave and which to take.

 

[Hensndoes]

@chuckun this is the second time this broody has raised - the first one I gave her chicks in a separate store bought coop I put in the main flock run. I did this because she was getting the snot kicked out of her by the other chickens when she would leave the nest for her daily meal and drink. It was bad. They wouldn't let her eat. She was extremely fierce then and is now. I couldn't leave her in genpop for this reason - and because quite honestly I'm intimidated by her when I try to move her to see what eggs she has under her. The first time (last year) I did the she had eggs under her wings and 2 dropped and broke. They were days from hatching and nothing could be done for them.

As for refrigerated eggs- I don't think those are the ones that hatched. She had booted ones out of the nest that I took away. Then again I'll never know if the first chick was because I didn't mark the eggs. I will say tho- I've seen her roll eggs out and bring them back so maybe I took them away prematurely. Will never know. Also- I know someone who hatched 17 ov 20 eggs all of which were up to 2 weeks old and some even had froze. She used an incubator. I wouldn't be comfortable with that as that bloom on the eggs that likely deteriorated while the eggs sweat on the counter all night actually protects the egg and chick from bacteria.

I'll get more pics soon! This 6 more days and I'll be more confident that's all shes hatching.