I’m not Mother Nature, but..... My journey hatching broody and bator chicks

[cmom]

I put a camera in one of my coops pointed at the nest boxes before, but nothing extraordinary happened except 3 girls wanted to be in the same nest box.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I read most of the replies and I have to add a few things.
Hens usually get off the nest daily but not always. I usually set up broodies by themselves in their own quarters with fresh bedding, food and water and forget about them for 3 weeks except to refill the water fount and remove the one stink bomb. I do peek in the window and since there is fresh bedding I can tell if they've defecated. That's how I know how often they come off the nest.
I must say, it is absolutely unnecessary to make them get off the nest. Just leave them alone and count chicks when they are done.
Hens and their ancestors have been successfully sitting on eggs for millions of years with no human intervention of any kind. No candling, no pulling them off the nest. And they never starved themselves into extinction.
Once setting hormones start, they will sit whether they have fertile eggs or no eggs at all.
If one isn't going to have them hatch eggs, pulling them off the nest does no good. It is necessary to put them in broody jail - an elevated wire bottom cage.
To steal eggs, they tuck the egg under their wing to carry it to another nest.

 

[cmom]

Years ago I had a broody that wouldn't get off the nest. Shortly before the eggs were due to hatch I found her dead on the nest and when I picked her up she felt thin. I don't think she got off of the nest. I had never seen her get off of it. Since I make sure they get off if I don't see them get off. I do have a brooder for the broody and hopefully chicks. I stuck the egg in an incubator and they hatched. Maybe she died from natural causes, but during the whole time she was sitting I never saw her off of the nest no matter what time of the day I checked on her.

 

[Mimi13]

On a slightly different note... I think I may have watched too many you tube chicken videos with my cats before I moved to the farm... one of my cats tries to hatch things now. Are you missing your keys? Cell phone? E reader? Glasses? Tv remote? Check under the cat... he also liked to sit on golf balls.

He caught a mouse once... AND SAT ON IT! Kept tucking it under his belly like a broody, the poor mouse was traumatized, but completely unharmed... I released him back into my yard and he scampered off, I’m guessing happy to be away from the crazy cat that wanted to hatch him/keep him warm.

 

[Mimi13]

I worry about my broodies, there's been enough of them now to have seen their... scope.

The perfect momma sits diligently, minds her manners, and does everything by the book.

The angry broody... screams and carries on anytime anything/one gets near, offers up death pecks, doesn't take grief from other hens when leading those chicks around. Might face down a hawk and get carried off in the effort...

The Hoarder... you'd be amazed at how far they can roll an egg, or just how many they think they can cover. Might also have angry broody tendencies.

The half-hearted... I'm sitting! 8 days in! Just kidding. Broody again! Kidding. She never really wanted to hatch eggs anyways.

The copy-cat... You're sitting? I'll sit too! (might also be part of the "just kidding" type, aka the "sympathy sitter")

The "I'm never getting off these eggs EVER"... Not even to poop. I'll starve before I get off these eggs!

The chronic sitter... "These chicks don't need to eat, do they? I could stay here forever..."

The repeat broody... "Sorry kids, at 3 weeks old you're on your own! I feel the call again!"

The great broody/bad mom... "I sat and I sat and then OMG, what IS that? Is there something crawling around under me, messing with MY eggs!?" *peckpeckpeck* ... Not even realizing those were eggs hatching... Every. Single. One.

With new broodies, you gotta give them a go to see what they can do, to learn if you'll ever let them try THAT again.

It's ok to worry a little bit, just don't stress over it. Cover your bases, give her her own space, mark the eggs, wait and see. Kick her off once a day if you can't tell if she's been off.

Nothing stinks worse than a massive, gnarly broody poop, and you DON'T want it on the eggs.

Oh my gosh, this is absolutely hilarious and I can picture each one.

 

[Mimi13]

To steal eggs, they tuck the egg under their wing to carry it to another nest.

My mouth just dropped wide open. This is both funny and amazing! People can laugh at how dumb chickens are, but nature has made them sooooo intriguing.

 

[Mimi13]

Years ago I had a broody that wouldn't get off the nest. Shortly before the eggs were due to hatch I found her dead on the nest and when I picked her up she felt thin. I don't think she got off of the nest. I had never seen her get off of it. Since I make sure they get off if I don't see them get off. I do have a brooder for the broody and hopefully chicks. I stuck the egg in an incubator and they hatched. Maybe she died from natural causes, but during the whole time she was sitting I never saw her off of the nest no matter what time of the day I checked on her.

Oh lord, that is so sad and would be my luck. I think I’ll keep checking on mine.

 

[Mimi13]

Well, to catch y’all up on what all took place since yesterday afternoon -

When I got home yesterday evening I went to check on all the chickens. I turned the run light on and went to get the broody. I got her out of the nest and took her out to the run to eat and take care of business. Good gawd, did she ever! It was the size of a dog’s! Seriously! I even had to take pictures. Yeah, I’m weird like that. I then carried her back to her nest and she happily crawled back in.

This morning, yes Christmas Eve, was not a happy one. My DH helped me take our 11 year old male chocolate lab to the vet to be put to sleep. He has had signs of congestive heart failure for a while and he let us know that today was the day.

Here we are in the back seat of the truck waiting. Me, crying and trying to smile, and my big buddy, Drake, all 120 lbs of him. He had the most expressive eyes and the softest ears.

Needless to say, I have been useless today. I know he’s in a better place, but I’m still terribly heartbroken.

Later this afternoon, however, I was able to put together a makeshift broody nest. I pulled all the eggs out (there are 8, not 9) and placed them in the new nest and then I pulled the reluctant broody out and tried to put her in the new nest. She whirled around and took off...outside. I thought, “Oh $#!+, I’ve done it now! She’s gonna bail cause I keep messing with her.” But luckily, she just needed to poop.

I barely had time to get it all set up under the poop board when she came rushing back in. Something that I’ve noticed both times she’s been out is she has moved very quickly and wasted no time getting back to her nest. So there I was, squatted down like a goalie, about to catch a ball of fast feathers. My main concern was keeping her from going back to the old nest. I did intercept the speeding bullet and began pushing her into the new nest. Errrt, she came to a grinding halt. I just sat back, looking at her fluffy butt and waited, but also wondered if I’d be undoing the new nest. She took her time checking over the eggs. I have no idea if she knew those were her eggs or not, I mean she can’t smell them like dogs do, right? Obviously she took my word for it that those were hers and ventured on in. She turned around a couple of times, pulled an egg in under her, and nestled down. I sat there a bit to make sure she was comfortable and happy. She was...comfortable and I was...happy!

All is well, with my chickens, but my heart is still aching.

RIP, pain free, my sweet buddy, Drake. I know you’ll still watch over the chickies and me.

 

[chickengr]

Well, to catch y’all up on what all took place since yesterday afternoon -

When I got home yesterday evening I went to check on all the chickens. I turned the run light on and went to get the broody. I got her out of the nest and took her out to the run to eat and take care of business. Good gawd, did she ever! It was the size of a dog’s! Seriously! I even had to take pictures. Yeah, I’m weird like that. I then carried her back to her nest and she happily crawled back in.

This morning, yes Christmas Eve, was not a happy one. My DH helped me take our 11 year old male chocolate lab to the vet to be put to sleep. He has had signs of congestive heart failure for a while and he let us know that today was the day.

Here we are in the back seat of the truck waiting. Me, crying and trying to smile, and my big buddy, Drake, all 120 lbs of him. He had the most expressive eyes and the softest ears.
View attachment 1623910 Needless to say, I have been useless today. I know he’s in a better place, but I’m still terribly heartbroken.

Later this afternoon, however, I was able to put together a makeshift broody nest. I pulled all the eggs out (there are 8, not 9) and placed them in the new nest and then I pulled the reluctant broody out and tried to put her in the new nest. She whirled around and took off...outside. I thought, “Oh $#!+, I’ve done it now! She’s gonna bail cause I keep messing with her.” But luckily, she just needed to poop.

I barely had time to get it all set up under the poop board when she came rushing back in. Something that I’ve noticed both times she’s been out is she has moved very quickly and wasted no time getting back to her nest. So there I was, squatted down like a goalie, about to catch a ball of fast feathers. My main concern was keeping her from going back to the old nest. I did intercept the speeding bullet and began pushing her into the new nest. Errrt, she came to a grinding halt. I just sat back, looking at her fluffy butt and waited, but also wondered if I’d be undoing the new nest. She took her time checking over the eggs. I have no idea if she knew those were her eggs or not, I mean she can’t smell them like dogs do, right? Obviously she took my word for it that those were hers and ventured on in. She turned around a couple of times, pulled an egg in under her, and nestled down. I sat there a bit to make sure she was comfortable and happy. She was...comfortable and I was...happy!

All is well, with my chickens, but my heart is still aching.

RIP, pain free, my sweet buddy, Drake. I know you’ll still watch over the chickies and me.
View attachment 1623952

sorry to hear about your dog. as you said, he is now pain free, but you are not. my first dog ever died in 2009 and I still feel bad.

I am glad your broody is doing well. check her to make sure she does return to her nest box. I have heard of cases that broodies went to sit on the first eggs they saw.

 

[chickengr]

Merry Christmas to all