I need clarification on how hens set their own eggs....

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
Not to be a nag.....maybe this post was missed. Can i get some feedback on this plan? Also on when and if to candle the eggs? Thank you so much!

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

I never candled my eggs. My broody hen was on only three and two hatched and a couple days later she decided that the last one was a dud and got of the nest. You might want to put the food and water outside the box because she may want to get out to stretch her legs and take a big poo. Hope this helps, I am by no means an expert. Good luck!

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you isolate the hen, that means you lock her in a crate, cage, whatever, where she has a nest, a food and a water dish, and enough room to go poo when she needs to without getting it in her nest. If you don't lock her up, the other hens can get in the nest with her and lay eggs. Some broodies have been confused when they leave the nest and another hen is on their nest when they get back and gone to different nests. When you first move her, she will go back to her old nest unless you lock her up where she cannot go back to the old nest. After a few days, she might accept the new nest and stay in it if you unlock the door, but I would not risk it.

If you do move her, keep her in the new cage at a could of days to make sure she stays broody brfore you give her any eggs. Sometimes they will quit being broody when you move them.

I used pencils to successfully mark eggs when I was growing up on the farm. I didn't write anything on them, I used a soft leaded pencil and rub broad bands around it. They might fade a bit but I could easily see them when I check for new eggs. I am not aware of any harm that a sharpee will do if you use it to mark the eggs. I would like to know what the harm is. A sharpee is now my preferred method for marking an egg.

If you do get two broodies, it is important to mark the eggs differently.

 

[PunkinPeep]

ok, thank you!

that's very helpful information!

 

[bwebb7]

Do her and yourself a favor-take her out for a good poop every day at the same time. It will stink terrible and then worse than that! She will need to be encouraged to walk and drink and poop. She will go back to her nest but she will need to be encouraged to get out and take care of herself.
Good Luck

 

[PunkinPeep]

Thanks! And i will! I guess if i shut the coop door in the afternoon when i collect eggs, then she can eat and drink and poop without anyone else getting on her nest. Right?

 

[Bookworm chick]

Here's another helpful link for broody hens.
http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I've had a lot of different hens go broody at different times. It seems that each hen has her own component of broody skills, some do a much better job than others. It's one of our most favorite aspects of chicken keeping, you'll have tons of fun watching her brood, hatch, & tend her chicks. I hope she's a good Mama.

I think it's ideal to isolate a hen if at all possible to eliminate possible problems. Either move her nest box to a separate pen/cage/room, or construct some sort of barricade around it where it is. Pay attention to her condition, provide her with her own food & water dishes, dust around her nest box to discourage mites/ants. But I do NOT take broody hens out to eat/drink/poop, I trust them to have the sense to know when to take those breaks, & how often. They regulate their breaks with the outside temperature, colder = shorter breaks, and they seem to know what to do on their own.

I also do NOT candle their eggs, since the eggs I give them to set are fresh enough that even if they don't develop they won't go bad & explode in 3 weeks.

Mixed-breed chicks make great chickens! They come in interesting colors & patterns and the hens make great reliable layers, the cockerels make nice dinner guests. It's always fun to try & guess the parentage of each one.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Did she stay on the nest during the night?

If you put her in that covered kitty litter box and lock her in, I think you are taking a chance. A broody does not go poo often, usually once a day. So they save it up and really let go when they do. Her instinct is to get off the nest and not mess it up. If she goes poo in her nest and messes up her eggs, you have a huge problem. You can try cleaning the eggs but the odds are that bacteria will get in the eggs and kill the baby chicks before they hatch. It also clogs up the pores in the shell so the chick cannot breath as it develops. I would make sure she has enough room to get off and go poo when she feels the need. You might get lucky by letting her out on your schedule but I'd leave as much of that as I could up to her.

Just because you lock the coop door and open up her litter box does not mean she will immediately come off the nest and take care of business. You'd have to physically take her off and hope she takes care of business instead of running back on the nest.

If you get her to stay in the litter box and don't lock her up, the other hens can still get in with her and lay an egg or lay another egg when she does get off. You'll still have to check on her daily. And if you lock her in an area with enough room to go poo, you will have to clean it out so leave your self access. Three weeks of those massive poos can get overwhelming if you don't clean it out.

With your number of hens and nesting boxes, another nest sounds like a great idea. I think having her hatch in the coop is a good idea. I think it helps her keep her place in the flock. Is there some way you could use the litter box as a nest but fence of a small area (including top) in the coop? Maybe fence off under the nesting boxes?

I don't doubt someone has been able to do as I think you are thinking, letting her off the nest once a day at a regular time. I've just never seen a female with the hormones raging be all that regular and predictable. Sweet and nice, maybe, but not all that predictable. As I said, I think you would be taking a chance.

Which breed is your rooster? With your breeds, we can predict what the chicks will look like if you want to know.