INCUBATING w/FRIENDS! w/Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs No problem!

[BullChick]

Yeah. Blood ring.

 

[Chaos18]

Actually the first pic makes it look like a smiley face.

 

[chickengirl72]

This is the other egg i was wondering about. there's a demarkation where it looks like it might have had an air sac, but it doesn't look hollow like the other eggs, it looks like there's liquid in there? not sure if that even makes sense! it doesn't smell or anything, so i guess it won't hurt anything to let it have more time.

 

[Chaos18]

Here's one of them, it looks a lot bloodier now than it did earlier

Yes that's a blood ring.

 

[Chaos18]

This is the other egg i was wondering about. there's a demarkation where it looks like it might have had an air sac, but it doesn't look hollow like the other eggs, it looks like there's liquid in there? not sure if that even makes sense! it doesn't smell or anything, so i guess it won't hurt anything to let it have more time.

I'd mark the demarkation and leave it in.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

ok,so the other four eggs are turning black in spots what does it mean

It means you have handled them too much.

CC this is for you!
Muktuk!

Who would have thought that it is high in vitamin C? I wouldn't have. I usually equate that with fruits and vegetables.

they wher stinky.they died after internal pip they had the whole yolk sack still unabsorbed.i checked no breathing nothing.but we have four healthy and happy babys.yayayayyayayyayayyya

I hate to tell you this because you obviously are an animal lover and passionate about poultry, but you may likely have killed them by handling them too much.
Take the advice of people that have been doing this longer than you have been alive. Artificial incubation SOMETIMES requires candling and intervention - but mostly not.
Natural incubation almost NEVER requires any contact by humans.

I've probably told you this about 50 times and it has fallen on deaf ears, but animals have been birthing their offspring for millions of years without your help. They still aren't extinct even though you weren't there.

Incubating eggs when you have a setter isn't your gig. It's hers. Let it be.

Question for those with broody experience. How long does it typically take a broody hen to start re-laying after hatch? Also is it recommended to allow her to raise the chicks or put them in a brooder with the same aged chicks?

I have a hen sitting on 9 eggs that should hatch over the weekend(slightly concerned because she seems to enjoy her food and water breaks more than what I have seen most talk about). Temps here have warmed up so we will see.
Also have 26 in my incubator that will be hatching over the weekend.

Hoping someone with experience can give some advice on best approach.

Usually about a week or two after weaning the chicks she may start laying. (not desiring to care for them any more)
That's why it is crazy for people not hatching chicks to not break the broody immediately.

It is always best to let the hen raise the chicks. You wouldn't believe how much the hen becomes attached to them.
I had a hen go broody in November when it was warm. By the time the chicks hatched it was cold and getting colder. When lhighs dropped into the 20s, I took the chicks away to brood artificially. 2 weeks later when it warmed up a bit and the chicks were bigger I brought them out in a cage. You should have seen her run up to the cage to greet them. I'm sure she thought they were gone forever.
I've been doing this farmer stuff a long time and it was touching to even me.

First, if she's healthy, they'll get good probiotics from her feces. You don't need electricity and they'll have fresh air.

If weather is warm, they'll spend much more time off the nest.

You can probably graft the incubator chicks onto her. I once gave a broody hen 42 chicks.

 

[NaJoBeLe]

I have zero experience to speak from but I would try to let momma raise them if she's able to.

Let her raise them. She will protect them from the other flock members from the start. It will also mean there is no worry about integration. Chances are, you can put a few of your other chicks with her as well.
The only downside of letting her raise the chicks, is that they will not be as used to humans. Not really a big deal, because you can always change that by spending time with them.
As for her taking "too many breaks" it's akin to a woman working full time up until she delivers. I have seen others say that their broodies got up a lot too. Mine only got up once a day for about 10 minutes. But, that is just what mine did.

Sounds good. Thank you for the advice. That's what I was leaning towards but figured I'd reach out for knowledge. I will still have to go through re-integration though. I had to separate her from the rest because they were adding eggs to her nest. We will see, I'm hoping it wont be too bad since they were together for almost a year prior.

Thank you again for the advice.

 

[chickengirl72]

I'd mark the demarkation and leave it in.

thanks, will do

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Let her raise them. She will protect them from the other flock members from the start. It will also mean there is no worry about integration. Chances are, you can put a few of your other chicks with her as well.
The only downside of letting her raise the chicks, is that they will not be as used to humans. Not really a big deal, because you can always change that by spending time with them.
As for her taking "too many breaks" it's akin to a woman working full time up until she delivers. I have seen others say that their broodies got up a lot too. Mine only got up once a day for about 10 minutes. But, that is just what mine did.

X2
I agree with all and I don't care if they aren't lap pets. If the mother isn't wild, they won't be either.
Another downside is that you have to feed the entire flock something other than layer feed.
The main plus side is that, as MC says, protecting them from other flock members when chicks, makes the rest of the birds accept them as members of the flock from day 1. Not so when you introduce chicks from an artificial brooder.

Sounds good. Thank you for the advice. That's what I was leaning towards but figured I'd reach out for knowledge. I will still have to go through re-integration though. I had to separate her from the rest because they were adding eggs to her nest. We will see, I'm hoping it wont be too bad since they were together for almost a year prior.

Thank you again for the advice.

Natural way is always the best course.
A hen that tends to go broody raising chicks usually means the chicks may have that tendency.

 

[NaJoBeLe]

X2
I agree with all and I don't care if they aren't lap pets. If the mother isn't wild, they won't be either.
Another downside is that you have to feed the entire flock something other than layer feed.
The main plus side is that as MC says, protecting them from other flock members when chicks makes the rest of the birds accept them as members of the flock from day 1. Not so when you introduce chicks from an artificial brooder.

Natural way is always the best course.
A hen that tends to go broody raising chicks usually means the chicks may have that tendency.

More valid points. I didn't think about the possibility of passing on the tendency. Thank You.