INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Faraday40]

Here's my MaiMai sitting on 2 orpington eggs. She's in a plastic storage tub so I can keep an eye on her. (I have 2 other broody hens in the bantam coop.) MaiMai's eggs are due tomorrow. They were incubating outside for the 1st 2 weeks, so the hatch date may be delayed.

 

[Faraday40]

Question, how long does the hatching process take? How closely do I need to monitor?

No need to really do anything. In fact it's usually best to take a 'hands off' approach. The hen should sit tight and stop taking bio breaks. (If she gets off for a min, don't panic. Hen usually knows best.) You may catch her "talking" to her eggs - encouraging them to hatch. You may also hear 'peeping' from chicks or even pipped eggs. There's really nothing to "see" until the mom leaves the nest and the chicks follow. Hatching all the eggs often takes 24 hrs, but it could also be drawn out if the temps were not consistent. The hen will stay in the nest until either all the eggs hatch and the chicks dry OR until she feels, the last egg will not hatch and it's time to move on. (Candle any remaining eggs for signs of life because sometimes they can be hatched.)

Since it is below freezing outside, the eggs may take a couple extra days. They may hatch on Sunday or they may hatch on Tuesday. Don't freak out. Be patient. In the summer, my hen Cookie always runs hot. Her eggs hatch in 19 days - not 21. So the 1st time she did a winter hatch, I was ready day 19 but they didn't hatch until day 22.

Good luck and enjoy the fun!

edit to add: The only thing you may need to do is clean up a broody poop. My MaiMai just pooped & it smelled horrible. Although the poop didn't touch the eggs, it was close enough and I didn't want a newly hatched chick crawling through it.

 

[man_of_fishers]

No need to really do anything. In fact it's usually best to take a 'hands off' approach. The hen should sit tight and stop taking bio breaks. (If she gets off for a min, don't panic. Hen usually knows best.) You may catch her "talking" to her eggs - encouraging them to hatch. You may also hear 'peeping' from chicks or even pipped eggs. There's really nothing to "see" until the mom leaves the nest and the chicks follow. Hatching all the eggs often takes 24 hrs, but it could also be drawn out if the temps were not consistent. The hen will stay in the nest until either all the eggs hatch and the chicks dry OR until she feels, the last egg will not hatch and it's time to move on. (Candle any remaining eggs for signs of life because sometimes they can be hatched.)

Since it is below freezing outside, the eggs may take a couple extra days. They may hatch on Sunday or they may hatch on Tuesday. Don't freak out. Be patient. In the summer, my hen Cookie always runs hot. Her eggs hatch in 19 days - not 21. So the 1st time she did a winter hatch, I was ready day 19 but they didn't hatch until day 22.

Good luck and enjoy the fun!

edit to add: The only thing you may need to do is clean up a broody poop. My MaiMai just pooped & it smelled horrible. Although the poop didn't touch the eggs, it was close enough and I didn't want a newly hatched chick crawling through it.

thanks! I’ll just focus on being patient then

Will post updates this weekend!

 

[man_of_fishers]

Here's my MaiMai sitting on 2 orpington eggs. She's in a plastic storage tub so I can keep an eye on her. (I have 2 other broody hens in the bantam coop.) MaiMai's eggs are due tomorrow. They were incubating outside for the 1st 2 weeks, so the hatch date may be delayed.
View attachment 2020513View attachment 2020514

This is such a great idea. Next time I’m for sure moving my Silkie to a separate enclosure away from the other hens.

 

[man_of_fishers]

So sorry about that about that gross experience. I have my own similar egg embryo stories, but it was never a surprise like that.

I'm not exactly sure how they do it, but broody hens can and will pick up and move eggs. I know this because of years of seeing hens laying eggs in all 4 nest boxes (1' off the ground with an 8" lip) and then later finding all the eggs under a broody hen in one nest. My theory is that they somehow stash them under a wing. I once had a hen on 6 eggs. I moved her off the nest for a morning bio break & only 5 eggs were present. I didn't see any evidence of the 6th egg. That night, 6 eggs were present again. Did she hide it? Was she holding it? Did another hen steal it & then she took it back? I'll never know. I only know I searched every inch of that nest & it wasn't there that morning.

I'm guessing you used pencil to mark eggs. That works great for incubators, but can get rubbed off by a broody hen. They turn the eggs frequently. I use a sharpie to mark the eggs. The markings can be predicted hatch date or abbreviation of the biological hen's name or just a simple line around the equator. Anything to help identify those eggs from any new ones.

Thanks, and you’re exactly right, I used a pencil. I’ll use sharpies from now on. I didn’t know if the sharpie may deep through and hurt the chick. But if others are doing it, I’m sure it’s fine.

 

[Faraday40]

Thanks, and you’re exactly right, I used a pencil. I’ll use sharpies from now on. I didn’t know if the sharpie may deep through and hurt the chick. But if others are doing it, I’m sure it’s fine.

I was concerned about using a Sharpie for the same reason, but I tried it after reading that many others use it. I've never had any problems nor seen ink inside the egg. I would think that Crayola & other washable markers may bleed if wet (getting into the egg) So that leaves reapplying pencil, sharpie, or removing the hen so no new eggs can be added. Maybe crayon.....but never tried it personally.

I moved my silkie only because I had 3-4 hens in one nest fighting over 4 eggs. I was able to break one hen by chilling her in a wire cage, moved one into a tote, and left two in place (but gave them new eggs. Out of the orig 4 eggs, one was infertile & one had a hairline crack - probably from 4 hens fighting over it.

I normally like to leave broody hens inside the coop but sometimes it's too crowded. My plastic tote has a home-made wire lid. It's not to prevent the hen from coming out but my dog from reaching in. I plan to reintroduce MaiMai when the chicks are about 1 week old.

 

[man_of_fishers]

I was concerned about using a Sharpie for the same reason, but I tried it after reading that many others use it. I've never had any problems nor seen ink inside the egg. I would think that Crayola & other washable markers may bleed if wet (getting into the egg) So that leaves reapplying pencil, sharpie, or removing the hen so no new eggs can be added. Maybe crayon.....but never tried it personally.

I moved my silkie only because I had 3-4 hens in one nest fighting over 4 eggs. I was able to break one hen by chilling her in a wire cage, moved one into a tote, and left two in place (but gave them new eggs. Out of the orig 4 eggs, one was infertile & one had a hairline crack - probably from 4 hens fighting over it.

I normally like to leave broody hens inside the coop but sometimes it's too crowded. My plastic tote has a home-made wire lid. It's not to prevent the hen from coming out but my dog from reaching in. I plan to reintroduce MaiMai when the chicks are about 1 week old.

question, how do you feed the momma and chicks once they hatch? Do I just put the chick crumble out and not worry about the rest of the flock eating it as well?

 

[Faraday40]

question, how do you feed the momma and chicks once they hatch? Do I just put the chick crumble out and not worry about the rest of the flock eating it as well?

Pretty much. The chicks need the higher protein. It's not bad for mama to eat the higher protein either, because often the broody hens molt when raising chicks. Chick feed won't hurt adult hens. It's more harmful for the chicks to eat the calcium in layer feed. (even then a small amount won't hurt.)

I have little dishes or chick feeders in the broody hen area and the layer feed is in the large feeders. (Too high for little chicks to reach and the pellets are too big anyway) When the chicks are older, the other adult hens may chase them away from the adult feeding area, so they return to their chick feeder. When we have a large number of chicks & broody hens, I just feed everyone chick feed & have calcium (eggshells or oyster shells) in a side dish.

 

[man_of_fishers]

Pretty much. The chicks need the higher protein. It's not bad for mama to eat the higher protein either, because often the broody hens molt when raising chicks. Chick feed won't hurt adult hens. It's more harmful for the chicks to eat the calcium in layer feed. (even then a small amount won't hurt.)

I have little dishes or chick feeders in the broody hen area and the layer feed is in the large feeders. (Too high for little chicks to reach and the pellets are too big anyway) When the chicks are older, the other adult hens may chase them away from the adult feeding area, so they return to their chick feeder. When we have a large number of chicks & broody hens, I just feed everyone chick feed & have calcium (eggshells or oyster shells) in a side dish.

Thanks! It seems like most of the right answers are to just not worry about too much control.

 

[Faraday40]

MaiMai update:
One chick hatched. Looks like a blue orp. (The color confuses me a bit b/c the egg came from Glow. Not impossible since the chick's great Grandma was a project blue silver laced orp, but a little surprising.) The chick could also be a blk/lav split and just looks like a lighter shade of black. Time will tell when the chick starts walking around and I can see it better. Either way, I guess the daddy was my lav orp and not my laced orp.

There's one more egg under MaiMai. It has a slightly detached air cell. I candled last night and didn't see any signs of internal pips, but too early to do anything but wait.

I have one young serama pullet (named "Solo") who has a strong fear of other chickens. I want to integrate her into the bantam coop but when she runs, the other hens instinctively peck. My goal is to try to put her under a willing broody and let the serama feel the comfort and bond with the mama & chicks. (She's about the size of a 2 week old orp chick, so it may work.) If that doesn't work, then pull out a chick for the serama to bond with. I'm doubting she'd be afraid of a chick smaller than her. When older, the big orp chick can be her buddy & body guard as she integrates into the bantam flock.