June hatch-a-long!

[MadChickenMama]

Hey, anyone know if there's another reason for moving a broody hen at night besides ease for the human? Does it make it less stressful for the hen, too, or something? Make then more readily accept the new place if they wake up in it?

We want to move the broody hen to my house as she's being picked on by the others, not to mention the other hens didn't lay yesterday (day 2 of broody hen) and it'll allow me to keep an eye on the hen to try and make sure she doesn't accidentally break the eggs we are going to give her since I'm not working at the moment.

 

[34Fam]

I’m trying to bring my hen population up. I have a large aviary set up. I’ll have hens for eggs for eating and I will be processing extra Roos for the bbq.
I live in an urban environment where poultry is not allowed so these ‘game birds’ are my loop hole
I may get some chicken hens in the future depending how my neighbors take to the quails.

Awesome thanks for the info!

 

[ldawntaylor]

Good question @MadChickenMama and I don't know the answer. I have heard it is so that she won't break as a broody. No experience one way or the other though.

I have a pet carrier that I have encouraged my hens to lay in. Wouldn't you know, it is the nesting spot that isn't in the carrier that my broody has chosen.

Now that my incubator will be freed up soon I am going to try moving her. If she abandons the eggs then I will try to hatch them in there.

Current count on my hatch 13 eggs made it to lockdown. 8 of those have now hatched.

 

[MontanaChickDoc]

Yes I think they are more docile and quiet at night, almost in “zen mode” at night so that if you can get them to settle on the eggs, they are more likely to “stick” there.

 

[MadChickenMama]

Awesome, thanks!

 

[ButteCA]

I candled my eggs again last night because I couldn’t help myself. Out of 24 eggs there was only one that wasn’t showing signs of a developing chicken. The eggs I got from my neighbor had lots of movement!

 

[Lifeiseasy]

I’m back in! I’ve got a little over a dozen eggs coming in from a friend tomorrow that I will put under my broody to replace the infertile ones. Each of the chicks will be at least a 1/4 Speckled Sussex mixed with a large variety of different breeds. Hopefully these turn out much better than my RIR eggs. Two days after graduation I should have tiny peeps!

 

[MontanaChickDoc]

This is cheating I know but since I couldn't remember what day my phoenix hen started setting, and the other hens are a few days behind, I know at least some of the girls ' babies will hatch June, so I'm sneaking this in 4 days early. Look what I found when I went to do night check!!!

 

[Robert G]

Well I just candled my 12 eggs and it doesn't look good. I didn't see any veins and its been 7 days already.

 

[MontanaChickDoc]

Well I just candled my 12 eggs and it doesn't look good. I didn't see any veins and its been 7 days already.

Ugh what a bummer.