Letting a broody hatch some eggs

[ForFlocksSake]

It reads like you've got a better grip on this than many with broody hens. Yup, mark the sitting hens eggs and remove any donations daily. Easiest to do this when she's off the nest eating and bathing.
Broody dust bathing is important for them. You have it right. Most broody hens I've cared for will grab a bite to eat and head straight for a dust bath.
This is partly why I suggest making sure there is feed available on her way back to the nest. One shouldn't provide feed at the nest. They don't eat properly in the broody trance and sitting while eating isn't great for their digestion either. Then of course there are the ants, mice and rats who will all attempt to eat spillage and from the bowl.
A very small bowl of water is okay if one can manage to set it up so it doesn't get knocked over.

I appreciate that! I’m definitely someone who likes to research heavily when going into something. It often leads to overthinking, but that’s why I love posting here. Been chicken keeping almost 2 years now and have leaned on this community MANY times. This is my first hatching experience so it’s very exciting.

I’ve got a 4 port feeder just a few feet from the coop door as well as a nipple waterer. I’ve also been leaving open containers of water since I noticed her going for rain puddles instead of the nipples. I’m assuming it’s just quicker for her to get a big drink and get back to work.

There are two other feeders and waterers available in other areas as well so there’s never a fight for anything.

 

[Perris]

they tuck the eggs under their chin to move them.

I have experienced one with an egg under each wing. I think they can move them quite reliably that way.

 

[Shadrach]

I would like to add one more thing not often mentioned but an increased risk if you have other hens using the same nest box to lay their donations. Sometimes, well a bit more than somtimes in my experience an agg, or two, gets broken. This goes from a minor crisis to a full scale disaster if not dealt with very quickly.
The initial problem is the broken egg gets spread all over the underside of the sitting hen. It's hot under there when she's sitting and the contents of the broken egg turn to glue. What then happens is one, or more, eggs stick to the underside of the broody hen and if they're stuck there, she can't turn them.
To make matters worse, if the sitting hen has an egg or two stuck to her underside, when she stands up shes got what amounts to wrecking balls swinging from her belly. I needen't go on need I.
Sometimes the egg glue gets spread to most of the eggs. Sometimes one can wipe it off with a dry cloth or by scraping with a finger nail. Some one just can't clean up enough to likely to hatch status.

Don't forget to chuck the hen in a dust bath after getting the worst of the glue off her.

 

[Ridgerunner]

@Shadrach you have had some pretty wild experiences. Some great stories and posts. I haven't seen this but I don't doubt your experience.

My story was that I had an egg break under a broody. It spread "egg" onto the others and allowed bacteria to get inside. Rotting eggs that killed every embryo that tried to develop and really stank. No chicks from that hatch. But I don't blame that on another hen laying in the nest. When my laying hens or broodies get on or off the nest they sometimes walk on the eggs. The egg that broke was thin shelled when I cleaned it out. I think the broody broke it by walking on it, not because of another hen trying to lay in there. I did not see it but that's what I think.

 

[ForFlocksSake]

I’m guessing these aren’t common experiences though, right?

I’m not putting all my eggs in one basket here. Of course I really want to see this work out, but I also have my chick order in for April so it’s not as much pressure to get my chicks this way.

I will look out for broken eggs though and address it immediately.

 

[Shadrach]

I worked on a free range egg and meat farm for a while. They changed from using an incubatore; too many problems with broody coops and integrating the youngsters with the main group, to broody raised chicks which mum could take out to join the group when she pleased. My job was to take care of the broody hens. We could have 20 broodies spread over a year when I started so I got to see a lot of odd stuff.
Having cared for free rangers and dawn till dusk rangers in other circumstances and more recently mainly confined birds, I'm bound to have a story or two.

 

[ForFlocksSake]

I have experienced one with an egg under each wing. I think they can move them quite reliably that way.

That’s insane. I had no idea they could do that!

 

[ForFlocksSake]

Another question- other than curiosity is there any reason to candle eggs? I’d rather not put anymore stress on my broody than necessary, even though the anticipation will kill me. But If there’s an egg that didnt take, there’s no harm in it sitting there the whole 3 weeks, correct?

 

[Mrs. K]

I have had the broken egg - what a mess and what a stink. An egg was stuck to her, all the eggs were covered. I washed them with a cool wet rag, there was no scrapping it off, and a dry rag did nothing, 2/3 hatched.

I have also, not always timed it as in being down there where she was off. So if I have not caught her off in three days. I will pick her up - ohhhh so carefully. Checking under her wings first. I too am positive, that they can move eggs - but I have never seen that.

Another point, it is ok, if the hens gets off the nest, very, very quickly veins start forming and blood starts pumping. That produces heat. A lot of the heat, will come from the eggs too. The hen just keeps that heat around them.

Just keep doing what you are doing. And don't count until they hatch.

Mrs K

 

[Perris]

Most of my broody hens are quite happy to let another hen come onto her nest and lay an egg while she is still there.

Most of my broodies are cut from a different cloth. They'd have a would-be parasitic hen's guts for garters, if the swearing at them is anything to go by

The ones I've seen tolerantly being squashed by someone else keen to lay in the same nest at the same time have not been broody.

The egg that broke was thin shelled when I cleaned it out. I think the broody broke it by walking on it, not because of another hen trying to lay in there. I did not see it but that's what I think.

Same here. It happened a few times in my early days as chicken keeper and in each case it was a thin-shelled egg at fault, not the hen, broody or interloper. In fact the broody seemed to be very distressed about it in one case, and I felt really sorry for her.

But If there’s an egg that didnt take, there’s no harm in it sitting there the whole 3 weeks, correct?

Yes, correct. If the eggs and nest are clean, there will be no issues. Has anyone ever seen or read of an exploding rotten egg among wild bird nests? I haven't. It's human fiddling and interference that causes most of the problems with natural brooding.