Letting her have eggs. Finally .

[Chicka_deee]

so I have a hen has been broody almost every year since she was mature and now this is her 3rd time and I want to give her some eggs. She went broody a few days ago when I wasn’t here and on a trip, I just have some questions because this is my first time with a broody momma and a believe that she’s going be an excellent mommy!
My first question is, I have already put some of her own egg under her and one other of someone else’s egg so right now she has 2 eggs under her, I only want to hatch out at the most 2 chicks... is it ok if one doesn’t hatch and she only raises 1?
2. I have a really beautiful hen that I love so much and I have noticed she is our rooster’s favorite I want to put an egg of hers under my broody hen but she already has like a day old egg, can the eggs be a day apart? When she hatches the first and then she only has one and the 2nd egg a day younger will hatch the next day... will she ditch the egg that is going to hatch a day late?
If it’s easy I could start over and just give her some new eggs that were layer on the same day....

And if there is ANYTHING you think I could know or I don’t know about broody hen and hatching out babies, this is my first time..., PLEASE inform me of those so I can be a good “2nd mommy” if that makes sense...

T.I.A!

 

[Chicka_deee]

Also, I have blocked her in, I have an extra coop, I did this because I’m afraid of the other hens going in and bugging her and then trying to lay with her and squishing the eggs...
She has food and water, and room to get off the nest to poop.

 

[Shadrach]

so I have a hen has been broody almost every year since she was mature and now this is her 3rd time and I want to give her some eggs. She went broody a few days ago when I wasn’t here and on a trip, I just have some questions because this is my first time with a broody momma and a believe that she’s going be an excellent mommy!
My first question is, I have already put some of her own egg under her and one other of someone else’s egg so right now she has 2 eggs under her, I only want to hatch out at the most 2 chicks... is it ok if one doesn’t hatch and she only raises 1?
2. I have a really beautiful hen that I love so much and I have noticed she is our rooster’s favorite I want to put an egg of hers under my broody hen but she already has like a day old egg, can the eggs be a day apart? When she hatches the first and then she only has one and the 2nd egg a day younger will hatch the next day... will she ditch the egg that is going to hatch a day late?
If it’s easy I could start over and just give her some new eggs that were layer on the same day....

And if there is ANYTHING you think I could know or I don’t know about broody hen and hatching out babies, this is my first time..., PLEASE inform me of those so I can be a good “2nd mommy” if that makes sense...

T.I.A!

Having a broody hen only sit on two eggs isn't a problem if she will do it.
Yes, it's fine if only one hatches and for first time mothers I try to limit the number of eggs she sits on so she isn't overwhelmed.
Yes, eggs can be a day apart. It is better to have all the eggs hatch withing a 24 hour period but another day should be fine.
Wherever she sits you need to make sure she can and does get off her nest every day to poop, eat, drink and dust bath if she wants.

If she won't do this on her own, you need to carefully lift her off the nest once a day and wait while she eats etc. She should go back on her own. She may spend up to a couple of hours off the eggs and this is nothing to worry about.
Do not feed her in the nest. It encourages ants and other creatures who will be after the food.
Keeping an eye on the cleanliness of the nest is important.
You should provide water in the nest if the weather is hot.

 

[Chicka_deee]

Having a broody hen only sit on two eggs isn't a problem if she will do it.
Yes, it's fine if only one hatches and for first time mothers I try to limit the number of eggs she sits on so she isn't overwhelmed.
Yes, eggs can be a day apart. It is better to have all the eggs hatch withing a 24 hour period but another day should be fine.
Wherever she sits you need to make sure she can and does get off her nest every day to poop, eat, drink and dust bath if she wants.

If she won't do this on her own, you need to carefully lift her off the nest once a day and wait while she eats etc. She should go back on her own. She may spend up to a couple of hours off the eggs and this is nothing to worry about.
Do not feed her in the nest. It encourages ants and other creatures who will be after the food.
Keeping an eye on the cleanliness of the nest is important.
You should provide water in the nest if the weather is hot.

I did take her out and she ate, drank, pooped (wow I forgot about the bombs!) and dirt bathed... it’s been about an hour and the eggs are cooled... later when she gets off and it’s like day 17-20 or earlier, will it kill the eggs because they get cold??

 

[Peppercorngal]

It is pretty amazing that the mother hen seems to know just how long she can leave her eggs! I have a broody hen right now too. She is a great mom and this is her second "litter". She knows how long she can leave the eggs and she has always hatched her little chicks. She will usually stay with them the first day (I mean inside the coop and on the nest) and sometimes the second day if all the eggs haven't hatched. After that, down the ramp they go into the run. She teaches them to find worms, roost and all the important stuff that chickens need to know. On cold days they would climb up into her feathers to get warm. She is not isolated from the rest of the flock either. The other hens do not try to lay in her nesting box and pretty much leave her alone. When she comes out into the run or to free range with her chicks the other chickens don't pay any attention. A tiny little chick is no threat to them and it's easiest to integrate them when they are with Mom. I'm sure your hen will be a great mom too. Take and share lots of photos! We want to see! By the way, I saw a post from someone who wanted to "test" their new incubator and they bought eggs at a store and used them. Some of them actually hatched out, so don't be concerned that they will get too cold when she is off the nest! This is exciting!

 

[Chicka_deee]

It is pretty amazing that the mother hen seems to know just how long she can leave her eggs! I have a broody hen right now too. She is a great mom and this is her second "litter". She knows how long she can leave the eggs and she has always hatched her little chicks. She will usually stay with them the first day (I mean inside the coop and on the nest) and sometimes the second day if all the eggs haven't hatched. After that, down the ramp they go into the run. She teaches them to find worms, roost and all the important stuff that chickens need to know. On cold days they would climb up into her feathers to get warm. She is not isolated from the rest of the flock either. The other hens do not try to lay in her nesting box and pretty much leave her alone. When she comes out into the run or to free range with her chicks the other chickens don't pay any attention. A tiny little chick is no threat to them and it's easiest to integrate them when they are with Mom. I'm sure your hen will be a great mom too. Take and share lots of photos! We want to see! By the way, I saw a post from someone who wanted to "test" their new incubator and they bought eggs at a store and used them. Some of them actually hatched out, so don't be concerned that they will get too cold when she is off the nest! This is exciting!

View attachment 1805957

Oh fun! I am so excited! I will definitely share photos as soon as possible!

Now we don’t have the best chicken coop right now, but this summer when I’m off of school I really want to turn our greenhouse (all it is is a shed that has a ‘greenhouse roof’ to keep the heat in) into a chicken mansion! It is real big!
Story:
Our chicken coop(s)... (I’ll explain the “(s)”...) and now I’ll try and explain it the best I can... our chicken coops are very strange.... we have 3 coops that are all connected by short tunnels, they each have a small run attached to the coop building and right now in the biggest coop of the 3 we have our pullets that we got this year, we just opened up the tunnel we blocked off tonight and hopefully everything is ok in the morning....
Anyway the chickens (now all 10 hens—roosters are separated we got some polish from the batch of youngsters we got 16ish weeks ago... we are going to get rid of them) lives in the runs going in and out through the tunnels in the morning until I let them out into the yard and then feed them breakfast...

Ok what I am trying to get here is that when the chicks hatch, and they have star, they are going to be in the run for the morning maybe 1 hour to 30 minutes will she be ok with the others? I mean the runs are pretty small, but that’s ok because they are only in there a little, and all day outside in the yard... I think I’m just being over worried but I’m a little scared.... it’s probably ok, she’ll protect them lol, but if there is anything else I need to know please inform me!

(If it will be easier to imagine I’ll post pics tomorrow sorry I got this late) and hopefully more people join this forum

 

[Chicka_deee]

Ok I have a question, it might not be true but still I’ll ask it,
So the rooster (it’s our neighbor’s that jumps over the fence all the time and hangs out with our girls) he’s an Ayam Cemani and will will the eggs under her possibly turn out all Ayam Cemani Or will it always have the other gene of the bird who’s egg it was and be cross breed?
It might be an Obvious question but I don’t know it might be true... (probably not, worth asking! )

 

[aart]

Ok I have a question, it might not be true but still I’ll ask it,
So the rooster (it’s our neighbor’s that jumps over the fence all the time and hangs out with our girls) he’s an Ayam Cemani and will will the eggs under her possibly turn out all Ayam Cemani Or will it always have the other gene of the bird who’s egg it was and be cross breed?
It might be an Obvious question but I don’t know it might be true... (probably not, worth asking! )

Unless the hen(s) whose egg(s) are under the broody are Ayam Cemani, chicks will be a cross.

 

[Cryss]

Following!
I'd love to see your "choo choo train" of connected coops!
I'm sure everyone would love to see pics of the mama's and that frisky papa too. It would be fun figuring out what the babies will look like. And naturally we wanna see the babies and what they look like as they mature. They sound like they are going to be very interesting looking.
I did wonder if you might want to hatch more than 2. You might end up with 2 cockerels. I'd try hedging my bets with a few more eggs. Just a thought. Good luck!

 

[Chicka_deee]

Following!
I'd love to see your "choo choo train" of connected coops!
I'm sure everyone would love to see pics of the mama's and that frisky papa too. It would be fun figuring out what the babies will look like. And naturally we wanna see the babies and what they look like as they mature. They sound like they are going to be very interesting looking.
I did wonder if you might want to hatch more than 2. You might end up with 2 cockerels. I'd try hedging my bets with a few more eggs. Just a thought. Good luck!

We only have room for 2 more chicks and MAYBE 3, we are getting rid of our 2 polish Roos so we can let Star, (broody mama) finally hatch out eggs, plus it’s her first time and I want her to feel Comfortable.
I am so glad you want updates!
I will DEFINITELY do as many as I can! Yay!
And hopefully I do end up with 2-(3) pullets, but I do maybe want 1 rooster cause I have none right now... Ayam Cemani mix rooster...
I can’t wait to see what they turn out to be like as well!!!!