Mamma gave up on eggs too early!

[Redhead Rae]

The mom was not very good. She would get up and go to a different nest every couple days and I would move the eggs under her. Then, obviously she gave up. I waited too long to put the eggs under her, so it was completely my fault.

Sigh, chicken logic. I understand what you mean about her being an unsteady setter.

I had two hens go broody this spring. One Dominique and a Dom/Buff cross. The Dom/Buff was in the same nest, all day, every day and wouldn't move even when I got the eggs from under her or when other hens would lay eggs on top of her. She would growl, but never offered to bite. The Dominique, on the other hand, was what I call "crazy broody" she would hop from nest-to-nest, even tried evicting the Dom/Buff from her nest, and she was MEAN. She kept trying to take chunks out of my hand whenever I tried to get eggs from under her. I got really good at grabbing her hackle feathers behind her head to keep her from biting me. We decided to give the good broody some eggs (even though we didn't particularly want chicks from the only mature rooster we had at the time) just to test her out and we decided to bread the crazy girl. The good broody was an excellent mama. While she was hard to break, we finally broke crazy girl and any time she shows signs of being broody I put her in the breaker.

 

[The Golden Egg5]

those eggs are pretty new. and maybe a week apart from each other. All you can do is wait and see how they progress. I would even guess you have time to add a few more eggs there. at least for the 2nd egg. Keep turning for a while.

They are definitely not a week apart because they were set on the same day. That is really odd. They have been being sat on for at LEAST a week and a half. That is very odd...

 

[The Golden Egg5]

Sigh, chicken logic. I understand what you mean about her being an unsteady setter.

I had two hens go broody this spring. One Dominique and a Dom/Buff cross. The Dom/Buff was in the same nest, all day, every day and wouldn't move even when I got the eggs from under her or when other hens would lay eggs on top of her. She would growl, but never offered to bite. The Dominique, on the other hand, was what I call "crazy broody" she would hop from nest-to-nest, even tried evicting the Dom/Buff from her nest, and she was MEAN. She kept trying to take chunks out of my hand whenever I tried to get eggs from under her. I got really good at grabbing her hackle feathers behind her head to keep her from biting me. We decided to give the good broody some eggs (even though we didn't particularly want chicks from the only mature rooster we had at the time) just to test her out and we decided to bread the crazy girl. The good broody was an excellent mama. While she was hard to break, we finally broke crazy girl and any time she shows signs of being broody I put her in the breaker.

That’s like our situation. I had one broody hen the same time as this one and she was amazing. She has 2 babies out in the coop as we speak. I dont have a broody breaker cage so I decided to just let her hatch a couple eggs, and well, now we are here!

 

[Granny Hatchet]

They are definitely not a week apart because they were set on the same day. That is really odd. They have been being sat on for at LEAST a week and a half. That is very odd...

sure its the same egg ? another hen didnt come in and lay in that nest ?

 

[Redhead Rae]

They are definitely not a week apart because they were set on the same day. That is really odd. They have been being sat on for at LEAST a week and a half. That is very odd...

Did you mark them before setting them under the her? I think what @granny hatchet is thinking happened is that with all the nest hopping that your "hatching eggs" got swapped for fresh laid.

 

[The Golden Egg5]

Did you mark them before setting them under the her? I think what @granny hatchet is thinking happened is that with all the nest hopping that your "hatching eggs" got swapped for fresh laid.

That is a possibility, but very unlikely. I marked them a couple days in and candled very carefully to make sure I didn’t pull the wrong egg. I really hope that didn’t happen. So far, none of my costumers have said anything.

 

[The Golden Egg5]

sure its the same egg ? another hen didnt come in and lay in that nest ?

I sure hope not... I don’t think so, but there is a slim chance.

 

[The Golden Egg5]

I’m kinda terrified now... nobody has said anything so hopefully not.

 

[WVduckchick]

Sigh, chicken logic. I understand what you mean about her being an unsteady setter.

I had two hens go broody this spring. One Dominique and a Dom/Buff cross. The Dom/Buff was in the same nest, all day, every day and wouldn't move even when I got the eggs from under her or when other hens would lay eggs on top of her. She would growl, but never offered to bite. The Dominique, on the other hand, was what I call "crazy broody" she would hop from nest-to-nest, even tried evicting the Dom/Buff from her nest, and she was MEAN. She kept trying to take chunks out of my hand whenever I tried to get eggs from under her. I got really good at grabbing her hackle feathers behind her head to keep her from biting me. We decided to give the good broody some eggs (even though we didn't particularly want chicks from the only mature rooster we had at the time) just to test her out and we decided to bread the crazy girl. The good broody was an excellent mama. While she was hard to break, we finally broke crazy girl and any time she shows signs of being broody I put her in the breaker.

I've had 34 broodies this year! One earned her name after her second set - Carrie! Crazy hen, I tell ya. she's trying for round 3 right now, but she is not getting more eggs this time.
She was a good momma, but earned her name because she and another hen Sara hatched chicks together. She tried to take over, but Sara was the original sitter, Carrie joined in late. Sara tried to run her off, but she stayed right in there. She actually ended up sticking with the chicks longer than Sara did.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I've had 34 broodies this year! One earned her name after her second set - Carrie! Crazy hen, I tell ya. she's trying for round 3 right now, but she is not getting more eggs this time.
She was a good momma, but earned her name because she and another hen Sara hatched chicks together. She tried to take over, but Sara was the original sitter, Carrie joined in late. Sara tried to run her off, but she stayed right in there. She actually ended up sticking with the chicks longer than Sara did.

Wow! 34 broodies! How many of them did you let hatch babies? I'm trying to breed a higher quotient of "good broody" into my mutt flock. Ideally, in future, I would love not to have to hatch in an incubator. I've been reading in the incubation threads and it terrifies me to try it.