May 2023 Hatch-a-long

[Canadian Wind]

ok starting to really rethink and worry about this situation. I am ok with the humidity being up for a couple days but once I have a pip I can't turn the eggs which would be really early on when everyone says it is most important.... And I was just reading and they say hatching chicks getting the hatching "goop" on them can be dangerous for them.... I was thinking maybe hatching chicks would "turn" them as they moved around in the incubator but now that sounds like a bad idea....... Once I notice internal pips should I just take the new eggs out and put them under the broody I am giving the incubator chicks to and PRAY that none get broken in the couple days they are under her?

My 2 broodys were good last year with the eggs and chicks so thought they would be fine this year. They do let others come in and lay with them but they don't run off the nest like the younger ones were. Well today I watched on the camera and one of my other older ones went in with the one I gave eggs to yesterday and was pecking at her etc to get her to move and she didn't so they both laid there then I looked in about 5-10 min later and she had gotten up (mine you in a week of her being broody and the almost 2 weeks of the other one being broody not ONE other chicken has pecked at them to get them up they just join them and lay in the box)..... I went to collect eggs and noticed one I had given her was broken. UGH!!!!!!! Not sure how it got broken since that broody was on, the other chicken went in there and laid, then the broody I am trying to break ended up jumping on that nest (normally this doesn't happen so hoping today was just an odd day) so could have been any of them that broke it........ But makes me nervous to give one the eggs i the incubator while the first set hatches out even if it is only for a couple days. But I am not seeing another choice so the eggs get turned....... Guess then once the ones hatch in the incubator I can swap out chicks for eggs. But I was going to put one egg that is ready to hatch under the broody I plan to give the chicks to so at least she heard the peeping before it hatches and one hatches under her, but how can I do that with the new eggs since again hatching goo would get on them????

And I think 15 is too many to have under the other broody.......

How about isolating the eggs that are hatching with some sort of barrier? So the new chicks can't drag themselves over the other eggs?

 

[Waterfaery]

ok starting to really rethink and worry about this situation. I am ok with the humidity being up for a couple days but once I have a pip I can't turn the eggs which would be really early on when everyone says it is most important.... And I was just reading and they say hatching chicks getting the hatching "goop" on them can be dangerous for them.... I was thinking maybe hatching chicks would "turn" them as they moved around in the incubator but now that sounds like a bad idea....... Once I notice internal pips should I just take the new eggs out and put them under the broody I am giving the incubator chicks to and PRAY that none get broken in the couple days they are under her?

My 2 broodys were good last year with the eggs and chicks so thought they would be fine this year. They do let others come in and lay with them but they don't run off the nest like the younger ones were. Well today I watched on the camera and one of my other older ones went in with the one I gave eggs to yesterday and was pecking at her etc to get her to move and she didn't so they both laid there then I looked in about 5-10 min later and she had gotten up (mine you in a week of her being broody and the almost 2 weeks of the other one being broody not ONE other chicken has pecked at them to get them up they just join them and lay in the box)..... I went to collect eggs and noticed one I had given her was broken. UGH!!!!!!! Not sure how it got broken since that broody was on, the other chicken went in there and laid, then the broody I am trying to break ended up jumping on that nest (normally this doesn't happen so hoping today was just an odd day) so could have been any of them that broke it........ But makes me nervous to give one the eggs i the incubator while the first set hatches out even if it is only for a couple days. But I am not seeing another choice so the eggs get turned....... Guess then once the ones hatch in the incubator I can swap out chicks for eggs. But I was going to put one egg that is ready to hatch under the broody I plan to give the chicks to so at least she heard the peeping before it hatches and one hatches under her, but how can I do that with the new eggs since again hatching goo would get on them????

And I think 15 is too many to have under the other broody.......

Oh, I don't know what to advise! It's a tricky situation. I've never done staggered hatches but I know lots of people do and it seems to be ok. You could always just turn them as much as you can until you see pips and then hope the first lot get through hatching quickly. Or just give them to the broody until you think you could start turning them and then put them back. I think either way would hopefully be ok.

 

[Waterfaery]

Tis the season for broodies

I had another one as well but now I don't anymore. One of my Bresse hens from my breeding group went broody a couple of days ago. They have a roll away nest box so she was sitting on nothing.

When we built the nest boxes I designed them so they could be convertible in case someone went broody so the floor can be made flat. In their roll away state, the nest boxes have artificial grass and no other bedding. The newer ones like my Bresse have can also be lifted out so a broody hen could be moved into a new area without having to leave her nest. (My other broody, Moonsparkle is sitting in a fixed in place nest box in one of my older style coops. It's also convertible but it doesn't lift out, unfortunately.)

I thought all of this was a great idea but hadn't tried it yet. So yesterday, when she came out, I changed their nest box to being flat floored and added loads of wood shavings for her. Not only did she break from being broody but now all of the hens in there are avoiding the nest! They are terrified of it. The cockerel has been up there clucking at them today so hopefully he's telling them to stop being stupid and just use it!

I wonder what the chances are that if they get used to it she'll start sitting again? And if they break that easily, will it even be possible to follow my plan of lifting the whole nest away with a broody in it?

 

[junior67]

How about isolating the eggs that are hatching with some sort of barrier? So the new chicks can't drag themselves over the other eggs?

That was a thought but once I see a pip how do I turn them a few times a day? I am ok with doing a quick open after pipping but a few times a day worries me. And while I have a divider for my incubator 4 of the eggs I am hatching are to help the breeder I use be sure she doesn't have a black to lav split in her lav pen so was going to separate those up in the dividers to be able to tell who hatched from what egg. And 11 are someone else's eggs so those need to be kept separate from mine... So was struggling to figure that all out.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Hey all!!!
Seems like everyone has broodies!!
I have one in brooding jail currently. She's been at it a abt a wk..(a Cinnamon Queen at that! Not supposed to go broody!)
I keep kicking her outta the nesting boxes and she keeps running back to the nest.
Couldn't have been broody while I had my other eggs huh??

Shes not laying currently (a very unwelcomed choice)


My new eggs ship today!!! I'll set them 24hrs after I get them. (Likely sometime wednesday!) Which is perfect because my hatch day would fall on my 3 days off...which is the most ideal situation.

Fingers crossed for everyone's hatches!!!

 

[junior67]

Oh, I don't know what to advise! It's a tricky situation. I've never done staggered hatches but I know lots of people do and it seems to be ok. You could always just turn them as much as you can until you see pips and then hope the first lot get through hatching quickly. Or just give them to the broody until you think you could start turning them and then put them back. I think either way would hopefully be ok.

I have done staggered before but I added new eggs on day 3 or 4 I think so it wasn't bad and just put them in lockdown on day 19 for others so it was around day 15/16 for the new ones so ok for them not to be turned. then once the others hatched I brought humidity down again and didn't put it back up for a couple days. This time it is a whole new thing since these ones are so early. I would say I would NEVER do this again but how do you pass up free eggs of the breed you really want???? LOL

I had another one as well but now I don't anymore. One of my Bresse hens from my breeding group went broody a couple of days ago. They have a roll away nest box so she was sitting on nothing.

When we built the nest boxes I designed them so they could be convertible in case someone went broody so the floor can be made flat. In their roll away state, the nest boxes have artificial grass and no other bedding. The newer ones like my Bresse have can also be lifted out so a broody hen could be moved into a new area without having to leave her nest. (My other broody, Moonsparkle is sitting in a fixed in place nest box in one of my older style coops. It's also convertible but it doesn't lift out, unfortunately.)

I thought all of this was a great idea but hadn't tried it yet. So yesterday, when she came out, I changed their nest box to being flat floored and added loads of wood shavings for her. Not only did she break from being broody but now all of the hens in there are avoiding the nest! They are terrified of it. The cockerel has been up there clucking at them today so hopefully he's telling them to stop being stupid and just use it!

I wonder what the chances are that if they get used to it she'll start sitting again? And if they break that easily, will it even be possible to follow my plan of lifting the whole nest away with a broody in it?

oh those nest boxes sound nice!!!!! hmmm maybe she wasn't broody long enough? But then again I moved one of mine last year to a spot under my poop boards with a nest box, food water etc. and she broke as well. She did not like being moved. Now I can move them nest box to nest box as long as it is in the same section... and they will stay. I have a plastic nest box inside my coop that is basically nest to my regular nest boxes and if I move them in there they instantly go back to their "group" of nest boxes. The other box is perfect to hatch in but nope they aren't having it. may try to move the one I give chicks to after she has the chicks and hope that works. I love watching the roo/Cockerels telling them a spot is good to lay in and safe. LOL

I am trying to break my psycho buttercup broody and OMG she is giving me a run for my $. LOL She was chased out of her box by the older hen that uses that box (knew it would happen there) so went to the other group of boxes which is much easier for me to move her from. So I thought I found a solution to the bigger holes in my crate with the crate divider. so had that on top put her in it. she bit my sweatshirt and wouldn't let go as I was moving her... LOL got her in and perfect. Well it was for a few hours then she managed to move the divider enough to get a few bigger holes open and jumped out....... Went back to her normal box. So when it was getting dark I went out with tape and taped the part to the top! LOL got her and yup bit my sweatshirt and wouldn't let go so I got my phone out to take a pic, wouldn't you know as soon as I was set to take the pic she let go and acted like she doesn't bite!! So she is now in jail and I don't think she can break out!!!!!! so hopefully in a couple days she will be broken!

 

[junior67]

Hey all!!!
Seems like everyone has broodies!!
I have one in brooding jail currently. She's been at it a abt a wk..(a Cinnamon Queen at that! Not supposed to go broody!)
I keep kicking her outta the nesting boxes and she keeps running back to the nest.
Couldn't have been broody while I had my other eggs huh??

Shes not laying currently (a very unwelcomed choice)


My new eggs ship today!!! I'll set them 24hrs after I get them. (Likely sometime wednesday!) Which is perfect because my hatch day would fall on my 3 days off...which is the most ideal situation.

Fingers crossed for everyone's hatches!!!

LOL yours sounds like my buttercup that are also not supposed to go broody!! this is her 2nd time and she turned a year last mo! her first time was in I think Nov Or should say I think it was her as I have 2 buttercups. one is smaller one is bigger but in Nov the size difference wasnt' quite as big as it is now.

GL with your eggs and what perfect timing!!!!! Love when that happens! what breeds?

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

LOL yours sounds like my buttercup that are also not supposed to go broody!! this is her 2nd time and she turned a year last mo! her first time was in I think Nov Or should say I think it was her as I have 2 buttercups. one is smaller one is bigger but in Nov the size difference wasnt' quite as big as it is now.

GL with your eggs and what perfect timing!!!!! Love when that happens! what breeds?

Just barred rocks
I am looking to complete my dual purpose flock (currently) I need abt-4 more roosters. I have 12 eggs plus coming. Hopeful for some boys!

 

[junior67]

Just barred rocks
I am looking to complete my dual purpose flock (currently) I need abt-4 more roosters. I have 12 eggs plus coming. Hopeful for some boys!

Hopefully you get some boys, but watch because that is what you want you will get all girls. I wanted mostly girls and so far the 6 older ones I kept, 6 weeks old, it is looking like 4 boys, 1 girl and 1 unsure. I did sell some early as straight run so not sure what those are.

 

[Waterfaery]

I don't know if wild birds count in the hatch along? I've been following a pair of barn owls that are nesting here in Ireland with two webcams set up by Birdwatch Ireland. The barn owls do staggered hatches and each egg will hatch a couple of days apart. They have 5 eggs in the nest and the first is due to hatch today. Apparently it has most likely pipped.

These are links to the two cameras live streaming, one in the nest and one at the nest entrance. We've been watching the mama for a month and the male bringing her food every night so it's very exciting today. I hope it goes well for her. I don't know if anyone is interested but I thought I'd share!