My first time hatching eggs under a hen and got a ?

[Dirty_South_Chickens]

OK this is the first time I've had a hen sit and all my hens lay in the same box so by the time I figured out what was going on she had about 24 eggs she was trying to cover. I tried to remove some and she about took my hand off...lesson learned! They are due for hatching this weekend and I'm not sure if I should try to remove the chicks as they hatch. I would like some advice on what to do. Thanks!

 

[Ridgerunner]

People will probably come on here and tell you that you should have done this or you should have done that. I'm one of them, not trying to be nasty but to help you next time if not this time. You might read this. It gives different people's opinion about isolating a broody from the flock but more important gives you some advice as to what to do whether you isolate or not.

Isolate a Broody? Thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=213218

As you probably know, it takes about 21 days for a chicken egg to develop and hatch from when incubation started. With other chickens adding eggs after incubation has started, some will not hatch until after the hen has to abandon the nest to find food and water for the early hatchers. You have a few options. Let her take the chicks off and just abandon the eggs that have not hatched. Take the chicks away as they hatch and dry off and brood them yourself or maybe try giving them back to her after a few days, hoping she stays on the nest and hatches some more. By the way, if you think she defended her eggs, wait until you see how she defends her chicks! Maybe when she abandons the nest, sniff them for any that smell and put the rest in an incubator. I think those are your basic options. There are advantages and disadvantages to all of them.

Something that complicates it though, is that she cannot cover all of them. I'm sorry but I can't make this sound any nicer than it is. A hen is constantly moving the eggs under her. When she cannot cover all of them, some are pushed out where they cool off and die. Then they get moved back under her and other eggs are pushed out to die. You may get some eggs to hatch, but you often do not get very many chicks in this situation. Your options as I see them. Leave her alone and see what happens or try candling the eggs to see if you can see which ones are still alive and remove the others.

About her trying to take your hand off. When I grew up on the farm many decades ago, one of my chores was to gather the eggs. If we had a broody sitting on eggs, I had to check under her every evening and remove any eggs that were not marked. Some of those broodies were vicious. I really did not want to check under some of them. But I did because I sure did not want to tell my father I was afraid to check. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. You at least have an option I did not. Leather gloves and long sleeves makes it a lot less painful with the vicious ones.

Good luck with this weekend. I know it is going to be stressful, but just think of all the lessons you have learned and how much easier it will be next time. And trust me, you will greatly enjoy watching that hen and her chicks.

 

[FMAFarms]

Oh my.

Well, what Ridgerunner said. Once this fiasco is over and done with, with hopefully at least a couple of chicks that hatch, my suggestions would be:

add at least one more nesting box, so that the hens don't all share the same nesting area
check your coop at least twice a day to make sure you collect the eggs within hours of their being laid
recognize when a hen is starting to go broody, and isolate her if you want her to brood or take anti-broody measures if you want her to lay
when you do brood, take the hen, her nest, and her eggs and separate them from the rest of the flock

Good luck... keep us posted!

 

[Dirty_South_Chickens]

Thanks for y'alls input and your right it is a learning experience! I have 2 coops connected together with 2 10 foot panels on each side, tin roof with about 8 laying boxes but they only used 1 until I blocked it off. The box they are in is elevated a few feet and need to figure out how to get them all down. Well see I'll let y'all know how it works out.

 

[ralleia]

According to Carla Emery (Encyclopedia of Country Living), a big hen can cover a maximum of 14 normal-sized chicken eggs.

 

[schellie69]

I would try and remove the eggs that are not under the hen, wear gloves and a long sleeve shirt, use a blanket or something and cover her face. This way the eggs that are under her or the ones she is working on. If she now seperated that should help if the others are still laying eggs in the nest then I would mark the eggs you left under her and remove any unmarked eggs. Next time make sure you can block the nest of the broody. Good luck.