Need Advice on Broody Hen Sitting on Eggs

[Kentuckyrain]

I have a Showgirl that is going on 14 days sitting on some fertilized eggs from other hens. I am currently incubating eggs inside that are on day 16.

I am new to allowing a hen to sit on eggs so I am not sure what I need to be doing for her in the coop. During the past 2 weeks, I have had to collect eggs from under her that I know were laid by other hens and I do this everyday, collecting them for eating that is. I have her eggs that she has been sitting on marked.

Anyhow, I am new to this, was not really planning on a hen sitting on eggs since I have been incubating myself.

So here is where I need advice.

1. Her eggs are poopy dirty, do I need to do anything about this?
2. All my nest boxes are about 3 feet off the ground, do I need to re locate her somewhere else with the eggs so when they hatch the babies dont fall down?
3. I have an 8' x 12' Chicken coop, total of 13 Chickens in there, very large back yard that the get to free range in every day. What kind of preparations do I need to do before my showgirls eggs hatch?

Any other advice or links with information would be greatly appreciated..

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Don't clean her eggs, if there are big chunks I might wipe them off otherwise I'd leave them, either they will hatch or they won't.

I wouldn't try to move her yet, but plan on being around on hatch day, which is often day 20 for broodies. I wait until most have hatched than I move mom and kids to a temporary pen on the floor and move any unhatched eggs with her.

I usually keep my broody in her pen for about two weeks until the chicks can keep up and run from other hens, than I start letting the group out under supervision.

Sometimes other hens will attack the broody and her chicks, it can take a week or two sometimes to get them back into the group depending on the other hens.

 

[dmanhefner]

I put them in their own box but one the others dont lay in. I dont keep the hens seperate from the flock, no integration ossues.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You may still have troubles with hen fighting, it isn't about being separated, it about having chicks and being removed from the pecking order, and acting broody, some other hens sometimes fight with them. You also want to separate them after the hatch to keep the family together, sometimes chicks wander too far and can't get back.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Your bantam will continue to go broody multiple times a year whether they hatch or not, so it really depends on how many chicks you want and how many you can raise. Many of mine, I keep collecting the eggs under them, and they keep sitting, either on nothing or the freshly laid eggs. I also had a first time sitter last season who wanted to sit but didn't want the chick she hatched and attacked it than went back to sitting on nothing. Another two hens raised it.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You are okay for a few days technically, but one day would be as far as I would leave them. It takes about a week before you start to see blood vessels.

If you have eggs in an incubator I might see if she's interested in a few chicks when they hatch by putting her with some. Some won't take them so soon into sitting, every hen is different.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You are probably right, I did read that. You are going to have lots of chicks. Sounds like lots of fun.

 

[ellefisher]

Yay. I woke up this morning to 5 beautiful peepers. Thanks ever so much for your advice

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Congrats on the new ones!

I woke up to some peeping chicks in my brooder, 6 so far have hatched. I too was wondering about what I should be doing with my Broody hen at this stage. Today is day 20 of my incubator eggs and day 18 of my broody hen's eggs. I have her inside a very large plastic dog crate inside the chicken coop with food and water near the door so she has to get up to eat/drink/poop. I have cleaned out her poop from today. 

I wonder if this is ok? To leave her locked inside the dog crate? To peak under her to see if any have hatched yet? 

Edited to add, this is her first time broody, so she will be a new mama, she is the hen in my avatar picture. I guess I'm hoping she don't eat them, hurt them, squash them? I'm so nervous, lol

The day of hatching your hen will no longer leave the nest until all have hatched or 2-3 days passes, usually most hens leave on day two. You can peek, I'm not sure I would lock her in until they start hatching, most broodies hatch on day 20, then you want to confine the family somewhat, as sometimes chicks can wander too far and can't return, mom won't get off the nest to get them.

Most silkies are exceptional mothers so I would expect yours to be too.

 

[ellefisher]

I'm not telling you what i think you should do. That being said. ..i didn't look and 3 of my 8 died partway out of the shell. I'm very grateful for the 5 i have, but totally wish i had looked, just to see. I love my chicks like my kids. Though i don't eat the kids, lol. I feel like its my fault .