Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Wynette]

Skyfire has been moved to a safer location for her raising chickies, and she took it like a champ. She will be happier there anyway less chicken traffic to disturb her.

Awesome! Good momma!

 

[CarolJ]

From what I've read on this thread, it seems highly unlikely that she'll accept them, but you could always try, and have a back-up brooder ready just in case. Sounds like they really need to be day olds to be accepted. They would be 3 days old by the time you get them, plus, it would be 3 days after she hatched her others....but you could always try!

Thanks for the response. I''m not going to order chicks. I think Blackie will be happy with the four she already has - and I sure don't need anymore!

 

[jettgirl24]

I have my first broody!!! YAY! She's been sitting for a week today and I'm going to candle tonight to see what we've got. She had hoarded about 12 eggs from my mixed flock so I took those and popped 5 Silkie eggs under her instead. I have her separated in a little pen inside the main coop but I caught one of my BRs in there with her yesterday - she had pushed under the divider I made and was laying next to the broody! When she was done I took the egg and lifted broody up and sure enough she had hoarded more eggs! I have no idea how long they have been under her so I'm going to candle when it gets dark tonight and steal any that haven't developed. Darn broody hoarder!

In any case, we ought to have babies around the 22nd. I didn't do any hatching this year so I'm really looking forward to babies!

 

[Kassaundra]

I have my first broody!!! YAY! She's been sitting for a week today and I'm going to candle tonight to see what we've got. She had hoarded about 12 eggs from my mixed flock so I took those and popped 5 Silkie eggs under her instead. I have her separated in a little pen inside the main coop but I caught one of my BRs in there with her yesterday - she had pushed under the divider I made and was laying next to the broody! When she was done I took the egg and lifted broody up and sure enough she had hoarded more eggs! I have no idea how long they have been under her so I'm going to candle when it gets dark tonight and steal any that haven't developed. Darn broody hoarder!

In any case, we ought to have babies around the 22nd. I didn't do any hatching this year so I'm really looking forward to babies!

Awesome. We put a dot on one end of the egg w/ a sharpie. I had read to draw a line around the middle and tried that, but they all pecked at the eggs we were worried about creating egg eaters, but the dot has worked like a charm.

 

[Wynette]

Awesome. We put a dot on one end of the egg w/ a sharpie. I had read to draw a line around the middle and tried that, but they all pecked at the eggs we were worried about creating egg eaters, but the dot has worked like a charm.

I put an "x" on one side and just a "/" on the other...no pecking issues, but it worked great for me when I had a first timer this year. I was able to know that she was, in fact, turning them, and I could easily see if another hen decided to add to her clutch.

BEST of luck, jett!

CarolJ - I see the chicken math has not yet struck....just wait....soon, you WILL "need" more!

 

[bobbieschicks]

She would most likely reject the second batch as they would be too old by that point to mix in with her 6 day olds. She will already be anxious to move her current flock outside by that point. The most gap you would want between hatches is 3 days and that's really pushing it. My broodies abandon any eggs not hatched by the 2nd evening and rightfully so - if she was a good hen she would have managed her incubation period so that they hatched out within a day of each other at the most.

Thanks for the response. I''m not going to order chicks. I think Blackie will be happy with the four she already has - and I sure don't need anymore!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Clever little broodies will get eggs from any source they can! haha! My current broody Topsy is busy trying to hatch herself some ping pong balls because I keep taking all the eggs away.

I have my first broody!!! YAY! She's been sitting for a week today and I'm going to candle tonight to see what we've got. She had hoarded about 12 eggs from my mixed flock so I took those and popped 5 Silkie eggs under her instead. I have her separated in a little pen inside the main coop but I caught one of my BRs in there with her yesterday - she had pushed under the divider I made and was laying next to the broody! When she was done I took the egg and lifted broody up and sure enough she had hoarded more eggs! I have no idea how long they have been under her so I'm going to candle when it gets dark tonight and steal any that haven't developed. Darn broody hoarder!

In any case, we ought to have babies around the 22nd. I didn't do any hatching this year so I'm really looking forward to babies!

 

[Johnn]

I put the mams and the chicks outside today for 2 hours and they loved it!, i sat watching them the whole time i found it so nice

 

[Miss Lydia]

I put the mams and the chicks outside today for 2 hours and they loved it!, i sat watching them the whole time i found it so nice

It is relaxing isn't it.

 

[Johnn]

It is relaxing isn't it.

Yes!, and the chicks were bonding with this other hen aswell which was nice to see