Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Heartlandrabbitry]

Okay! Thank you very much everyone

 

[Miss Lydia]

 

[chickette]

Congrats. I am happt to see you have 1 cute chick

 

[sandracollins]

Update I have 3 duckings in the house under a heat lamp ,I hope they are not too hot cant find a thermometer ,I have 9 more that had pipped so I made the hole bigger and some are half out but the yolk is still not fully absorbed so I left them under the mom until tomorrow

 

[Miss Lydia]

sandra, put the light at one end of the brooder, that way if they get hot they can move to the other end. and congrats on the 3 that have hatched, looking forward to hearing about the rest.

 

[madgabmomma]

Quote:
Thanks and you can call me mgm or my name is Erin if you prefer.

MadGab stands for my daughters Madeline and Gabriella.

My name is Erin too

I just briefly looked at you're blog and it looks like we have a lot more than a name in common

I'm gonna look around on it later tonight when I have more time. You're daughter is beautiful!

And because I'm obsessed here are some more pics of Roxy with babies. She has 6 out of 7 hatched but one is just laying on it's side and wouldn't get up to eat with the rest when mom took them over to eat for the first time. I think I'm gonna have to cull it which I'm dreading. I've not had to do that yet with a baby and I hate knowing I'm probably gonna have too

this is the little guy that can't get up and I've noticed he's quite a bit bigger than the rest too

 

[Miss Lydia]

mgm, could it have just hatched? it takes a while for them to get their feet under them? is she rejecting it? you might give it tonight and see if nature takes it's course.

 

[hokankai]

I candled my eggs today (day 5) with an 80 lumen LED flashlight and only 2 of 6 had obvious vascular networks. Could this just be a bad hatch even though there was obviously a rooster in with the hens and they're still young? I know I should wait until day 7 to make a final verdict, but I'm nervous about having a low hatch...that leaves very little margin for error on my part and nature as well :S

 

[joycenjohnb]

I am very new to this, but I have six Seramas right now and some SLW and silkies on the way. My question is, my four hens are laying an egg every other day each. They are not setting on them. I took the first dozen and put them in the bator. Today is day 23 and still nothing, I floated them last night and they all floated with about 25% of the egg out of the water, which I think means they are good eggs. How long should I wait for them to hatch before I give up? Also there is about 20 more eggs in the nests but no one is sitting on them. Is there a way to get the hens to go broody? I do not like using the bator that is why I order some silkies to hopefully use them. Any help would be appreciated.
John

 

[madgabmomma]

Quote:
Nope it was the first one to hatch over 24hrs ago. I noticed yesterday she wasn't really tucking him under her like she was the others and I helped him under her a couple of times so he wouldn't get cold, I guess it got warm enough yesterday 70s that he was ok. This morning though it was about 55 and I went out and he was lying in the corner of the nest shivering. She pecked at me and got upset but I took him out. I have him inside in the brooder right now but he can't walk at all. I guess it's splayed leg? I've never delt with this before but one of his legs seems to not be working. I don't know what to do now??