Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Rachey62]

Hi

I probably should have joined this forum a few months ago but a bit of retrospective advice would be useful.

We have 4 ex bats and 2 silkie/sussex (Harriet and Veronica) that go broody at the drop of a hat, we've lost a couple of ex-bats over time and egg production has gone down so we decided to expand the flock but getting H&V to hatch the eggs for us. so... V went broody and we went off to our local hatchery to get some eggs, 2 French Marans and 2 Partridge Orpingtons, we kept the eggs in the kitchen for 24 hours to allow them to settle them put V and the eggs into her own little coup and run, V did not like this, she went totally crazy, wouldn't settle, kept pacing up and down trying to get back to the rest of the flock, we probably should have forseen this but we thought we were doing the right thing. Anyway, we put the eggs and V back in the main nest box, H also went broody the next day so we split the eggs between the two hens and had them in separate nest boxes. For the next 3 weeks they didn't move, rolled the other chicken eggs under them, which we went in and removed, 3 weeks passed by and one of the eggs peeped, it hatched a few hours later but when we checked on it H started attacking it so we whipped it out and we've been hand rearing. A few days later there was still no sign of the other 3 so I shone a torch through them and they were solid so I assume the chicks developed but didn't hatch, I hung onto them for about 5 days then disposed of them at the advice of the hatchery.

Any ideas why they didn't hatch? I'm assuming H attacked the chick due to us disturbing her or could it be that she knew it wasn't her chick?

We'd like to try it again but want to know why it didn't work this time so we can stop it from happening again,

Thanks
Rach
x

 

[bobbieschicks]

my broody kicked out a few eggs and they were cool to the touch, not cold but cool, Im wondering why ? Im going to candle them tonight, but she has been doing this and Im wondering if she has to many ( buff orphington and sitting on 10 eggs) or there bad and she knows it? they do not smell at all. anyone?

If she kicks it out and doesn't move it back under herself later then I would say its a bad egg. They don't have to stink to be bad.

Sometimes they will roll an egg out if it's developing too quickly or too hot under her. But as long as its still good she will rotate it back under herself.

She might be having a hard time managing so many especially if this is her first time.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Hi

I probably should have joined this forum a few months ago but a bit of retrospective advice would be useful.

We have 4 ex bats and 2 silkie/sussex (Harriet and Veronica) that go broody at the drop of a hat, we've lost a couple of ex-bats over time and egg production has gone down so we decided to expand the flock but getting H&V to hatch the eggs for us.  so... V went broody and we went off to our local hatchery to get some eggs, 2 French Marans and 2 Partridge Orpingtons, we kept the eggs in the kitchen for 24 hours to allow them to settle them put V and the eggs into her own little coup and run, V did not like this, she went totally crazy, wouldn't settle, kept pacing up and down trying to get back to the rest of the flock, we probably should have forseen this but we thought we were doing the right thing.  Anyway, we put the eggs and V back in the main nest box, H also went broody the next day so we split the eggs between the two hens and had them in separate nest boxes. For the next 3 weeks they didn't move, rolled the other chicken eggs under them, which we went in and removed, 3 weeks passed by and one of the eggs peeped, it hatched a few hours later but when we checked on it H started attacking it so we whipped it out and we've been hand rearing. A few days later there was still no sign of the other 3 so I shone a torch through them and they were solid so I assume the chicks developed but didn't hatch, I hung onto them for about 5 days then disposed of them at the advice of the hatchery.

Any ideas why they didn't hatch? I'm assuming H attacked the chick due to us disturbing her or could it be that she knew it wasn't her chick?

We'd like to try it again but want to know why it didn't work this time so we can stop it from happening again,

Thanks
Rach
x

I've not had a broody attacking chicks but I did have a rooster pick up my welsummer chick and fling it at two days old. No idea why he did that. Maybe he didn't like the look of it.

But I do know my broody attacked the rooster for doing that. I've hatched mostly shipped eggs and they look different than their mommas but no one has cared yet.

As far as why they didn't hatch, if these were first time broodies I'd say inexperience with monitoring temps and humidity. Did the broodies get moved at hatch time or did someone peek when it was getting close to hatch day? Broodies monitor temps and humidity levels and lifting up the broody is like opening the bator. Is it particularly dry where you live?

I'd try again.

 

[Rachey62]

I've not had a broody attacking chicks but I did have a rooster pick up my welsummer chick and fling it at two days old. No idea why he did that. Maybe he didn't like the look of it.
But I do know my broody attacked the rooster for doing that. I've hatched mostly shipped eggs and they look different than their mommas but no one has cared yet.
As far as why they didn't hatch, if these were first time broodies I'd say inexperience with monitoring temps and humidity. Did the broodies get moved at hatch time or did someone peek when it was getting close to hatch day? Broodies monitor temps and humidity levels and lifting up the broody is like opening the bator. Is it particularly dry where you live?
I'd try again.

Yep, I'll hold our hand up, we were checking on them... sounds like we were lucky to get one to hatch, we didn't move them much just a quick peak, I have to confess I didn't realise the eggs were so sensitive, definite lesson learned. It's not dry here, British summers are notoriously damp! As for the attacking do you think it could be that she thought the hatchling was an intruder, H can be quite aggressive when she's broody, pecking at us if we try and get the no fertilised eggs out. We tried putting the hatched chick back in with her and she attached again, we then tried it with the other hen (who's normally a lot friendlier) but the same thing happened.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Yep, I'll hold our hand up, we were checking on them... sounds like we were lucky to get one to hatch, we didn't move them much just a quick peak, I have to confess I didn't realise the eggs were so sensitive, definite lesson learned. It's not dry here, British summers are notoriously damp! As for the attacking do you think it could be that she thought the hatchling was an intruder, H can be quite aggressive when she's broody, pecking at us if we try and get the no fertilised eggs out. We tried putting the hatched chick back in with her and she attached again, we then tried it with the other hen (who's normally a lot friendlier) but the same thing happened.

Sometimes they are just bad moms. Every species has them. :/

It could be that she didn't recognize it as her chick. Don't know. But you should be careful if you let her hatch again. Have a brooder set up and ready jic.

 

[Aris]

Wooo Hoooo !!! 3 more hatched ,3 eggs remaining under the broody!!! I am really happy since I had thin egg shell problem at my flock just a couple of months ago ,that was and the reason of my previous low hatch rates.



It seems that I am addicted to broody hens with chicks , for me they are what puppies are for most of the people.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Wooo Hoooo !!! 3 more hatched ,3 eggs remaining under the broody!!! I am really happy since I had thin egg shell problem at my flock just a couple of months ago ,that was and the reason of my previous low hatch rates.



It seems that I am addicted to broody hens with chicks , for me they are what puppies are for most of the people.

Congrats, they are adorable

 

[brownfoxfarm]

Way to go Aris! I love it when we have a good hatch.

Rachey,

I would say the behavior is likely from inexperience. Give her one more chance. Here, we will cull if a hen does something like that more than once. But if you don't want to cull her, just don't let her set eggs.

Joyce

 

[Brahmamama4]

I've been stalking this thread for a while and finally am wanting to post to get some reassurance that I'm doing thinks correctly. I have a first time broody Cochin hen that's sitting on 5 eggs and we are on day 19 of incubation. I've planned on moving her to a 3x3 cage with her chicks for at least the first several days so that they can be seperated from the other 2 hens in my pen. Also I've worried about the ramp that goes up to the coop and wondered if the chicks would be able to navigate it ok. Today I moved her so that I wouldn't have to mess with her after the chicks hatched and she was not too happy about it. I made sure that she eventually settled down and she seems ok now that I've almost completely covered the cage so that it's dark inside. (there is adequate ventilation) I guess I just want to make sure that it's an ok setup for her and the babies? Also, I just have the Purina Start & Grow in a feeder inside. Is this ok for my hen to eat too? Any other advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[farmer boy]

does anyone know why one of my chicks are so huge compared to the other one ... the older one is so much smaller and less feathers my mom said maybe the cross breed that happened and the bigger one its father is the alpha roo he is a chantecler roo so that maybe the reason the chick is so big