Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[naturespace]

I'm so excited. The other 5 eggs look to be pipped too. I was sure they would hatch on Tuesday. Guess she runs hot.

 

[Hennyhandler]

I have limited experience but everything I have read is that staggered hatches are Bad. Momma is going to want to get up within a few days of the first hatch and could quite possibly abandon developing eggs in favor of caring for the chicks that have hatched. Also, other hens laying with your broodies could damage the eggs that are developing. With my broody, I moved her into a dog crate in the coop so I could close the door and stop her egg scattering dominant sister from wrecking havoc.
And I have seen cases on here where hens brooded together and raised their chicks together. Seems fairly common.

Good luck!

Yeah, I have had some eggs roll out of the nest and I am sure that is from the other girls. Maybe that is why some are not as developed as others. I am not as worried about her abandoning the eggs. I can put them in my incubator if I have to. I am worried about after they hatch though. We shall see how it goes, I guess. Thanks.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Yeah, I have had some eggs roll out of the nest and I am sure that is from the other girls. Maybe that is why some are not as developed as others. I am not as worried about her abandoning the eggs. I can put them in my incubator if I have to. I am worried about after they hatch though. We shall see how it goes, I guess. Thanks.

Maybe you could put higher sides on her nest to keep the eggs in?

 

[karlamaria]

I'm so excited. The other 5 eggs look to be pipped too. I was sure they would hatch on Tuesday. Guess she runs hot.

How sweet!!! my buff also has eggs that hatched today, still waiting on 6 but 5 hatched. can not wait to see my girls to.

 

[naturespace]

How sweet!!! my buff also has eggs that hatched today, still waiting on 6 but 5 hatched. can not wait to see my girls to.

Congrats karlamaria! It's so exciting having my first broody do so well.
Hope she holds true. Still waiting for the rest to hatch but I bet I will be waking up a lot sooner tomorrow than I normally would!!!!!

My hen is a Basque pullet, 30 weeks old. You can learn more about this great breed on the Euskal Oiloa thread. Love them!!!!

 

[ChickenPeep]

That is such a darling picture!

I have a bit of a sad story.
3 weeks ago I got 13 fertile eggs in the mail. Out of the 13, only 4 were even hatch-able. So, we put those 4 under our broody silkies. Fast-forward 5 days. I candled the eggs and saw that only 1 was even developing. Oh well, at least we got one at all! Fast-forward 10 more days. I candled again and the developing egg's air cell was way too big. But I still had hope in it! 6 days later (yesterday) I woke up at 6:30 to peeping. The chick that hatched was a blue OEGB. I was so excited I was jumping up and down! But it only had one eye. I left for an early soccer game, but when I came back , there was no peeping. We looked under her momma, and we couldn't find her. We searched frantically, and finally found her cold in the other side of the cage. She was dead. Her stomach was ripped open. We think her mom probably killed her. I was distraught.
But, as we were driving home from a sport event, we remembered that we would be driving by a lady's house that could give us eggs. So we stopped by her house and picked up 5 more eggs! A few minutes ago I set them under my broody. Wish me luck!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'm so excited. The other 5 eggs look to be pipped too. I was sure they would hatch on Tuesday. Guess she runs hot.

so cute Congrats!!

 

[karlamaria]

Congrats karlamaria! It's so exciting having my first broody do so well.
Hope she holds true. Still waiting for the rest to hatch but I bet I will be waking up a lot sooner tomorrow than I normally would!!!!!

My hen is a Basque pullet, 30 weeks old. You can learn more about this great breed on the Euskal Oiloa thread. Love them!!!!

never heard of that kind of bird, she looks like my buff orphington !! how pretty and what a good mommy !!

 

[karlamaria]

I woke to heaqr chirping, I looked and there were two babies and so sweet, not like my last two who were scared out of there minds every time I went near them. then through out the day more came, and just now we found so far 6. I gave her another several eggs the next day aftyer giving her around 8 so the next batch will hatch tomorrow. She is a wonderful mommy, and loves sharing the gel LOL, she fed them today and she shared the green jel, all the other birds shared to ,lol. here is the pictures from this morning until just now.

 

[Silkie Chicken]

Hello I have a little silkie hen that is going broody for the first time and my first chicken to ever go broody. I am wanting to know what I need to know when a hen is broody so I can be prepared she is setting on 3 fake eggs right now she will be getting her real eggs tomorrow. I have her in a nest with other silkies, Will she and the eggs ( when they hatch ) be ok with the other silkies or should I move her in another broody coop. Will she raise the chicks when they hatch, and can she eat chick starter for right now and when they chicks hatch or can I have her regular food in the nest box with her when the chicks hatch. Please answer back soon thanks.

~ Brannon