Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

13 weeks still with mama, she is still doing the broody cluck and the orp chick is trying to copy her!

So cute! It's good they are getting along. I wish mine would momma them longer.

Hope the cuckoo doesn't start mounting momma soon. I'm guessing he will hold off a couple more weeks? My 14 week old silkie boy is taking on all the girls now. It's so funny to watch him puff up and chase the ones who won't submit.

Topsy has been pecking at her last two chicks when they come near her. It's sad to watch them drive away their babies. Smokey is still letting her two hang out near her.

 

[karlamaria]

Smokey isn't going broody yet. But interestingly Topsy was sitting atop a ping pong ball this evening in the nest box along with her two 9 week olds. So don't know what that is all about.
It's starting to get colder here at night, 50F, and I really don't need any more chicks. Hoping my broodies will take a break for the winter.

my two broodys just hatched out chicks and its 19 degree's at night. One set is two weeks old, one set is 1 week old. Total of none we had. Today I gave away 6 and kept 2 one died as it got lost during the night and froze mama does such a wonderful job with her chicks, she had 6 and kept them all together and out in the cold, there doing wonder, the other broody had 3 and was sort of a DIp stick lol. I gave her two away today, she can have more next spring if she goes broody. I'm also hoping they stop being broody lol, my buffs are always broody. Not to many eggs, just broody. Since we can not have roosters I get fertile eggs from a farm near by.

 

[Johnn]

So cute! It's good they are getting along. I wish mine would momma them longer.
Hope the cuckoo doesn't start mounting momma soon. I'm guessing he will hold off a couple more weeks? My 14 week old silkie boy is taking on all the girls now. It's so funny to watch him puff up and chase the ones who won't submit.
Topsy has been pecking at her last two chicks when they come near her. It's sad to watch them drive away their babies. Smokey is still letting her two hang out near her.

it will be funny if he does!!! but he might start with his sister (sister hopefully), he needs to get him self dominant over the other hens, im not sure if he will mate them untill after winter because my other cockeral doesen't do it as much or not at all anymore, hes nearly bigger than my other cockerel so i hope they get along!!

, i always find it weird how my orp dosent peck hers away i think its because she has no friends in the flock, after she has chicks her friend that she came with wants nothing to do with her now.

 

[Johnn]

heres another pic took yesterday: (yes i know i take alot of pics )

 

[bobbieschicks]

UGH!

Topsy is sitting on the nest again this morning!

What is up with this girl - I know silkies go broody - but come on! I double checked the dates - her first clutch is now 19 weeks old and her last clutch is 8 weeks old.

She went broody in April and July and looks like she's trying for October too. Seems she's on the 3 month plan.

 

[Johnn]

UGH!

Topsy is sitting on the nest again this morning!

What is up with this girl - I know silkies go broody - but come on! I double checked the dates - her first clutch is now 19 weeks old and her last clutch is 8 weeks old.

She went broody in April and July and looks like she's trying for October too. Seems she's on the 3 month plan.

really?!, shes always broody, i love the look of topsy though shes cute. is it not getting cold over there now?? it is here :/

 

[bobbieschicks]

really?!, shes always broody, i love the look of topsy though shes cute. is it not getting cold over there now?? it is here :/

Yes we're in the 50Fs at night

 

[stonykill]

and Mama my blue Sumatra is broody again. She has been sitting about a week.

 

[Fox hater]

I've read almost this entire thread and still haven't found my answer mainly because I don't think it is possible, but here goes this group seems very knowledgable about hatching. I have two broody hens, a frizzle named Spaz and a silkie named Brownie I put 8 silkie eggs under Spaz 2 months ago, on day 25 I had lost hope and candled the eggs, I pulled 4 that I thought had died late, I didn't see movement. I had then moved Brownie from the flock in to the brooder pen and placed those eggs under her to see if she was still broody after moving her. Next day a chick hatched WHAT!! I thought they were dead so I quickly looked at the other ones I pulled and had 2 pipped, oh crap. So bottom line those eggs would have hatched at about day 26.....Spaz did end up successfully hatching 4. 2 died and now I have 2 healthy 4 week old silkies raised by a good frizzle momma. Take away is the hen knows best!!!

Dilemma 2, I set another 8 eggs under Brownie 4 weeks ago, (when the silkies hatched) and yesterday was day 29, she has always pushed out dead and infertile eggs and she was down to 5 eggs....but really day 29. Because she has already been broody (with successful hatches) twice this year, I was just gonna let her handle it because of my last bad decision with my frizzle. So last night my husband and I went out to candle and possibly swap out another 5 new eggs so maybe she could be a momma one more time this year. Well my husband dropped the first egg we pulled and guess what? Fully formed probably would hatch in a day or two, it was breathing but I couldn't stop the bleeding . I just don't know what to do...this is crazy I have never had eggs go this long under a broody...any help would be greatly appreciated

I will try to get some pics up, but I am on an iPad and I guess this forum doesn't like my folders of pics it can't find them

Thank-you for reading
Jan

 

[stonykill]

I've read almost this entire thread and still haven't found my answer mainly because I don't think it is possible, but here goes this group seems very knowledgable about hatching. I have two broody hens, a frizzle named Spaz and a silkie named Brownie I put 8 silkie eggs under Spaz 2 months ago, on day 25 I had lost hope and candled the eggs, I pulled 4 that I thought had died late, I didn't see movement. I had then moved Brownie from the flock in to the brooder pen and placed those eggs under her to see if she was still broody after moving her. Next day a chick hatched WHAT!! I thought they were dead so I quickly looked at the other ones I pulled and had 2 pipped, oh crap. So bottom line those eggs would have hatched at about day 26.....Spaz did end up successfully hatching 4. 2 died and now I have 2 healthy 4 week old silkies raised by a good frizzle momma. Take away is the hen knows best!!!
Dilemma 2, I set another 8 eggs under Brownie 4 weeks ago, (when the silkies hatched) and yesterday was day 29, she has always pushed out dead and infertile eggs and she was down to 5 eggs....but really day 29. Because she has already been broody (with successful hatches) twice this year, I was just gonna let her handle it because of my last bad decision with my frizzle. So last night my husband and I went out to candle and possibly swap out another 5 new eggs so maybe she could be a momma one more time this year. Well my husband dropped the first egg we pulled and guess what? Fully formed probably would hatch in a day or two, it was breathing but I couldn't stop the bleeding

. I just don't know what to do...this is crazy I have never had eggs go this long under a broody...any help would be greatly appreciated
I will try to get some pics up, but I am on an iPad and I guess this forum doesn't like my folders of pics it can't find them
Thank-you for reading
Jan

that is really long. I have had eggs hatch on day 25. Always remember eggs and chickens can't read calenders or tell time and the eggs aren't on a timer. considering what you saw yesterday I would let her go a few more days if none of the eggs are stinky.