Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Johnn]

This morning she is out with the flock freeranging and fine. So don't know what was going on with her yesterday. Weird.

One of mine does similar to that, then fine the next day, i think its just a off day, glad shes ok

 

[bobbieschicks]

Made the silkie too upset enough he tried to peck my shoes. I cornered Vanilla Ice and picked him up. The partridge roo hen got all protective of the flock.

 

[Tmaxson01]

We had 7 hatch under a broody this past weekend.

Here is a pic of the first three

 

[Miss Lydia]

We had 7 hatch under a broody this past weekend.

Here is a pic of the first three

Sweet pic. Congrats!!

 

[elsfieldchickens]

congrats!

 

[Avienda]

Maybe you guys can help me! I had two silkies go broody and gave each some eggs. Two hatched four days ago. Two more were pipped but didn't go any further and died. That hen then stopped sitting of the eggs and kept scattering the rest of the eggs around her pen. So I gathered those seven eggs and added them to the other hens clutch. That was three days ago. The first day another chick pipped, but couldn't get out. I zipped the egg for it after it was pipped for 24 hours but it still couldn't get out and died over night. Yesterday another pipped but then nothing. This one is not doing anything either. It's still peeping inside but doing nothing else and we're going on 14 hours of nothing since I found it pipped. Now it's finally gotten cold out side and my second broody has quit laying on the eggs so I had to bring them all inside and put them under a heat lamp. I've got a pan of water under them and they are on a cookie sheet, to try to keep the area humid. I don't have an incubator and can't afford to go get one Should I try to help the pipped chick or just leave it? Any chance the rest of the eggs might hatch? I'm in Oklahoma and it's been extremely dry so I'm thinking that might be part of the problem. Any ideas how I can help these babies out?

 

[Lacy Blues]

Sounds like you're doing ok on the humidity. Another thing you might try is wetting the shell around the pipping chick so that it can absorb a little moisture. Be careful not to get any water in the pip-hole. Basically just wet your fingers and smear the shell with that water.

Helping them out is always a huge gamble as they need to struggle through that process so that their little legs will be strong.

 

[Tmaxson01]

I must have a really strong little bugger, because one of my latest hatched out of a double shelled egg. It was the weirdest things. At first I thought one of the hatched shells had gotten stuck on another egg. When I first looked at it half of the outer shell was gone and there was a pip in the inner shell. I wondered if it would make it, but later found the half still intact and took a good look at it to see it was indeed a shell inside a shell. I was very happpy and surprised it survived.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I must have a really strong little bugger, because one of my latest hatched out of a double shelled egg. It was the weirdest things. At first I thought one of the hatched shells had gotten stuck on another egg. When I first looked at it half of the outer shell was gone and there was a pip in the inner shell. I wondered if it would make it, but later found the half still intact and took a good look at it to see it was indeed a shell inside a shell. I was very happpy and surprised it survived.

Aww so glad it made it out,.

 

[Johnn]

I wasnt going to post this pic on here, but i realised it has a pic of my mother orpingtons egg in (that i waited so long for) so i cant resist (by the way, the BO you see on the pic is not Bella or her mother, its the mothers sister):