Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Rachel'sFlock]

She came off the nest for less than a minute and I happened to be in there. Lookie what I got!

YAY!!!!!

 

[Whittni]

That's adorable!

 

[farmerfogg]

She came off the nest for less than a minute and I happened to be in there. Lookie what I got!

How exciting! Congratulations!

 

[bobbieschicks]

YAY!!!!!

Xs2! So adorable.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

How exciting! Congratulations!

Eggciting.lol.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

O.K so i have one broody with 9 eggs and they are around 3 days over due so they are obviously not fertile

. But luckily I have another broody with 6 eggs and she still has a another couple of days to go before her hatch date, so what I'm thinking is when/if she hatches at least 2 chicks I'll slip one of the chicks under the other broody to make her feel as though she managed to hatch something. 1) will this even work??? and 2) What do i do if NOTHING hatches at all???

 

[lucyharper123]

I had a cockrel who once sat on eggs !!

 

[cluckcluckluke]

I had a cockrel who once sat on eggs !!

same!!! Such a Character he was (RIR), he would sit in the nest next to his favorite girl then when she left he would squeeze out (very big) and run after her.

 

[bobbieschicks]

O.K so i have one broody with 9 eggs and they are around 3 days over due so they are obviously not fertile . But luckily I have another broody with 6 eggs and she still has a another couple of days to go before her hatch date, so what I'm thinking is when/if she hatches at least 2 chicks I'll slip one of the chicks under the other broody to make her feel as though she managed to hatch something. 1) will this even work??? and 2) What do i do if NOTHING hatches at all???

Sneak out at night and candle one of the eggs. If its dark inside then they just haven't hatched yet. It can take longer than 21 days in the winter for eggs to hatch. If the egg is clear inside then you definitely have an infertile egg. I'd check them all at that point. Do NOT crack them open. I've done it, not worth the seeing IMO. If they are dark, give them another week. When the chicks hatch slipping some under the other broody may work. I've slipped eggs about to hatch under a different broody without problems, but I haven't tried chicks.

 

[bobbieschicks]

O.K so i have one broody with 9 eggs and they are around 3 days over due so they are obviously not fertile . But luckily I have another broody with 6 eggs and she still has a another couple of days to go before her hatch date, so what I'm thinking is when/if she hatches at least 2 chicks I'll slip one of the chicks under the other broody to make her feel as though she managed to hatch something. 1) will this even work??? and 2) What do i do if NOTHING hatches at all???

Oh and try to slip two chicks rather than just one. That way they will have each other to keep warm when momma abandons them at four weeks old.