Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

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Quote: said:
Karen, have you considered putting May and Junior into the smaller coop together so you know if she lays, and if so hopefully the eggs are fertilized?
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Hi Pozees,
Well I can:
1. Leave everything as is.
2. Move May and Junior to the small coop.
3. Move March and her eggs into the small coop.
4. Put May in the broody breaker coop for several days
until she starts to lay and then move her and Junior into
the small coop. ...or to the large coop and move May and
the eggs to the small coop.

Whaddayathink?
Best,
Karen
 
Last edited:
farmhand said:
How does one plan on hatching eggs that you have ordered by mail if your hens are hit and miss in broodyness.  1. If a hen is say 10 days into hatching eggs, and you replace them with your purchased eggs, will she still sit for the whole 21 days?  2. Or can you start eggs in a bator while waiting for a hen to go broody and have her finish them?
farmhand aka Clifford aka Grampa:)
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I noticed this morning my first response got deleted somehow. So I'll try it again.

You can switch out shipped fertile eggs pretty much anytime along the way, as long as she's sitting on fakes she will continue to sit. I have mostly used shipped eggs and its usually a couple of weeks before I decide and get the breed I want. So sometimes they'd sit for 14+ days before getting fertile eggs. My broody who gave up being broody only did so when I took all eggs and fakes away daily.

And I've put bator eggs under them to finish hatching. I waited until day 14, but you could wait longer. I wouldn't wait until they were pipping though because she needs to regulate humidity and it would be too risky at that late date. Putting them under her around day 14 of their incubation gives them a better chance of all conditions being right for hatching.
 
3riverschick said:
 Hi Pozees,
 Well I can:
1.  Leave everything as is.
2. Move May and Junior to the small coop.
3. Move March and her eggs into the small coop.
4. Put May in the broody breaker coop for several days
until she starts to lay and then move her and Junior into
the small coop. ...or to the large coop and move May and
the eggs to the small coop.

Whaddayathink?
 Best,
 Karen
Click to expand...


Here's what I would do...first I'd take all the chickens with month names and line them up in descending order by month so I could keep track of Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr! May...etc. JK!

I would leave them alone. They will be fine. A 6" drop is not very high. My boxes are 24" off the ground and everyone got out just fine at the right time. If you are concerned someone will jump out without the momma, you can put a piece of 2x4 on the ground nearby so they can hop on it and hop back inside the box. Or you could take a piece of landscape fabric, fold it into a long strip and staple it across the lower front of the nest boxes so it provides a temporary barrier to little chicks. The chicks usually stay under momma for the first couple of days and especially during the colder months.
 
I have just looked back on this thread and i cant believe the questions i used to ask! makes me feel really thick!
 
bobbieschicks said:
We were all new and worried at first. Then we realized that the hens know what to do and how.
smile.png
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Haha, hopefully next time round i shouldnt have as many questions!
 

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