Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[OHfarmerswife]

Today is day 14, so I decided to candle my eggs (8).
The Lavendar Ameraucana eggs I could see a chick I think, definitely saw the veins.
The rest of the eggs are Olive eggers and they all look ok just harder to see.
No cracks and no bad smells.
I am actually getting excited.
21 days will be April 4th, but will wait until day 25 which will be April 8th (also my birthday) what more could a girl want????

I do have another question!!!!!

I let Mary out twice a day once at noon and then again in the late afternoon when I let the chickens out to free range on our 3 acres of grass.
At noon she takes a long dust bath and then eats a bit and drinks a bit, even though I do have both in the penned in area with the eggs.
In late afternoon she goes out and eats some grass, scratches for scratch that I put out and eats some corn.

Should I keep this schedule or should I stop the closer we get to hatch date????

Thanks again in advance!!! I love this page!!!
You guys have been such a help to me

 

[Moni]

I recandled again tonight.. Out of 12 I discarded 1 that was either infertile or an early quitter. So Baby Girl is still sitting on 11 that look real good. I can't believe she is covering that many eggs!!! Good thing it's getting very warm here in Louisiana... Lol ... She may cover 11 eggs but I dont think she can cover 11 new chicks!!!

 

[bobbieschicks]

As I posted earlier since she's a LF I would be willing to chance 6 eggs with a first timer.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I recandled again tonight.. Out of 12 I discarded 1 that was either infertile or an early quitter. So Baby Girl is still sitting on 11 that look real good. I can't believe she is covering that many eggs!!! Good thing it's getting very warm here in Louisiana... Lol ... She may cover 11 eggs but I dont think she can cover 11 new chicks!!!

And she has to cover them to 4 weeks old too.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Today is day 14, so I decided to candle my eggs (8).
The Lavendar Ameraucana eggs I could see a chick I think, definitely saw the veins.
The rest of the eggs are Olive eggers and they all look ok just harder to see.
No cracks and no bad smells.
I am actually getting excited.
21 days will be April 4th, but will wait until day 25 which will be April 8th (also my birthday) what more could a girl want????

I do have another question!!!!!

I let Mary out twice a day once at noon and then again in the late afternoon when I let the chickens out to free range on our 3 acres of grass.
At noon she takes a long dust bath and then eats a bit and drinks a bit, even though I do have both in the penned in area with the eggs.
In late afternoon she goes out and eats some grass, scratches for scratch that I put out and eats some corn.

Should I keep this schedule or should I stop the closer we get to hatch date????

Thanks again in advance!!! I love this page!!!
You guys have been such a help to me

I put Topsy out all the way up until day 17 then I left her alone. I figure that's when I'm supposed to stop turning eggs, raise the humidity, and leave the bator closed, so I stop messing with the hens then too. They are after all little bators.

This time I haven't put Bunny out and she's managed to get out on her own. I even caught her running around with the gang the other day. But she didn't stay out long.

 

[countryhen]

Is it ok to put shipped eggs under a broody?

 

[bobbieschicks]

my silkie has 3 eggs right now I candled them but cant see anything? not sure I know what to look for any advice I am using a LED flashlight

Silky eggs are smaller and dark enough they can be a challenge. I look to see if they are clear by day 7. If not, I assume the chick is growing. Then on day 14 I check to see if there is a big dark area, if so I know the chick is growing. On day 17 I leave the hen and eggs alone until after hatch. On day 25 I remove the unhatched and discard without looking inside.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I just wanted to announce my first broody of the year!  Well, I think I have another broody but have had no success finding her.  This one had been missing for 2 weeks when I finally figured out where she disappeared to.  She had 17 or 18 eggs underneath her but when candled none were viable.  They were fertile, most of them did nothing or started and died within a couple days.  I am guessing they sat out in the cold and freezing temperatures for to long before she started to sit.  They were all rotten.
She now has 9 long tail mix eggs underneath her and I am excited for my first broody this year!  Can't wait for babies.

Here is some pictures of my little witch right now.  She is normally pretty friendly so I was a little surprised by her ultra nasty broody temper but this is her first time being broody ever too.

What a pretty Easter basket congrats on the broody!

 

[bobbieschicks]

I candled my eggs today........      I really tried not to, but I couldn't help myself. I think they are all viable and living. I couldnt see anything only darkness inside the egg. They are brown eggs and seem to be very difficult to see anything thru...or it is my flashlight?  It is a big LED flashlight ?????
None of them had any hideous smell or anything. So I am hopeful any day now      This is TORTURE!  I am going to leave them alone from now on out so I don't do any damage to them. Hopeful I havent already...

What day are you on?

 

[bobbieschicks]

1 is a ex batt who until today has been one of Babs's best friends for 2 years, 2 are Buff Orpingtons and the other 2 are mix breeds. Hatin' them all at the minute.

That's the thing about chickens...sometimes they will all be getting along and suddenly one will just out of the blue peck another one. It's like they are saying, "Hey! Don't you forget who is the boss around here!"