Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[OHfarmerswife]

Bunny's eggs are due to hatch on Wednesday but I don't old out hope for them. If they haven't hatched by Friday I will remove them and hope she's ready to give up sitting.

Keeping my fingers crossed for Bunny!
Thursday will be day 21 for my broody.
It has been cold here in Ohio, so I should keep going
till day 25?

 

[bobbieschicks]

Keeping my fingers crossed for Bunny!
Thursday will be day 21 for my broody.
It has been cold here in Ohio, so I should keep going
till day 25?

That's usually when I stop waiting. I suppose you could wait longer but most likely by that time they aren't going to hatch. Sometimes we miscalculate the hatch date so what we think is day 21 is really just day 20 or it could be day 22. So you have a little flex there, but at four days after due it's far less likely of an error in due date. Even with cold weather she shouldn't be much past 21 days. You won't always know the eggs are going to hatch as sometimes they aren't noisy or chirping. I've had eggs hatch on day 23 that I thought nothing was happening in, but I couldn't tell because the eggs were too dark to candle.

Hope you get your chicks by Thursday

 

[chickenmomma16]

Bunny's eggs are due to hatch on Wednesday but I don't old out hope for them. If they haven't hatched by Friday I will remove them and hope she's ready to give up sitting.

Keeping my fingers crossed for Bunny!
Thursday will be day 21 for my broody.
It has been cold here in Ohio, so I should keep going
till day 25?

I will be on day 21 on Friday. I hope we all have some chick action next week!

My last broody waited on her own for 3 days after a few chicks already hatched. She even took them out, got food and water and came back to the nest on her own. If I didn't have any chicks hatch I would wait 25 days. If you do have a few chicks hatch I would let the broody decide when to leave the nest with the chicks that hatched..

 

[gg706]

My broody went to the nest box tonight instead of the roost , after being out all day, after I took her eggs and cleaned out the nest......hopeful she will forget about it and get on with normal life and put some weight on for next time!
I have some chicks that are 5 or 6 weeks old..she was VERY interested in them so I let into their pen. She found "stuff" and seemed to call them at times, but would peck and "attack" them here and there.... I would remove her from the pen because of her "bad" behavior, and she would pace the fence clucking until I let her back in with them. The chicks are roosting in the same area as my year old flock but with a fence between...she wanted to be on the chick side of the fence. Would she take the chicks possibly even though they are so old and not "hers" ? Should I nurture it or cut it off, she is at this time separating herself from her previous flock and sticking around with the chicks. I do not want her to lose her place in her flock. Not sure what to do, has anyone had this experience?

 

[OHfarmerswife]

That's usually when I stop waiting. I suppose you could wait longer but most likely by that time they aren't going to hatch. Sometimes we miscalculate the hatch date so what we think is day 21 is really just day 20 or it could be day 22. So you have a little flex there, but at four days after due it's far less likely of an error in due date. Even with cold weather she shouldn't be much past 21 days. You won't always know the eggs are going to hatch as sometimes they aren't noisy or chirping. I've had eggs hatch on day 23 that I thought nothing was happening in, but I couldn't tell because the eggs were too dark to candle.

Hope you get your chicks by Thursday

Thanks hope to hear about yours on Wednesday.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

I will be on day 21 on Friday. I hope we all have some chick action next week!

My last broody waited on her own for 3 days after a few chicks already hatched. She even took them out, got food and water and came back to the nest on her own. If I didn't have any chicks hatch I would wait 25 days. If you do have a few chicks hatch I would let the broody decide when to leave the nest with the chicks that hatched..

Thanks for the advice!

One question please to all of you.
I let the broody out twice a day to eat, drink, and run around a bit. She has food & water in her enclosure. Should I continue with this or leave her on her own these last few days?

 

[rebecuna]

My broody went to the nest box tonight instead of the roost , after being out all day, after I took her eggs and cleaned out the nest......hopeful she will forget about it and get on with normal life and put some weight on for next time!
I have some chicks that are 5 or 6 weeks old..she was VERY interested in them so I let into their pen. She found "stuff" and seemed to call them at times, but would peck and "attack" them here and there.... I would remove her from the pen because of her "bad" behavior, and she would pace the fence clucking until I let her back in with them. The chicks are roosting in the same area as my year old flock but with a fence between...she wanted to be on the chick side of the fence. Would she take the chicks possibly even though they are so old and not "hers" ? Should I nurture it or cut it off, she is at this time separating herself from her previous flock and sticking around with the chicks. I do not want her to lose her place in her flock. Not sure what to do, has anyone had this experience?

I read here that the problem is usually the chicks not responding to her once they're more than a few days old. I would think your 5 week olds would not accept her as the mama hen. But I don't know why it would be a problem for her to hang around them, as long as she's not hurting them.

I just checked on my eggs due to hatch today, and the one I pulled out that was closest to the "edge" had little lines scratched into the outside of the shell. Is this from the chick trying to get out, possibly? Or scratches from the broody's claws? It looks like if I were to take my fingernail and scrape the egg (it's a dark one), but jagged-y like the egg was cracked (although when I felt it it was still totally firm).

 

[fisherlady]

Thanks for the advice!

One question please to all of you.
I let the broody out twice a day to eat, drink, and run around a bit. She has food & water in her enclosure. Should I continue with this or leave her on her own these last few days?

Allow her the option... if she doesn't get up when you open the door then let her be. Since she has food and water available in her enclosure she can get it if/when she wants. They are regulating temps and humidity in their own sort of 'lock down', so allow them to decide when they want up.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Allow her the option... if she doesn't get up when you open the door then let her be.  Since she has food and water available in her enclosure she can get it if/when she wants.  They are regulating temps and humidity in their own sort of 'lock down', so allow them to decide when they want up.

Thanks. I usually havetomoveheroftheeggs

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Allow her the option... if she doesn't get up when you open the door then let her be.  Since she has food and water available in her enclosure she can get it if/when she wants.  They are regulating temps and humidity in their own sort of 'lock down', so allow them to decide when they want up.

Thanks. I usually havetomoveheroftheeggs