Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Debs55]

Well my eggs were supposed to hatch today. But nothing yet. Fingers crossed for some babies

 

[karlamaria]

Well, guess what? We have chicks, can not believe it, I was floored to come home and see six chicks so far and two out of the nest and her sitting there looking at them. I put her in the top nest and put a gate in front of her. hopefully that will hold her until all are hatched. I'm going to candle the remaining eggs. So we got 2 hatchlings from 2 white eggs, one blue egg, and 2 brown eggs. And one cream colored egg, very light cream color. Wonder what that is ? I'm so happy, chicks ! I will post pictures later . All this and she left her nest several times to sit on others freezing her eggs. It was crazy as she would leave her nest and sit on infertile eggs from my chickens. I would come home from work and her eggs would be so cold like they came from the fridge. It has gotten down to the teens here.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Well, guess what? We have chicks, can not believe it, I was floored to come home and see six chicks so far and two out of the nest and her sitting there looking at them. I put her in the top nest and put a gate in front of her. hopefully that will hold her until all are hatched. I'm going to candle the remaining eggs. So we got 2 hatchlings from 2 white eggs, one blue egg, and 2 brown eggs. And one cream colored egg, very light cream color. Wonder what that is ? I'm so happy, chicks ! I will post pictures later . All this and she left her nest several times to sit on others freezing her eggs. It was crazy as she would leave her nest and sit on infertile eggs from my chickens. I would come home from work and her eggs would be so cold like they came from the fridge. It has gotten down to the teens here.

Congrats!!!!
I just love watching my little peeps.

 

[karlamaria]

I'm pretty flabbergasted , those eggs sat for a few hours in the cold while she sat on warm eggs laid through the day from my infertile girls frankly I was going to pitch them. She has several under her still, I'm going to candle tonight. There not even due until to or row and I'd assumed if any hatched it would be next week because it's so cold here, but to leave them and let them get cold so many times , I'm surprised there alive! I blocked her in for a few days, so she stays put!

 

[bobbieschicks]

My broodys com is a pale pink and curled over. Any suggestions. She has food & water in her enclosure, but doesn't seem to touch it. I do pull her off the nest twice a day. She eats, drinks & dust bathes.

That is typical with a broody. Just make sure she's eating and give her some scrambled eggs from time to time. What you are doing is fine.

 

[Audio51]

Has anyone had luck using a broody when hatching shipped eggs.....AND detached air sacs? I got some call eggs with some pretty bad air sacs. I thought about putting the eggs that look the best under the broody and see if I can fit the rest in there bator.

Any ideas?

I have a broody hen on shipped eggs right now. She was on some that arrived a week earlier and when I swapped the older ones with the new ones I must have missed 2. Those hatched last weekend under her. She allowed me to take the chicks and put them inside with the other chicks from the earlier clutch and has continued to incubate the 2nd clutch like a champ! The ones she is on now are due this weekend so we will see if she has been able to carry it off! SHe was broody for a full 2 weeks before I gave her the first batch of shipped eggs so that will make a total of 6 weeks of incubating.

 

[karlamaria]

My broody hatched out all viable eggs , she started with ten, we pitched out 3 leaving her 7 and today we found 6 ,maybe 7 chicks, and 7 more eggs unhatched lol, all seven were clear,they were our eggs lol that were laid by my girls when she got out of the box to eat or move to a new box. So we got 6 chicks, maybe 7 , I just can not tell as I do not want to bother her.

 

[wolftracks]

My co-broodies are still hatching out chicks one or 2 at a time. They've hatched 7, but one had shell stuck all over it and was cold when I went to pull it out. It lasted about a day, but the others are very healthy. There's still 5 eggs and last year I let the one sit and all the chicks were killed. Didn't trust her. Although they both seem to be taking care of the chicks and the one that went it to help pecks the heck out of me, I still need those other eggs hatched. I just let the first one sit since I was gone for 4 days and my teen son couldn't get the eggs away from her. He's not into the chickens. LOL Then more eggs showed and I just collected from the other box. Long long hatch this way. I'm wondering why when my American Game hens take off, they always show up with a ton of chicks and all at the same age. My Phoenix are kind of my oddballs I guess.

 

[OffGridMAMA]

Mama #1 hatched 7/12 eggs..
One fully formed chick died, stuck to shell... belly was odd. Kinda clear/very thin not right. She pushed him aside and chick died. three remaining eggs were small pullet eggs and clear. Other two eggs dissapeared?
I am assuming they were clear and were eaten... no shells left in box..
So she hatched all that was viable. Good momma moved her and chicks to a partition in corner of hen house. In plain view of flock, but protected. All the chicks are running around being cute. Spent waaay too much time in there today lol. Still can't get a good picture...

 

[Debs55]

So far one baby

3 eggs to go!