Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[momofLC]

Hi, I am sooo new to all this. My golden Cochin sat on six eggs, hatched only one. She has been pecking at the poor thing. He is three and half weeks old
and his nearly bald under his wings and sides. I took it away and put it under a heat lamp in my house. How long does it need to have the heat lamp and
when can it go with the adults? I also have another hen which just hatched 2/4 eggs two days ago. When can I put this little guy with them?

 

[coyotesmommy]

Ditto!

It's so hard to give up control and leave it to the mama's! They pushed two eggs out from under them and it's so hard for me to not put them back in lol. One they pushed all the way onto the floor, but it had a crack in it before so they're just doing their job and the other they cracked completley open for some reasn and there were no insides left... so not sure what happened there.

well I learned the hard way not to put cracked eggs back in the nest I had one that was developing well and didn't want to throw it away, well I didn't and it broke all over the nest and the other eggs.

 

[coyotesmommy]

Hi, I am sooo new to all this.  My golden Cochin sat on six eggs, hatched only one.  She has been pecking at the poor thing.  He is three and half weeks old
and his nearly bald under his wings and sides.  I took it away and put it under a heat lamp in my house.  How long does it need to have the heat lamp and
when can it go with the adults?  I also have another hen which just hatched 2/4 eggs two days ago.  When can I put this little guy with them?  

oh poor little baby moving him would be something to try.

 

[Nike]

I'm not sure how she stays so clean! She's a pretty neat chicken. Neat like organized, all the other broodies forget which nest is theirs but she always remembers lol.

I discovered that my hen Prim laid another egg without me knowing it! So today, its been about a week and a half since I looked at any of the eggs and she has seven instead of 6 lol. One of her own tiny bantam eggs.

 

[mg15]

Dottie has an egg that is making peep sounds. But there is no hole.

How long can the chick live in the shell with no hole. ?
an hour, etc.

 

[Fowl Menagerie]

momof lc If chick is 3 1/2 weeks old and is in the house it probably does not need heat at all. It will be happier with a little light but should not need the heat. You can introduce it to the other chickens a little at a time and see how it goes.

 

[Nike]

Dottie has an egg that is making peep sounds. But there is no hole.

How long can the chick live in the shell with no hole. ?
an hour, etc.

i heard they will peep inside the eggs before they are hatched sometimes and the mom will cluck back... not sure if it's true but i heard that.

 

[fisherlady]

Dottie has an egg that is making peep sounds. But there is no hole.

How long can the chick live in the shell with no hole. ?
an hour, etc.

Ours have cheeped back and forth with mamma hen for a full day before hatch... really sweet to hear the broody cooing back to them.

 

[UnionMan]

Well I am new letting a broody hatch eggs. Today is day 20 since I put 8 eggs under my Broody Black Copper Maran. One of the eggs was found scattered in the run shortly after she sat on them. But today on day 20 About 5 hours ago (It is 10pm here in Virginia right now) I saw she had stolen some new eggs. She is setting on Silver Ameraucana eggs so I know the Brown eggs she added today were new. So as I was taking the 3 or so new brown eggs from her I noticed a small hole in one of the eggs. At first I though she had broken an egg or another hen had broken one while she was taking one of her breaks. But then I saw movement inside the egg. Just went outside to take a look before bed and no sign of a chick out of the shell yet. Guess Ill have to wait till tomorrow morning and hopefully have some surprises. I put a small feeder with starter feed and a small water near the broody and gave her separate space using chicken wire in case the chicks hatch tonight. Don't want the other hens to try and attack the chicks. Just hope I am doing everything correct.

 

[fisherlady]

Well I am new letting a broody hatch eggs. Today is day 20 since I put 8 eggs under my Broody Black Copper Maran. One of the eggs was found scattered in the run shortly after she sat on them. But today on day 20 About 5 hours ago (It is 10pm here in Virginia right now) I saw she had stolen some new eggs. She is setting on Silver Ameraucana eggs so I know the Brown eggs she added today were new. So as I was taking the 3 or so new brown eggs from her I noticed a small hole in one of the eggs. At first I though she had broken an egg or another hen had broken one while she was taking one of her breaks. But then I saw movement inside the egg. Just went outside to take a look before bed and no sign of a chick out of the shell yet. Guess Ill have to wait till tomorrow morning and hopefully have some surprises. I put a small feeder with starter feed and a small water near the broody and gave her separate space using chicken wire in case the chicks hatch tonight. Don't want the other hens to try and attack the chicks. Just hope I am doing everything correct.

Sounds good... the only thing I would suggest is to make sure the waterer either is one for chicks or that it has marbles or small stones in it so the chicks can't fall in. Once the chicks are out of the nest and moving around well you can decide when you think it is right to remove the fence. Have fun with them!