Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[OHfarmerswife]

ahhh so happy

My broody just hatched out 5 out of 6 eggs today! The other one was a dud. So my first time broody coching just got a %100 success.

congrats....so cute!

 

[Frost Homestead]

I can join this thread since I have my first broody hen!! She is a Silkie/EE and this is her first time too. She's only been laying for a couple months, so I was surprised when she started sitting on the nest but her timing is great because my Polish hen, who only lays a few times a month

, laid an egg the same day as well as my game hen. So.... I am anxiously waiting for June 24!

Let us know how it goes!

 

[CarolinaHen]

Will do! I'm so excited!!

 

[Roxannemc]

This story is hilarious! I haven't seen a broody steal eggs from another broody, but I haven't had two broody at the same time. It just made me laugh! I have pictures in my head of the banty looking all innocent until the other hen isn't looking and then reaching over and rolling one under her. Too funny.

I laughed too. Funny picturing it

 

[Roxannemc]

Was this a fertile egg? Today was day 21 so it wasn't viable, but I haven't hatched a chick from my rooster yet. This is my second clutch to fail and I was wondering if he's shooting blanks. What do you guys think?


I still have 2 broodies on 14 eggs that are hopefully fertilized by him, so I'm hopeful this is an embryo and not just rotten egg?

Looks like an embroy to me .Hard to tell but looks sort of malformed though and day 21? Sure? this looks way earlier like a couple weeks at very most No feathers so not more than that if that late. How big is it?

 

[Johnn]

Chicks had their first dust bath today, notice how sometimes they disappear? mama was rolling on top of them!:

 

[bobbieschicks]

Noticed a broken shell under my two broodies when I was cleaning the coop and retrieving new eggs. The little buggers had a freshly laid green egg next to the one they've been trying to hatch.

I figured the brown Orpington egg was bad and they broke it. But then I heard a faint chirp and saw an adorable feather legged black chick hopping around near them.

So the broodies have a chick!

 

[Johnn]

Noticed a broken shell under my two broodies when I was cleaning the coop and retrieving new eggs. The little buggers had a freshly laid green egg next to the one they've been trying to hatch.

I figured the brown Orpington egg was bad and they broke it. But then I heard a faint chirp and saw an adorable feather legged black chick hopping around near them.

So the broodies have a chick!

Congrats! Lets hope they will happily share the little one!

 

[Kassaundra]

Congrats on the new baby chick.

So far my broody experience has not been going well. Started w/ 12 eggs, my husband accidentally broke one early on, one disappeared w/o a trace, one hatched and died a couple of hours later w/ liquid yolk covering it's belly, the other started to hatch, but never made it out of the shell all the way died last night in the shell. 8 left she is a very aggressive broody so not sure if any more are pipped.

 

[Roxannemc]

Looks like an embroy to me .Hard to tell but looks sort of malformed though and day 21? Sure? this looks way earlier like a couple weeks at very most No feathers so not more than that if that late. How big is it?

How old is the rooster?Is he new to covering the hens? I had one like that pretty young and took a couple months before his eggs were actually fertile
Actually have a couple more roos like that too
Hens laying away for the last 2 months not one was fertile
Im no expert but maybe some take a while to get fertile once they start.
Just a guess.
Have you watched? Some of my hens are cranky and just dont stand for being jumped on Will chase a roo off unless hes really bold. they have to mature and get more brazen.