Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[chiqita]

Yes to the previous responce. Just make sure once they are out and peeping she does not peck at them.

We have 2 broody hens who are hatching eggs. When the first egg pipped the hen got off the nest, ran around, and squalked in distress. I had my dd put her in the nest and block her in. Dd had put the h
en back un the nest but left the nest again. When I got home the hen was sitting nicely. Dd blocked the second hen in her nest too, she had a Pip.

What are the chances of the first hen making a good mom?

 

[CarolinaHen]

Agnes is stealing eggs from the other nest boxes. If she continues to sit on them, what are the chances she will continue to sit long enough for the others to hatch? There may be as much as three weeks difference :/

 

[chiqita]

She will sit for max 3 days once she has chicks hatch unless you take the chicks away ( and some break thinking they lost the chicks anyway)

I'd either mark the eggs you want her to keep and take her stolen eggs away or pull out the incubator after she has chicks.

 

[saracalderas]

Thank you everyone I'll attempt to clean them. Hopefully they'll be okay on day 7. I'll start saving some eggs just incase.

 

[CarolinaHen]

I don't know how long she has been stealing. I know she only had three under her when she started because that's how many I gave her. They are due to hatch on the 24th. We got a new rooster and moved some girls around, so I didn't think it was too odd that egg production was down until I went in to check on the eggs when Agnes was off of them (there is NO way to check when she's sitting if you want to keep her from freaking out and crushing the eggs). There are about a dozen in the nest now! I didn't mark the first three since that was all I gave her. Lesson learned!

 

[chiqita]

You should be able to candle at night an check. In the past I have had success adding straggler eggs to the hen the first week or so after I hatched in the incubator as long as she is on a smaller space so she sits enough for the newborns.

 

[Island Roo]

I have 42 eggs to hatch. If i can get 3 broodies, is 14 eggs too many for each? Or better with 4 broodies @ 11 each?

 

[fisherlady]

I have 42 eggs to hatch. If i can get 3 broodies, is 14 eggs too many for each? Or better with 4 broodies @ 11 each?

How many eggs per hen depends on the size/fluffiness of the hen. Some can only cover 5 or 6 max, some breeds 15. Generally it's about 6 on bantams and 12 on large fowl and maybe 15 or 16 on large fowl, giant breeds. Folks have had success with more eggs, but your percentage of hatch may be hurt by trying to add too many to a hen and her not being able to truly cover them effectively. I would drop the number by a couple if the weather is cold also. Though not really a problem in the summer.

Second thing is timing... broody hens choose their own timetable for broodiness, it can be encouraged, but not forced. So no good way to plan to have a certain number of hens broody at any given time.

 

[Island Roo]

Thanks!
I have a couple broody rocks already. I'll try to encourage a couple of brahmas. Any tips? I was planning to put a clutch of fake eggs in a couple of nests as bait. Or just put my hatching eggs in.

Maybe a dark coop with no outside access?

 

[CarolinaHen]

You should be able to candle at night an check. In the past I have had success adding straggler eggs to the hen the first week or so after I hatched in the incubator as long as she is on a smaller space so she sits enough for the newborns.

Should I take out the ones hat are obviously much newer than the original three or just leave them in until th others hatch and try to incubate them?