Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Tara80]

I'm a little late to this but I've got a big ol' dark Cornish girl who decided she wanted some babies and has been sitting on eggs for almost 3 weeks now.
I've had two Welsummer hens hatch eggs this summer and she decided to follow in their footsteps.
I just wonder if they'll successfully hatch just because she's so big, heavy and round and I have no idea how she could possibly turn her eggs or sit on them without doing some kind of damage; but it's not from lack of trying on her end!

 

[cherryjojo]

Hi. I'm hoping for some advice. We have a broody who has been sat on fertilised eggs for 24 days now. We heard peeping and tapping on day 22 so have left her til now but with no more noise have move her today. Found one dead chick half out of shell. The other 5 eggs are quiet. I believe they will all have either not developed or died by now

my question is what do I do now as she is still setting. Should I take the rest of the eggs and hope she snaps out of it, or get some more eggs? We have one other layer in with her so my concern is she will keep taking her eggs and stay broody. She was broody for a week before she got the eggs, so has been broody a month now, and although she is looking well, I worry another 3 weeks is too much, especially with the weather getting cooler (we're in England)

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[chickydee64]

Hi. I'm hoping for some advice. We have a broody who has been sat on fertilised eggs for 24 days now. We heard peeping and tapping on day 22 so have left her til now but with no more noise have move her today. Found one dead chick half out of shell. The other 5 eggs are quiet. I believe they will all have either not developed or died by now

my question is what do I do now as she is still setting. Should I take the rest of the eggs and hope she snaps out of it, or get some more eggs? We have one other layer in with her so my concern is she will keep taking her eggs and stay broody. She was broody for a week before she got the eggs, so has been broody a month now, and although she is looking well, I worry another 3 weeks is too much, especially with the weather getting cooler (we're in England)

Any help would be much appreciated.

I have a hunch you may get conflicting thoughts about this.
Here is my experience.one of my hens sat twice on fertile eggs without success.. I don't know why.
And I could not get her to quit.............I was careful that she ate . I had two other broodys, when their eggs were due. I put an egg from each broody under her and she hatched them....so my story is, she sat for almost 60 days and did fine.
Any chance you could get her a few day old chicks ?

 

[chickydee64]

I'm a little late to this but I've got a big ol' dark Cornish girl who decided she wanted some babies and has been sitting on eggs for almost 3 weeks now.
I've had two Welsummer hens hatch eggs this summer and she decided to follow in their footsteps.
I just wonder if they'll successfully hatch just because she's so big, heavy and round and I have no idea how she could possibly turn her eggs or sit on them without doing some kind of damage; but it's not from lack of trying on her end!

They are soo smart................I think it will be fine...............Let us know..................

 

[bumpercarr]

Hi. I'm hoping for some advice. We have a broody who has been sat on fertilised eggs for 24 days now. We heard peeping and tapping on day 22 so have left her til now but with no more noise have move her today. Found one dead chick half out of shell. The other 5 eggs are quiet. I believe they will all have either not developed or died by now

my question is what do I do now as she is still setting. Should I take the rest of the eggs and hope she snaps out of it, or get some more eggs? We have one other layer in with her so my concern is she will keep taking her eggs and stay broody. She was broody for a week before she got the eggs, so has been broody a month now, and although she is looking well, I worry another 3 weeks is too much, especially with the weather getting cooler (we're in England)

Any help would be much appreciated.

I agree with ChickyDee64. I had a hen sit for just a few days short of 2 months until she finally hatched an egg. She was fine, although she had lost some weight. If she is determined, try getting her some more eggs. If they've already been sat on or in the incubator (don't let them get cold during transfer though), those would be best. My broodys won't break broody until they get a chick. So, if I don't want very many more chickens, I give them one egg to hatch and some duds. If I only give them one, they will steal eggs until they have what they think is a good clutch. Go figure.

 

[spchicken]

What are good first signs to a fertilized egg? How do I know for sure?

 

[chickydee64]

Hi. I'm hoping for some advice. We have a broody who has been sat on fertilised eggs for 24 days now. We heard peeping and tapping on day 22 so have left her til now but with no more noise have move her today. Found one dead chick half out of shell. The other 5 eggs are quiet. I believe they will all have either not developed or died by now

my question is what do I do now as she is still setting. Should I take the rest of the eggs and hope she snaps out of it, or get some more eggs? We have one other layer in with her so my concern is she will keep taking her eggs and stay broody. She was broody for a week before she got the eggs, so has been broody a month now, and although she is looking well, I worry another 3 weeks is too much, especially with the weather getting cooler (we're in England)

Any help would be much appreciated.

Forgot to say..............................

 

[Tara80]

Quote:
That's what I'm hoping! She seems to be doing a pretty good job all on her own, so I just gave her a warm, dry and safe place to stay put with her eggs until *something* happens.

 

[Kylaaaaa22]

This is my hen! She went broody for almost a month. It seems. She just started sitting on eggs one day and now she has chicks! There was 4 under her.
I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do next. These are my forst chickens, we had gotten her and 3 more (2 roosters & 1 other hen) from someone who got them to use only for Easter pictures, then bought 4 Black Jersey Giants (one rooster in that set). I decided to raise them myself indoors, then when they was big enough I put them outside. Now this is all new to me. what do I do next? Do I bring the chicks that hatch indoors to raise them like I did her and the others we have?

 

[Tara80]

Mom will take care of them, if she's a good mom! Just keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't abandon them, crush them etc. All you need to do is make sure they've got food and water. She will keep them warm and show them the ropes.