Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Debs55]

My first broody of the year has started hatching her babies! She has random eggs from my layer pen. Counted 7 so far...I believe she has 10 eggs..not sure. Day 21 was tomorrow and I woke to this awesome surprise today!

So cute!!

 

[purplesquirrel]

My first broody of the year has started hatching her babies! She has random eggs from my layer pen. Counted 7 so far...I believe she has 10 eggs..not sure. Day 21 was tomorrow and I woke to this awesome surprise today!

really lovely to see, are any of those hers? She looks a little overwhelmed haha. Chicks are so cute and funny when they're brand new, so round with tiny stick legs, I find them hilarious to watch

 

[Sydney Acres]

My best Dorking hen (22 months old) just went broody on Friday p.m. Darn, I had only been collecting eggs from her for 3 days. I quickly pulled two others that I know are hers out of the refrigerator. Didn't even have a broody pen built yet -- this is so early for her -- and couldn't start building it until yesterday due to my work schedule. But she's the one I want chicks from the most, so I figured if I broke her brood she might not start laying again until too late in the season, so 5 now is better than nothing later. It'll be her first time raising chicks, so it's probably best not to put more than 6 eggs under her anyway, since inexperienced hens might not cover or rotate large numbers properly. She's free range and she was brooding in a flowerbox near my front door -- not exactly a quiet place, not predator-proof for overnight, and at four feet off the ground is too high for the chicks. So I built her a predator-proof cage in the barn and moved her and her nesting material into it last night around 10 p.m. Checked on her at ~1 a.m. today and there was an owl on top of her cage, but she was in her trance so didn't care. (the cage is 6'LX5'WX6'H, so the owl couldn't reach in). At first light she was still setting, so hopefully she will accept the move. I was told to let her set in the new location for at least 2 days on ceramic eggs prior to putting real eggs under her. However, I'm concerned that the eggs are getting old (refrigerated eggs from 3/2 & 3/3, and unrefrigerated eggs from 3/5, 3/6, &3/7). Can I put them under her tonight with only 24 hours in the new location, or is that too risky?

I'm going to borrow an incubator from a friend tonight to incubate another Dorking hen's eggs at the same time, then hopefully sneak the incubator hatched chicks in with this hen (I need to do that to be able to identify which chicks came from which hen -- couldn't figure out how to do it if they're all hatching at the same time under the same hen). I've been told to let the incubator run for 2-3 days prior to putting eggs in it. Is that much time really necessary? I'm trying to coordinate the two hatches so the chicks will be the same ages, but I'm worried about the best hen's eggs getting too old. I'd like the incubator chicks to be no more than one day younger than the hen's chicks, but I can't get the incubator set up until tonight.

I've never hatched out chicks before, either under a hen or with an incubator, so I may have a lot of questions in the next several weeks. Thanks in advance for all your expertise, and your patience.
--April

 

[purplesquirrel]

My best Dorking hen (22 months old) just went broody on Friday p.m. Darn, I had only been collecting eggs from her for 3 days. I quickly pulled two others that I know are hers out of the refrigerator. Didn't even have a broody pen built yet -- this is so early for her -- and couldn't start building it until yesterday due to my work schedule. But she's the one I want chicks from the most, so I figured if I broke her brood she might not start laying again until too late in the season, so 5 now is better than nothing later. It'll be her first time raising chicks, so it's probably best not to put more than 6 eggs under her anyway, since inexperienced hens might not cover or rotate large numbers properly. She's free range and she was brooding in a flowerbox near my front door -- not exactly a quiet place, not predator-proof for overnight, and at four feet off the ground is too high for the chicks. So I built her a predator-proof cage in the barn and moved her and her nesting material into it last night around 10 p.m. Checked on her at ~1 a.m. today and there was an owl on top of her cage, but she was in her trance so didn't care. (the cage is 6'LX5'WX6'H, so the owl couldn't reach in). At first light she was still setting, so hopefully she will accept the move. I was told to let her set in the new location for at least 2 days on ceramic eggs prior to putting real eggs under her. However, I'm concerned that the eggs are getting old (refrigerated eggs from 3/2 & 3/3, and unrefrigerated eggs from 3/5, 3/6, &3/7). Can I put them under her tonight with only 24 hours in the new location, or is that too risky?

I'm going to borrow an incubator from a friend tonight to incubate another Dorking hen's eggs at the same time, then hopefully sneak the incubator hatched chicks in with this hen (I need to do that to be able to identify which chicks came from which hen -- couldn't figure out how to do it if they're all hatching at the same time under the same hen). I've been told to let the incubator run for 2-3 days prior to putting eggs in it. Is that much time really necessary? I'm trying to coordinate the two hatches so the chicks will be the same ages, but I'm worried about the best hen's eggs getting too old. I'd like the incubator chicks to be no more than one day younger than the hen's chicks, but I can't get the incubator set up until tonight.

I've never hatched out chicks before, either under a hen or with an incubator, so I may have a lot of questions in the next several weeks. Thanks in advance for all your expertise, and your patience.
--April

You can incubate eggs that are about 7 days old, and up to 10 days apparently, but after 7 success rate gets a bit lower.
Sit the eggs pointed end down in an egg box at aprox 12 degrees C. Bring them into a warmer room hours before you're going to put them under your broody.
In terms of testing out incubator, I've never let mine run for more than 24 hours, checking temp is correct and if there are any issues with massive fluctuations. Once I even only let it run for 12 hours. It's good to get a separate thermometer with a probe so that you can measure the internal temp, sometimes incubator therm' are out by quite a bit!

I don't know much about putting eggs under a broody, only that people tend to do it at night because they're a lot calmer, mainly because the can't see much. If you're SURE she's broody and dedicated to the cause, I can't see why you can't put the eggs under her in the next 24 hours.x

 

[kimmerjo]

No baby chicks yet....good thing a blizzard has moved in . Hope if they do come they stay warm!

 

[Sydney Acres]

Quote:
Things are looking good so far. I just went out to check on her and she was still brooding. I picked her up (she hadn't touched her food or water in at least 14 hours) and took her to a different area in the barn. Once petted she came out of her broody trance and started eating and drinking. She flapped, stretched, squawked, ate some more, got rid of all the broody poo, all the usual things when a broody "wakes up." After about 20 minutes she started making more broody noises, so I picked her up and took her back to her cage. This was the first time she had seen it out of her trance, so she was a bit confused. She walked around, scratched at some shavings, then saw her nestbox. She immediately fluffed up, climbed in, and moved the ceramic eggs under her breast, and her eyes glazed over into the brood. I think she's ready!!!!

Thank you for mentioning to slightly warm the eggs before putting them under her. I had forgotten about that part. (This is my first time hatching.)

 

[purplesquirrel]

Awesome I think you should go for it! The longer you leave it, the more days she has to sit...please send photos of the results

 

[TeaChick]

If I am understanding you, she is not broody yet, just beginning to lay...and is a Cochin, which is a breed highly prone to brooding.

If that is the case, I would use this time to set up the broody hutch/run now, and move her into it so she gets used to it before she goes into brood mode. It is often harder to move them once they are brooding as some hens resist leaving the original nest and are frantic to get back to it. (See a post above about just that situation).

I find I have much greater success in hatching chicks with broodies when they broody has her own area safe from other intruders, including bossy hens. Fisherlady has great success with community brooding...but she still has all her broodies in one area away from the non-brooding flock, and these broody girls have been raised together and are very laid back type hens. Non-broodies and broodies generally don't mix well as they vie for the nests which means the incubating eggs get stepped on, kicked out, and left in the cold, or fresh eggs are drawn in later. Not great conditions for good hatches.

You will obviously have to give her free range access to the roosters, or the roosters access to her...although eggs laid by a hen are fertile up to 21 days after having mated. However, I would not set any of her first laid eggs. Those are "teen" eggs and generally do not develop well into chicks.

As to making her go broody. There is nothing you can do to make her go broody. (And I would not try to encourage her until she is laying better eggs). You can help along a highly prone bird who already possesses the genetics and is already "hormonal" to brood by placing them in a quiet, dark, cushy nest with about 6 eggs or dummies, away from others, away from drafts, and fairly warm. This often helps kick in the natural process. Several factors are at work here. The pressure of the eggs (a certain amount is needed) will press against a spot on her breast to trigger the brooding hormone...you have to have enough eggs in order to do this....how many depends on the bird. The dark will quiet her and the warmth will raise her body temperature and help her broody hormones kick in.

Then cross your fingers. If she is close, you often can trigger a good brood that way. Wait and watch. You'll recognize a good brood...she will sit and sit, barely getting up for a quick nibble, sip of water, and one big poo...then will be back onto the nest into a trance like stare growling at anything that attempts to come near her.

Good luck. Post pics when she goes broody for you.

Lady of McCamley

Yes, you are correct about everything (except that I did not intend to make her go broody; I see how I was unclear there, sorry).
Thank you for the advice and information.
I've dated her eggs the day she lays them, so I know when she laid each egg.
About how many or how long should I collect them? (considering I want her to go broody)
Also, she has her own nesting bucket; she's not laying in the nesting boxes where the LF hens lay and they do not (currently anyway) lay in her nest.
I'll be building new pens/coops soon, so I'll make sure that one of them is a good place for her to brood.
Thanks again!!! =D

 

[TeaChick]

@fisherlady

Oh my goodness... that is just to surreal. How awesome! Good for them. What good little mommas. All the little cousins will have fun growing up together.

Although...you could also have some fun with these photos too.....

Lady of McCamley

Joined with more than love, Siamese Chickens hatch chicks together! ....or Two Headed Chicken Hatches Twice the Chicks!

 

[TeaChick]

My first broody of the year has started hatching her babies! She has random eggs from my layer pen. Counted 7 so far...I believe she has 10 eggs..not sure. Day 21 was tomorrow and I woke to this awesome surprise today!