Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[jjdent]

Thank you!

 

[YDotties]

Well, my first time broody has abandoned the two eggs we gave her to sit. I found her in an empty nest box yesterday afternoon when I came home from work, but the eggs were still lukewarm so I moved her back into the right nest box. However, this morning I checked on her and I found her sitting in the empty nest box again. The eggs she left in the neighboring nest box were ice cold. The low here last night was 31. She must have moved off them at some point in the middle of the night because when I closed everything up last evening she was still on the eggs. As cold as the eggs are, there's no way they could still be viable. Maybe she knows they are "bad eggs" and that's why she abandoned them and the nest box. Too bad. We were looking forward to seeing what the wyandotte peeps looked like that came from our chickens. I'm considering giving her a couple store-bought peeps instead.

 

[CarolinaHen]

I usually wait until they have been on the nest for three days before giving them eggs I want to hatch. Some hens will sit for a while, but not commit.

 

[bumpercarr]

Well, my first time broody has abandoned the two eggs we gave her to sit. I found her in an empty nest box yesterday afternoon when I came home from work, but the eggs were still lukewarm so I moved her back into the right nest box. However, this morning I checked on her and I found her sitting in the empty nest box again. The eggs she left in the neighboring nest box were ice cold. The low here last night was 31. She must have moved off them at some point in the middle of the night because when I closed everything up last evening she was still on the eggs. As cold as the eggs are, there's no way they could still be viable. Maybe she knows they are "bad eggs" and that's why she abandoned them and the nest box. Too bad. We were looking forward to seeing what the wyandotte peeps looked like that came from our chickens. I'm considering giving her a couple store-bought peeps instead.

Mine went broody for 3 days and I put some eggs out of the incubator under her , a cold front came through, and she just got up and left the eggs. They only had about 5 days left before hatching. Fortunately, I caught it while they were still warm and had the incubator going already, so I put them in the bator. Should have hatched yesterday, no sign of life, so I'm thinking that they were left alone too long before I caught them. She's normally a great broody, I'm thinking that the cold front changed her "mood".

 

[quailtrail]

Have my first experience with a broody hen...day #3. I gave her some hot oatmeal with BOSS and cracked corn. She left her nesting box to eat then right back in. She has 5 eggs in her nesting box. I'm not sure where the others are now laying as nothing found second day in a row??? Im in Maine so its still cold here. Should I remove her and eggs to the inside???

 

[fisherlady]

Have my first experience with a broody hen...day #3. I gave her some hot oatmeal with BOSS and cracked corn. She left her nesting box to eat then right back in. She has 5 eggs in her nesting box. I'm not sure where the others are now laying as nothing found second day in a row??? Im in Maine so its still cold here. Should I remove her and eggs to the inside???

I wouldn't move her... just mark the eggs with a line around the center of them (so it is visible no matter how it is turned in the nest) and watch how she does. Our hens are hatching all winter in the coop, and they do fine. Just make sure the nest is well cushioned with good bedding for her to settle into and watch for other sneaky hens to add eggs to the nest (the reason for marking)

If you notice that she is being bothered a lot in her spot then you may want to place chicken wire or similar fencing to block off access for the other hens. But she could even be moved (preferably at night) to a quiet corner within the coop to continue her brood if you need to free up her current nest site for egg layers.

If you are going to candle them then you will probably want to either number or letter the eggs also so you can keep track of any that need special attention or rechecks.

Good luck! Enjoy! Broody hens are awesome, but can be nerve wracking...

 

[quailtrail]

I wouldn't move her... just mark the eggs with a line around the center of them (so it is visible no matter how it is turned in the nest) and watch how she does.  Our hens are hatching all winter in the coop, and they do fine.  Just make sure the nest is well cushioned with good bedding for her to settle into and watch for other sneaky hens to add eggs to the nest (the reason for marking)

 If you notice that she is being bothered a lot in her spot then you may want to place chicken wire or similar fencing to block off access for the other hens. But she could even be moved (preferably at night) to a quiet corner within the coop to continue her brood if you need to free up her current nest site for egg layers.

If you are going to candle them then you will probably want to either number or letter the eggs also so you can keep track of any that need special attention or rechecks.

Good luck! Enjoy!  Broody hens are awesome, but can be nerve wracking...

just in my first yr of having chickens so wasn't ready for this...but so happy and excited! !!

 

[CooperDooper]

Definitely mark the original eggs. I just had my first hatch under my first broody. All went really well. My biggest shock was that she had stolen 4 eggs over the course of 3 weeks and ours aren't fertilized. Fortunately I could tell which they were and removed them to make sure the fertilized ones were able to stay warm and had room under her.
Good luck - it's a lot of fun in the end I was shocked at how little she ate but they know what they're doing.

 

[RI Redd]

Hello,
Wonder if someone could answer a couple of questions. I moved two broody hens with eggs to another pen a few days ago to keep them from being aggravated by the rest of my flock. I moved them at night as recommended. I went to check on them 2 hours after the move and one of them had gotten in the nest with the other leaving her eggs. They were cold to the touch. I replaced her and placed a partial barricade in front of the nest to keep them at home through the night. 1 hour later I went back to check on them and they were both out of the nest, however the second nest's eggs were not cold but had cooled down. I placed all eggs in the incubator and placed some eggs from the refrigerator in the nest to see if they would return the next morning. Both of them did return and tended the eggs for 48 hours so I replaced the original eggs under the hens and as of now all is well. My question is what temperature can eggs reach, and how long can the be unattended before the loose there viability?

Tim

 

[fisherlady]

Hello,
Wonder if someone could answer a couple of questions. I moved two broody hens with eggs to another pen a few days ago to keep them from being aggravated by the rest of my flock. I moved them at night as recommended. I went to check on them 2 hours after the move and one of them had gotten in the nest with the other leaving her eggs. They were cold to the touch. I replaced her and placed a partial barricade in front of the nest to keep them at home through the night. 1 hour later I went back to check on them and they were both out of the nest, however the second nest's eggs were not cold but had cooled down. I placed all eggs in the incubator and placed some eggs from the refrigerator in the nest to see if they would return the next morning. Both of them did return and tended the eggs for 48 hours so I replaced the original eggs under the hens and as of now all is well. My question is what temperature can eggs reach, and how long can the be unattended before the loose there viability?

Tim

I can't answer that through direct experience, but have heard stories of incubator heat loss which allowed temps of 80F degrees for short periods with delayed, but successful hatches. You may get more experienced or exact answers by searching in the incubation thread where folks keep track of their temps on a daily basis. I would expect that the impact of the temp change would be different also depending on when it happened (what day of incubation) but again, the folks who incubate routinely and track their temps would be better able to answer that.