Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Chicklette 1]

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Sorry country girl, most likely the other chickens ate the other eggs, are you sure they were alive? hope this one makes it.

well the first egg that was damaged yesterday by getting stepped on by the hen was a developed chick at about day 13 or 14 the two that are missing today was not sure of because i have never candled them so i hope this last egg makes it another few more days and hatches because the feed stores around here do not have anymore chicks till it starts to cool off so not able to buy any for her if this one does not hatch

If you do have to get another chick, try Craigs list. I had the same situation and found some 1 week olds on CL. It worked out fine. Good luck with the other egg!

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Sorry country girl, most likely the other chickens ate the other eggs, are you sure they were alive? hope this one makes it.

well the first egg that was damaged yesterday by getting stepped on by the hen was a developed chick at about day 13 or 14 the two that are missing today was not sure of because i have never candled them so i hope this last egg makes it another few more days and hatches because the feed stores around here do not have anymore chicks till it starts to cool off so not able to buy any for her if this one does not hatch

Hope so too, it only has a few more days? hoping with you

 

[Miss Lydia]

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So glad you managed to rescue the little one, Miss L! Hope it will be OK!!!

Has it been really dry where you are, too? Would that have an adverse effect on the development of the foetus? Since the egg is porous? (Sorry, I have humidity on the brain just now!)

Hope the next duckling pops out strong and healthey for you!

My parents had muscovies when i was little. I was really scared of them ... Especially the drakes!!! But then, they were bigger than me!

It's dry here right now, but mama controls the humidity so haven't been worried about it. I think she stood up over the egg too long for some reason and after it pipped the membrane dried out and it couldn't break through it.

when I found the one duckling in the corner away from my duck she was straddling the other 2 eggs for some reason, thats why i took the pipped egg from her and put it under my brahma. but I guess by then it was too late.

My Muscovy drakes are very gentle but they are big I can see why a small child would be afraid of them.

 

[jordanhaspinkhair]

All three of the eggs hatched this afternoon!!! I moved mamma & babies into the cardboard box on its side so she can show them how to eat and drink without having them fall out of the nest box. (they started hatching earlier than I thought & didn't want to disturb her so I waited to move them.) They are all settled in and happy!

Here is to hoping that at least one of them is a girl!

 

[countrygirl911]

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well the first egg that was damaged yesterday by getting stepped on by the hen was a developed chick at about day 13 or 14 the two that are missing today was not sure of because i have never candled them so i hope this last egg makes it another few more days and hatches because the feed stores around here do not have anymore chicks till it starts to cool off so not able to buy any for her if this one does not hatch

If you do have to get another chick, try Craigs list. I had the same situation and found some 1 week olds on CL. It worked out fine. Good luck with the other egg!

i have some that are 2 weeks old now by the time her lonely egg is suppose to hatch they will be 3 weeks old so i know they are to old to go in with her i will have to check Craigs list. thank you for the advice i never thought to look there

 

[stonykill]

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congrats. Mama's giving you some SERIOUS stink eye!

 

[jordanhaspinkhair]

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congrats. Mama's giving you some SERIOUS stink eye!

Oh yes! She sure puffed up and pretended to be a velociraptor, but she didn't bite or peck me and was very sweet to tolerate me lifting her up to see the fuzzbutts. She's definitely tellin' me to leave her alone with her new babies! They are so sweet. They walk right up to me and Momma lets me pick them up. Leaving her alone now though!

 

[CayuseRanch]

Hi everyone. Well my first time broody momma and eggs, hit 7 days today. So for the very first time, I candled eggs. It was quite the experience but exciting too! First time I saw the embryo move, we all got excited! I am also the one that put the 18 eggs under the broody. Well after candling I felt that there were 10 eggs that I thought had veins or an embryo and a couple that were too dark to see anything. those all stayed. Decided to break open the other eggs and see if I was correct. First one had an embryo, then the next one just looked like a regular egg in fact, I looked for my mark to make sure it wasn't an egg that snuck in. Then the next two had embryo's

so by then I was feeling really bad and just put the other 4 under momma. So I may have 14 chicks in 2 weeks. I may try to candle them again in 4 or 5 days. But then I am wishing that I would have marked the ones again that I was sure were fertile.

 

[Fuffy]

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Awwww! That's a shame!

Learn from it though, so you know for next time

And good luck!!!

 

[Fuffy]

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Soooo cute!!!!

Well done that mama hen!!!!

And what a good stinkeye!