Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[ChickyChickens]

Sorry to hear she didn't stick with it.... some hens just don't commit like they need to. Glad you opted to remove the eggs before you had an explosion! Congrats on the incubator hatches!

X2

 

[kristin07035]

So my Araucana Delilah went broody and i purchased some eggs for her to hatch. Today is day 7and 2 eggs are definitely developing
4 questionable (don't see veins but could still be to early) & 1 I think is dead, prety sure i see a blood ring but gunna give it a few more days because none smell yet.
Im sooooo excited cant wait for the Halloween hatch
I hatched in the spring with an incubator but this is my first broody hatch!

 

[ChickyChickens]

So my Araucana Delilah went broody and i purchased some eggs for her to hatch. Today is day 7and 2 eggs are definitely developing

4 questionable (don't see veins but could still be to early) & 1 I think is dead, prety sure i see a blood ring but gunna give it a few more days because none smell yet.
Im sooooo excited cant wait for the Halloween hatch

I hatched in the spring with an incubator but this is my first broody hatch!

Congrats! Broody hatches are the best!!

 

[kristin07035]

So if it turns out that the other eggs are no good do I leave them (as long as they don't smell) or take them out and just leave the 2 good ones?

 

[fisherlady]

So if it turns out that the other eggs are no good do I leave them (as long as they don't smell) or take them out and just leave the 2 good ones?

I don't bother the eggs until day 10 or so, then I only pull clear ones. It is up to you whether you want to pull them or not.... there are two differing opinions that I can immediately think of (and folks with more experience can provide differing view points)

1). Removing obvious duds can benefit the hen by reducing crowding in the nest and allow her to concentrate the remaining eggs in the best position she can to promote development. It also reduces the chance of having an egg 'go bad' and possibly explode, which could contaminate the rest of the nest.

2) Leaving 'duds' can provide biomass to the nest which may help keep it warmer during times that the hen is off of the nest.... so the more mass there is at a particular temp the longer it takes for that mass to loose temp. Some hens prefer a full nest and will attempt to steal other hens' eggs from the coop if they feel they don't have enough for their brood.

Hens will often take care of the decision for you. My hens usually either kick out duds or eat them, though not all hens do it.

 

[kristin07035]

I don't bother the eggs until day 10 or so, then I only pull clear ones.  It is up to you whether you want to pull them or not.... there are two differing opinions that I can immediately think of (and folks with more experience can provide differing view points)

1). Removing obvious duds can benefit the hen by reducing crowding in the nest and allow her to concentrate the remaining eggs in the best position she can to promote development.  It also reduces the chance of having an egg 'go bad' and possibly explode, which could contaminate the rest of the nest.

2)  Leaving 'duds' can provide biomass to the nest which may help keep it warmer during times that the hen is off of the nest.... so the more mass there is at a particular temp the longer it takes for that mass to loose temp.  Some hens prefer a full nest and will attempt to steal other hens' eggs from the coop if they feel they don't have enough for their brood.

Hens will often take care of the decision for you.  My hens usually either kick out duds or eat them, though not all hens do it. 

Ok I was going to leave them til next week and then re-candle anyway so I guess I'll leave it up to her and see what she does. Thanks!

 

[Blooie]

Agatha (otherwise known as Atilla the Hen) actually left the nest for a few minutes today when I let all of the other girls out. First time I've seen her out since I forced her a few days ago when I knew she wasn't eating and drinking and hadn't been for 3 days. I had sprinkled some dirt from the dirt bath on the piece of wood where the food and water sit and in 3 days it wasn't even disturbed - not a feather mark or footprint one. So I broke all the rules a couple of days ago and made her get off. She protested mightily, but she did poop (boy, broody poop is huge and stinky...if I hadn't seen her do it I'd have thought it was the dog!) she ate, and she drank like she'd been stranded in a desert. Then I put her back in the broody cage and she started clucking softly and got right back on the nest. So it worked out, but I had decided that she was smart enough not to starve herself so no more tampering with her.

Today she got off by herself and went out to eat and get some water. While she was outside, I checked the eggs. I didn't candle them because it was too light out in the coop and I don't know what I'm looking for anyway, despite all of the pictures I've seen. But I did pick each one up and give it a sniff, and none of them smelled bad. I don't know when I should expect some odor if any of the eggs are bad, but by the sounds of it there wouldn't have been any mistaking the yuck factor if it was there.

 

[cwrite]

Agatha (otherwise known as Atilla the Hen) actually left the nest for a few minutes today when I let all of the other girls out. First time I've seen her out since I forced her a few days ago when I knew she wasn't eating and drinking and hadn't been for 3 days. I had sprinkled some dirt from the dirt bath on the piece of wood where the food and water sit and in 3 days it wasn't even disturbed - not a feather mark or footprint one. So I broke all the rules a couple of days ago and made her get off. She protested mightily, but she did poop (boy, broody poop is huge and stinky...if I hadn't seen her do it I'd have thought it was the dog!) she ate, and she drank like she'd been stranded in a desert. Then I put her back in the broody cage and she started clucking softly and got right back on the nest. So it worked out, but I had decided that she was smart enough not to starve herself so no more tampering with her.

Today she got off by herself and went out to eat and get some water. While she was outside, I checked the eggs. I didn't candle them because it was too light out in the coop and I don't know what I'm looking for anyway, despite all of the pictures I've seen. But I did pick each one up and give it a sniff, and none of them smelled bad. I don't know when I should expect some odor if any of the eggs are bad, but by the sounds of it there wouldn't have been any mistaking the yuck factor if it was there.

Blooie, I also had a hen that was terrible at getting off the nest to feed & poop. It's worrying but they seem to manage. I also didn't candle & it worked well for me because she's small & the eggs developed at different rates depending on how much heat they were getting. I'm pretty sure I would have tossed some viable eggs if I had. Unfortunately we never know if our broody will toss the ones going off in time, so it's always a risk. : )

 

[newone]

How long will my broody hen stay mean? We want to get the chicks used to us but she is very aggressive about protecting them and we can't really get close to the chicks. They are only 5 days old right now.

 

[fisherlady]

How long will my broody hen stay mean? We want to get the chicks used to us but she is very aggressive about protecting them and we can't really get close to the chicks. They are only 5 days old right now.

She will aggressively protect them until she is ready to cut the apron strings. So if you are waiting it will be 5 or 6 weeks if you don't intervene somehow.

I have found we can bribe the broody to hang out around us with some scratch or meal worms and it's the best chance for getting the chicks used to humans also (we use finch seed and meal worms, the finch seeds are very small and easy for the chicks to eat). To do so you need to have the broody and chicks somewhere separate of the rest of the flock (for the first few encounters at least). Sit down on the ground with your legs out in front of you or sit cross legged. Sit quietly in the vicinity of the birds for a few minutes and then scatter a small handful of the treat somewhere close to you. Mama hen will see it and check it out and call over the chicks. Just let the mama and chicks eat and scratch undisturbed. If you want you can scatter some more a bit closer and eventually hold your hand down flat on the ground with a few treat seeds in it as the chicks get used to you. Eventually the chicks will get used to you, and begin associating people with good things. After a few encounters like this I have found our broodies and chicks come running to us when we are out in the yard and the more forward little ones will even jump up onto my legs or lap if I am sitting down.
After they are used to humans then you can start trying to get them more tame and used to being handled. I do this by just spending time on the ground with them and having them take treats from your fingers until they are willing to jump onto your hand searching for more. I don't try to pet our birds, but I do like them being comfortable sitting on my lap or being held by myself or my husband. When ever I do hold the birds as youngsters I offer them a couple of meal worms or other treat while they are being held, this helps them associate being held with something good. They don't have to be petted to get used to being handled enough to make it easy to provide basic first aid or other care as they get older.