Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[AnneInTheBurbs]

They are due to hatch on Saturday. I'm taking more of a hands off approach with this batch. My broody totally knows what to do, although she will not leave the nest unless I take her off. Her first time she was broody for a long time and I worried about her health so I started making her get off the nest. In the whole time she was broody I only ever saw her leave once on her own, and it was about 95 degrees out so she must have figured the eggs could stay warm by themselves for a while. I'm so jealous that you have some Cubalayas! I'd love to get one but no one in my area has them. That is OK thought since I'm trying to focus on my olive eggers.

I think I will try to throw my broody off the nest if it gets above 50*. I am lucky to have the cubalyas, but I would love some blue or green eggs too. Put it on the chicken wish list!

DOUBLE POST: to cover my friends in both brooding threads [COLOR=333333]I picked up my new broodies yesterday!!!! (To replace my poor hawk-loss Oma-San, my beloved main broody for the last 4 years).[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]Here they are. e [/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]A veteran broody Silkie of 4 1/2 years, given as a gift from a fellow chicken lover so she can have a forever home doing what she loves most...BROODING....She has a very regal attitude towards the 2 little hand maids that I picked up yesterday, so I've dubbed her The Queen Mum (especially with the hat she wears!)[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333] [/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]and the 2 little bantam Cochins....Rosie and Mimsy...3 to 4 months old (closer to 4 mos. the owner and I think)...from a very, very broody Buff Cochin mom and a Mille Fleur Cochin dad.[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333] [/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]Mimsy in front...Rosie (short for Rosemere is hard to see in the back)....so[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333] [/COLOR]

I love the name "The Queen Mum", perfect just by looking at her! The other too are cute too, although maybe camera shy. I recieved a bantam cochin this year because due to an eager young roo, she is a birchen and not a Mille fleur like she was supposed to be. . From your post and other things I've read, I'm glad she has potential to be a good broody.

 

[ochochicas]

Quote: If you weren't on the opposite coast, I'd trade you some chicks. I have all blue and green layers in the brooder, plus one lonely olive egger pullet. Haha.

 

[fisherlady]

Sloshy eggs.. I haven't heard this term and when i candled a few days back I found it a little odd how one kind of sloshed about as I rotated the egg.. This means the baby is dead? I thought something was wrong..

I call eggs 'sloshy' when I candle them (usually) after day 10 and find ones which don't have a defined and solid air cell. A developing chick will begin to fill much of the egg on one end and on the other end (or sometimes they are on the longer end) the air cell with be attached and doesn't move when you gently tilt the egg side to side. I have found eggs with early deaths to have a sloshy appearance, when tipped back and forth the air cell with roll around in the egg rather than staying solid in it's normal position. I have compared it's appearance to how an old lava lamp looks, with the dark colored oils rolling back and forth and the air bubble rolling around. I don't know if there is a technical term for this finding, I have gotten into the habit of just calling the 'sloshy eggs'.

DOUBLE POST: to cover my friends in both brooding threads

I picked up my new broodies yesterday!!!! (To replace my poor hawk-loss Oma-San, my beloved main broody for the last 4 years).

Here they are.

A veteran broody Silkie of 4 1/2 years, given as a gift from a fellow chicken lover so she can have a forever home doing what she loves most...BROODING....She has a very regal attitude towards the 2 little hand maids that I picked up yesterday, so I've dubbed her The Queen Mum (especially with the hat she wears!)




and the 2 little bantam Cochins....Rosie and Mimsy...3 to 4 months old (closer to 4 mos. the owner and I think)...from a very, very broody Buff Cochin mom and a Mille Fleur Cochin dad.


Mimsy in front...Rosie (short for Rosemere is hard to see in the back)....so

Congrats!! Nice looking additions and you should be having some happy broody times in your near future!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I call eggs 'sloshy' when I candle them (usually) after day 10 and find ones which don't have a defined and solid air cell. A developing chick will begin to fill much of the egg on one end and on the other end (or sometimes they are on the longer end) the air cell with be attached and doesn't move when you gently tilt the egg side to side. I have found eggs with early deaths to have a sloshy appearance, when tipped back and forth the air cell with roll around in the egg rather than staying solid in it's normal position. I have compared it's appearance to how an old lava lamp looks, with the dark colored oils rolling back and forth and the air bubble rolling around. I don't know if there is a technical term for this finding, I have gotten into the habit of just calling the 'sloshy eggs'.
Congrats!! Nice looking additions and you should be having some happy broody times in your near future!

sloshy is a good description...I've noted detached air cells on shipped eggs...I wonder if the egg didn't develop because the air cell was detached (which definitely complicates incubation and hatching if a chick develops) or if the air cell detaches as the embryo dies and the yolk begins to decompose....I've seen that dark blob/bubble too on failed eggs. And somebody probably has given it an official name...but sloshy works well for me.

Yes...I am looking forward to some brooding times soon.

I've got a long wish list for this spring...AND I hope to perfect fostering with feed store chicks, the planned purpose of those Cochins, as I need to replace some aging commercial RSL's and add some specialty breeds that none of the local breeders carry. I try to keep half my flock in the commercial GSL/RSL and the other half in the fun breeds...that way I get EGGS but still have fun....I am finding my fun breeds are fun, but so-so layers...and I have about 4 fat hens that are taking in the feed but not producing...so there will be a major shifting this spring. (I have a friend with a big farm that likes my older hens as she likes the larger size egg the mature hen lays...albeit less frequently...we call it retiring to the Happy Hen Home.)

I'm hoping to replace my Welsummers (one age rotated out, one died of heat this summer), add some Olive Eggers, swap out my EE's (unless they come off their molt and produce some decent quality eggs) and a Croad Langshan....I am really trying to get a Monet palette of colors for my egg basket to enjoy, sell, and give as house warming gifts...and do another Buckeye project to bring the roosters to a better meat weight (I had to process too early as I went back to TN for my daughter's new baby at the time I would have normally processed them.)

My dream basket, courtesy of BYC Member Ruth (who is an inspiration to me) from the Purple Egg thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/273406/purple-eggs/140

Now for somebody to go broody....waiting...waiting...waiting

Lady of McCamley

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

If you weren't on the opposite coast, I'd trade you some chicks.  I have all blue and green layers in the brooder, plus one lonely olive egger pullet.  Haha.  

Aw come on, what's a plane ticket and a week off of work for some lovely chickens?

 

[CandylandRanch]

sloshy is a good description...I've noted detached air cells on shipped eggs...I wonder if the egg didn't develop because the air cell was detached (which definitely complicates incubation and hatching if a chick develops) or if the air cell detaches as the embryo dies and the yolk begins to decompose....I've seen that dark blob/bubble too on failed eggs. And somebody probably has given it an official name...but sloshy works well for me.

Yes...I am looking forward to some brooding times soon.  I've got a long wish list for this spring...AND I hope to perfect fostering with feed store chicks, the planned purpose of those Cochins, as I need to replace some aging commercial RSL's and add some specialty breeds that none of the local breeders carry. I try to keep half my flock in the commercial GSL/RSL and the other half in the fun breeds...that way I get EGGS but still have fun....I am finding my fun breeds are fun, but so-so layers...and I have about 4 fat hens that are taking in the feed but not producing...so there will be a major shifting this spring. (I have a friend with a big farm that likes my older hens as she likes the larger size egg the mature hen lays...albeit less frequently...we call it retiring to the Happy Hen Home.)

I'm hoping to replace my Welsummers (one age rotated out, one died of heat this summer), add some Olive Eggers, swap out my EE's (unless they come off their molt and produce some decent quality eggs) and a Croad Langshan....I am really trying to get a Monet palette of colors for my egg basket to enjoy, sell, and give as house warming gifts...and do another Buckeye project to bring the roosters to a better meat weight (I had to process too early as I went back to TN for my daughter's new baby at the time I would have normally processed them.)

My dream basket, courtesy of BYC Member Ruth (who is an inspiration to me) from the Purple Egg thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/273406/purple-eggs/140

Now for somebody to go broody....waiting...waiting...waiting 
Lady of McCamley

First off, I tossed two sloshy eggs last night, that leaves me with four left, all look very viable, however one egg is rather small so I'm praying the chick will be alright. They are due this weekend, staggered fri-sun.

Has anyone ever had a staggered hatch before or a chick hatch from a small egg? I'm out of my league with these things and could use some input for sure...

Now, those mauve eggs are AMAZING!!

 

[ochochicas]

In October I set eight of my *biggest* EE eggs. They really are pullet eggs that are in the small to medium size range. The smallest was 46 grams and the biggest was 50. One was dirty, so I washed it. The oldest was 12 days old when I set them. Every single one of them hatched despite being old, washed and/or small. One of the chicks was tiny, but he caught up with the rest just fine and I can't even tell now which one he is. I'm really glad I we hatch the eggs when we did since my rooster passed away last week and the hen is now molting and not laying. The chicks are absolutely perfect!

 

[bumpercarr]

sloshy is a good description...I've noted detached air cells on shipped eggs...I wonder if the egg didn't develop because the air cell was detached (which definitely complicates incubation and hatching if a chick develops) or if the air cell detaches as the embryo dies and the yolk begins to decompose....I've seen that dark blob/bubble too on failed eggs. And somebody probably has given it an official name...but sloshy works well for me.

Yes...I am looking forward to some brooding times soon.

I've got a long wish list for this spring...AND I hope to perfect fostering with feed store chicks, the planned purpose of those Cochins, as I need to replace some aging commercial RSL's and add some specialty breeds that none of the local breeders carry. I try to keep half my flock in the commercial GSL/RSL and the other half in the fun breeds...that way I get EGGS but still have fun....I am finding my fun breeds are fun, but so-so layers...and I have about 4 fat hens that are taking in the feed but not producing...so there will be a major shifting this spring. (I have a friend with a big farm that likes my older hens as she likes the larger size egg the mature hen lays...albeit less frequently...we call it retiring to the Happy Hen Home.)

I'm hoping to replace my Welsummers (one age rotated out, one died of heat this summer), add some Olive Eggers, swap out my EE's (unless they come off their molt and produce some decent quality eggs) and a Croad Langshan....I am really trying to get a Monet palette of colors for my egg basket to enjoy, sell, and give as house warming gifts...and do another Buckeye project to bring the roosters to a better meat weight (I had to process too early as I went back to TN for my daughter's new baby at the time I would have normally processed them.)

My dream basket, courtesy of BYC Member Ruth (who is an inspiration to me) from the Purple Egg thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/273406/purple-eggs/140

Now for somebody to go broody....waiting...waiting...waiting

Lady of McCamley

I admire your desire to have the diversity in your flock that you have! I went the opposite way this year, after my flock was killed by dogs I went with strictly Brahmas. Dark and Gold Partridge. Not the best layers, and take forever to grow up, eat more than their fair share but are the most beautiful birds that I've ever seen. I wondered if I'd ever have another broody, since my silkie mix was in with the flock and was killed in the spring with everyone else. One of the brahma hens went broody in September and managed to hatch out one egg, which was a good experiment for me (I've heard over and over that brahmas are too large and tend to break their eggs and smother their chicks). She didn't break any, but being a first timer she didn't sit tight as much as she should have. So, she only hatched one out of 6 viable, but I was pleased with that.

One of the things that I am concerned with when it comes to breeding and hatching is that the chickens that I raise should be able to reproduce on their own, as that would ensure the continuation of the breed through natural methods. So many of our chickens are not able to reproduce as they were intended to, mainly through selective breeding to produce lots of eggs or to fatten up early for meat. So, it is one of my goals to ensure that my chickens can reproduce on their own (doesn't mean I won't incubate, just means that I want them to be able to reproduce without my interference as well).

So, with that said, I am sooooo happy to be part of a thread where the natural brooding of hens is encouraged. Also, this brahma mother still has her chick with her and he's probably 10 weeks old now, my silkie usually got rid of them when they were 4-6 weeks old. I'm actually going to have to take him away from her when I put him into the bachelor pad I think!

 

[vpatt]

I have a chick question. How long do the little ones need marbles in their water? They are eight days old! Still just as cute. I wish it was warmer so I could watch them more. But I know my weather is not near as bad as some of you are getting. I aim to do this again in warmer weather. It has snowed all day but we only have about an inch. The birds all came out to play this morning. They are under the porch dirt bathing and doing other chickenly things. Except for Mummy and babies, they are in the cozy coop.

 

[bumpercarr]

I have a chick question. How long do the little ones need marbles in their water? They are eight days old! Still just as cute. I wish it was warmer so I could watch them more. But I know my weather is not near as bad as some of you are getting. I aim to do this again in warmer weather. It has snowed all day but we only have about an inch. The birds all came out to play this morning. They are under the porch dirt bathing and doing other chickenly things. Except for Mummy and babies, they are in the cozy coop.

It really depends on the size of your waterers. I don't use marbles because I use quail waterers for the first two weeks. If the water is more than an inch deep, I think I would keep the marbles in. If it isn't as deep, I'd probably take them out about now.