Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[mamalaoshi]

I am in need of some advice. Today I found my AWOL Orpie hen, brooding on 18 eggs in the middle of a mesquite bush. I know they're not all hers...3 of my other hens have been contributing, so I have no idea if some were laid there after Princess started setting (meaning staggered hatch dates ). How many eggs can one hen successfully keep warm?

She had a nice hollowed out nest in the ground, and had all 18 covered. They were all equally warm when we took them out. But in the broody pen, she just has hay in the bottom of a pet crate now, which means it's harder for her to get them all covered. Should I take some eggs away in hopes she can hatch a smaller number? Or just let her have them all since it's already been almost a week, and I have NO idea if they're all in the same time frame, or which ones would be viable or not?

I have no way to candle, and I'm leaving on vacation tomorrow, so I will have to either take some away tomorrow morning, or just leave them all be. I don't want to break her brood, and I don't have any fresh hatching eggs to give her, either. :/

What should I do?

My little orpie hen brooded and hatched every one of a dozen a couple of years ago. This year I had a little silkie trying to sit on 18 turkey eggs after the turkey moms abandoned the nest (I ended up only letting her keep 6 of those.) Can you see any eggs when she is sitting? I think a dozen is probably a good number to let her keep. Why can't you candle them? Take half of them inside to a bathroom or closet and shine a flashlight through a cardboard tube with the egg sitting on top in the dark to see if they are developing. Mark the ones that look developed with a pencil. Return those to the nest and take the other half and candle them and keep all the ones that seem to be at about the same stage of development. That's just my suggestion.

 

[kilby]

I am in need of some advice. Today I found my AWOL Orpie hen, brooding on 18 eggs in the middle of a mesquite bush. I know they're not all hers...3 of my other hens have been contributing, so I have no idea if some were laid there after Princess started setting (meaning staggered hatch dates ). How many eggs can one hen successfully keep warm?

She had a nice hollowed out nest in the ground, and had all 18 covered. They were all equally warm when we took them out. But in the broody pen, she just has hay in the bottom of a pet crate now, which means it's harder for her to get them all covered. Should I take some eggs away in hopes she can hatch a smaller number? Or just let her have them all since it's already been almost a week, and I have NO idea if they're all in the same time frame, or which ones would be viable or not?

I have no way to candle, and I'm leaving on vacation tomorrow, so I will have to either take some away tomorrow morning, or just leave them all be. I don't want to break her brood, and I don't have any fresh hatching eggs to give her, either. :/

What should

So if it has been only a week you need to put her in a container that holds just 18 eggs and a little extra for her to stand and turn around. A plastic sink basin or a big round bowl like one a bathroom sink has. I never had 12x12 nest boxes and always think outside the box. Something with a depression to hold every egg so it wont roll away accidently like the hole you found her in. Cardboard boxes are a flexible material to fashion things out of too like a double bottomed floor and cardboard bowl or a mix of things. Hope you find something.

 

[mamalaoshi]

So if it has been only a week you need to put her in a container that holds just 18 eggs and a little extra for her to stand and turn around. A plastic sink basin or a big round bowl like one a bathroom sink has. I never had 12x12 nest boxes and always think outside the box. Something with a depression to hold every egg so it wont roll away accidently like the hole you found her in. Cardboard boxes are a flexible material to fashion things out of too like a double bottomed floor and cardboard bowl or a mix of things. Hope you find something.

That's a great idea, to use a rounded container!

 

[A2Kzoo2]

I have a silkie momma who has been doing great with 3 4-week old chicks in their own mini coop and run. I have a question, though. How long do I keep her with her chicks and when should I put her back in the silkie coop and run? Should I wait until she starts laying eggs again? Also at what age can I introduce the chicks to their new flock (it's not the same as the silkie flock)? (These pics are from last week)

 

[fisherlady]

I have a silkie momma who has been doing great with 3 4-week old chicks in their own mini coop and run. I have a question, though. How long do I keep her with her chicks and when should I put her back in the silkie coop and run? Should I wait until she starts laying eggs again? Also at what age can I introduce the chicks to their new flock (it's not the same as the silkie flock)? (These pics are from last week)

She will let you know when she is ready, usually you will see her no longer calling them for treats and often she will begin actively chasing them away from where she is trying to forage...she also will begin not allowing them to cuddle under her at night. If you want her to introduce them to the flock then now would be the time to start integrating them, if not then allow her to leave them when she quits roosting with them in the evening or seems to be trying to get to the other coop at night.

 

[3 NH reds]

Last week was a bad one. 2 of the original Reds died one day apart and one of the Rangers died as well. They were all old but it caused lots of stress in the flock. My last Buff Orp is setting on eggs. She has never done this before this year and she did it this time right after the Reds died, they were all raised together. The problem is the Buff is sitting on a roll away nest box. I don’t dare disturb her or she will bolt like she did this spring. Last year a Buff died sitting on eggs so I hope this goes better. I have eggs in an incubator and I plan to give her the chicks. I also have 3 generations of Rangers that are always broody. They break eggs so nothing hatches but I think if I lose the Buff they might be a back up.

 

[3 NH reds]

Last week was a bad one. 2 of the original Reds died one day apart and one of the Rangers died as well. They were all old but it caused lots of stress in the flock. My last Buff Orp is setting on eggs. She has never done this before this year and she did it this time right after the Reds died, they were all raised together. The problem is the Buff is sitting on a roll away nest box. I don’t dare disturb her or she will bolt like she did this spring. Last year a Buff died sitting on eggs so I hope this goes better. I have eggs in an incubator and I plan to give her the chicks. I also have 3 generations of Rangers that are always broody. They break eggs so nothing hatches but I think if I lose the Buff they might be a back up.

 

[3 NH reds]

Last week was a bad one. 2 of the original Reds died one day apart and one of the Rangers died as well. They were all old but it caused lots of stress in the flock. My last Buff Orp is setting on eggs. She has never done this before this year and she did it this time right after the Reds died, they were all raised together. The problem is the Buff is sitting on a roll away nest box. I don’t dare disturb her or she will bolt like she did this spring. Last year a Buff died sitting on eggs so I hope this goes better. I have eggs in an incubator and I plan to give her the chicks. I also have 3 generations of Rangers that are always broody. They break eggs so nothing hatches but I think if I lose the Buff they might be a back up.

 

[kilby]

I have a silkie momma who has been doing great with 3 4-week old chicks in their own mini coop and run. I have a question, though. How long do I keep her with her chicks and when should I put her back in the silkie coop and run? Should I wait until she starts laying eggs again? Also at what age can I introduce the chicks to their new flock (it's not the same as the silkie flock)? (These pics are from last week)

Mine let me know too. She was very abusive with the smallest chick when I did not let her out when she was trying to push at the corner to get out. She is an Americauna/ copper moran girl. I am fencing them in a pen I will build today. Otherwise I have had them in a wire dog kennel, and a wired play area cage. The flock comes up to them all the time and are getting aquainted. Any loose meandering will definitely be with my supervision because they will just jump the fence or go under it if chased. At five weeks they can easily do that.

 

[jpoole08]

I have a buff brahma and a black australorp brooding together on a pile of eggs. The brahma starting setting about 2 weeks ago and the australorp joined her soon after. They are in one of the nesting boxes in the coop. They have diligently set and protected these eggs. The other hens and my roosters stay out in the run most of the day. So they have plenty of privacy. So far so good.
I am worried about the chicks being killed at hatch time or soon after. This is my first time with a broody. I have hatched chicks in my hovabator many times succesfully. A few times I lost young birds introducing them to the flock. They were pecked or stomped to death.
I have been reading advice. Some say let the hen do her thing, others say proactively move the chicks to a brooder.
I have no problem culling the flock or processing meat birds but something about loosing chicks tears me apart.
So my plan for now is to watch and prepare to move them at first sign of violence. I am candling the eggs to tonight, i think we are a week away from hatch. Advice?