Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[slordaz]

We have a mixed flock, a couple cornish x, leghorns, barred rocks and buff orpingtons, so here is my question:

Ok we have a new flock first hatch didn't go well eggs went bad, the hens would go half broody but never fully, they wanted to community brood the eggs and keep laying. Is there a way to get the hens to go full broody if they start or should we just discourage them from it if they will not go full?

so we are now incubating the eggs inside of a wash mitt that is on top of the heating pad on low in the bathroom, when candled they are progressing pretty good, due to hatch on the 6th

 

[PD-Riverman]

We have a mixed flock, a couple cornish x, leghorns, barred rocks and buff orpingtons, so here is my question:

Ok we have a new flock first hatch didn't go well eggs went bad, the hens would go half broody but never fully, they wanted to community brood the eggs and keep laying. Is there a way to get the hens to go full broody if they start or should we just discourage them from it if they will not go full?

so we are now incubating the eggs inside of a wash mitt that is on top of the heating pad on low in the bathroom, when candled they are progressing pretty good, due to hatch on the 6th

I set Many, Many hens and its rare that they stop setting, But ALL my broody hens are moved to private hatching pens soon after they go broody so other hens are not bothering them, etc.

Now the eggs----So you are saying you have nothing to control the temp or the humidity of the eggs---have you even checked the temperature? "I" feel anything is possible and if these eggs hatch----which they could----you Should run and buy a Lottery ticket----Because you are a very lucky person! Good Luck!!

 

[Ren2014]

We have a mixed flock, a couple cornish x, leghorns, barred rocks and buff orpingtons, so here is my question:

Ok we have a new flock first hatch didn't go well eggs went bad, the hens would go half broody but never fully, they wanted to community brood the eggs and keep laying. Is there a way to get the hens to go full broody if they start or should we just discourage them from it if they will not go full?

so we are now incubating the eggs inside of a wash mitt that is on top of the heating pad on low in the bathroom, when candled they are progressing pretty good, due to hatch on the 6th

I have only had two go broody and I removed them from the rest of the flock. Then I learned they needed to be separated from each other because eggs were getting crushed. I thought at first this was due to them both trying to sit on the same eggs. Unfortunately, it turned out to be just one who was crushing eggs so I put her in the broody breaker pen and gave what was left of her eggs to the other broody. I would definitely suggest separating them the next time yours go broody. I think your chances will be better. I don't know what a wash mitt is but good luck with it. Do you have a thermometer in with it so you can monitor the heat?

 

[Faraday40]

I set Many, Many hens and its rare that they stop setting, But ALL my broody hens are moved to private hatching pens soon after they go broody so other hens are not bothering them, etc.

Now the eggs----So you are saying you have nothing to control the temp or the humidity of the eggs---have you even checked the temperature? "I" feel anything is possible and if these eggs hatch----which they could----you Should run and buy a Lottery ticket----Because you are a very lucky person! Good Luck!!

I usually wait until I'm sure the hen is fully broody. I have a few EEs that sometimes make the broody squawks & stay on the nest for 6-8 hrs, then sleep on the roost. They repeat for a few days & may give up. I don't call that broody, but rather "thinking about going broody." It's when the hen actually chooses to sleep in the nest box that she's getting serious. Also, if you remove all the eggs & she still tries to incubate "invisible eggs," then you know she's really serious. Only then do I give fertile eggs.

I've broody hatched separately & with the flock. If keeping with the flock, you'll have much better luck if you box the broody in. (Other hens may bother her or she may lose her way back to the nest.) Some simple netting is all I use. I make sure she has access to food & water. I also give her a supervised daily bio break while I clean out the coop. Again, don't try to move or give valuable eggs to a part time broody. You must wait util she's going strong for a few days.


If you want to entice those part-time broodies into becoming full, head-strong broodies, you can try letting the eggs pile up. Once they have a good-sized clutch, they may get serious. In the end, you can't really force a hen to go broody.

 

[kilby]

We have a mixed flock, a couple cornish x, leghorns, barred rocks and buff orpingtons, so here is my question:

Ok we have a new flock first hatch didn't go well eggs went bad, the hens would go half broody but never fully, they wanted to community brood the eggs and keep laying. Is there a way to get the hens to go full broody if they start or should we just discourage them from it if they will not go full?

so we are now incubating the eggs inside of a wash mitt that is on top of the heating pad on low in the bathroom, when candled they are progressing pretty good, due to hatch on the 6th

No temp readings? wow you are a real cowboy. good luck

 

[slordaz]

we are just rotating the eggs and adding some moisture into the bathroom where we have them daily, do not have a thermometer. They were Candled yesterday and seem to be growing fine. They are due to hatch if they do on the 6th that will be 21 days.

We have a enclosed divided box with openings higher up, just big enough for the hen to get into while the other boxes for just laying are more open just a little lip.

we tried letting them build up but someone threw all the eggs out of the nest after 5, so hopefully this new one will help.

Luckily they are producing their own eggs , we have rooster in the flock

Thanks for all the help

 

[kilby]

we are just rotating the eggs and adding some moisture into the bathroom where we have them daily, do not have a thermometer. They were Candled yesterday and seem to be growing fine. They are due to hatch if they do on the 6th that will be 21 days.

We have a enclosed divided box with openings higher up, just big enough for the hen to get into while the other boxes for just laying are more open just a little lip.

we tried letting them build up but someone threw all the eggs out of the nest after 5, so hopefully this new one will help.

Luckily they are producing their own eggs , we have rooster in the flock

Thanks for all the help

Without a thermometer you wont know if you are burning them. Why take the risk?

 

[BantyChooks]

wow, this thread is still running????? this is the thread I looked at wayyy before I got a BYC login when my broody hen was sitting. that was over a year ago! in fact, it was this thread and a few others that got me hooked on BYC! thanks for keeping this great thread alive!

 

[kilby]

wow, this thread is still running????? this is the thread I looked at wayyy before I got a BYC login when my broody hen was sitting. that was over a year ago! in fact, it was this thread and a few others that got me hooked on BYC! thanks for keeping this great thread alive!

I followed the thread this year and it is awesome.

 

[fisherlady]

Well here is something that certainly fit the 'old fashioned' theme of this thread....
One of our young barnyard mixes (Watson) decided to go broody in a little hang out shed attached to the run. It is not used as a coop but is 4x4 with a pop door cut in and hay piled inside. She picked a corner and started gathering eggs from the other girls. I removed the eggs for a couple of days to avoid a staggered hatch then gave them back to her all at once, I let her have 11 which I marked.

A few days into her sit we noticed one of her young friends, Buffy, (they hatched a week apart and grew up together) had joined her. I watched to see if eggs would be broken or if they would squabble but all remained peaceful.

One egg never developed, one quit midway and on day 20 the rest started to hatch...2 hatched early day 20, the rest did overnight and all were out the morning of day 21. one was small and weak and unfortunately died the third day but the other 8 are doing great and the 2 young hens are acting like this is their tenth hatch instead of their first, so we are very happy with them.

So now some photos...












first chick hatched morning of day 20

mindy checking on the broodies..