Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[phryan]

Day 20 came home to hear little peeps from the coop. Gently lifted one of the hens wings to find 2 chicks and 3 broken eggs, didn't want to upset anyone so I didn't explore any further and let them be. 7 more eggs under her so expecting some new fluffy members of the flock tomorrow.

 

[slordaz]

Grats on hatch.

I am looking for monitors to put in with my next attempt. We waited 3 extra days due to 2 power glitches, and reading it can take up to 25 days when that happens , should have tried to help them on day 21 when was hearing the attempts to get outta the shells by time we tried to help 2/4 were shrink wrapped and dead and had 2 quitters at different stages. and one that apparently wasn't fertilized. so off to do some more reading as my hens won't go more than half broody and want to community brood.

 

[kilby]

Grats on hatch.

I am looking for monitors to put in with my next attempt. We waited 3 extra days due to 2 power glitches, and reading it can take up to 25 days when that happens , should have tried to help them on day 21 when was hearing the attempts to get outta the shells by time we tried to help 2/4 were shrink wrapped and dead and had 2 quitters at different stages. and one that apparently wasn't fertilized. so off to do some more reading as my hens won't go more than half broody and want to community brood.

Sorry about that. Terrible news. Now you know. At least you got the dates right. That is so important cause you never know when hens start adding eggs and you don't know what is going on.
I am sure you will do better next spring.

 

[kilby]

Day 20 came home to hear little peeps from the coop. Gently lifted one of the hens wings to find 2 chicks and 3 broken eggs, didn't want to upset anyone so I didn't explore any further and let them be. 7 more eggs under her so expecting some new fluffy members of the flock tomorrow.

Very nice. She still sitting on all of them I hope. Congrats.

 

[Bernadine503]

Day 20 came home to hear little peeps from the coop. Gently lifted one of the hens wings to find 2 chicks and 3 broken eggs, didn't want to upset anyone so I didn't explore any further and let them be. 7 more eggs under her so expecting some new fluffy members of the flock tomorrow.

Congratulations! What did you do with the broken eggs?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Day 20 came home to hear little peeps from the coop. Gently lifted one of the hens wings to find 2 chicks and 3 broken eggs, didn't want to upset anyone so I didn't explore any further and let them be. 7 more eggs under her so expecting some new fluffy members of the flock tomorrow.

Sounds like you are going to have a nest of babies. It might not hurt your hens hatch in your area, but I would Never lift/tilt my hen during her hatch----like in your picture---doing so releases the moisture she had built up to help her babies hatch. I did that some years back and ended up with eggs that did not hatch from each hen I bothered. I set 62 hens in the last year or so ----never bothering her/them during the hatch and all 62 hatched about every fertile egg. So with those results you can be asured I will never bother them during the hatch---my experience---your Milage/experience may very. Good Luck

 

[phryan]

Very nice. She still sitting on all of them I hope. Congrats.

She hasn't got up yet, she did pivot when I checked on her today, but only after most of the chicks came out to investigate.

Congratulations! What did you do with the broken eggs?

She started pecking/eating one so I figured she knew best and left them in place.

Sounds like you are going to have a nest of babies. It might not hurt your hens hatch in your area, but I would Never lift/tilt my hen during her hatch----like in your picture---doing so releases the moisture she had built up to help her babies hatch. I did that some years back and ended up with eggs that did not hatch from each hen I bothered. I set 62 hens in the last year or so ----never bothering her/them during the hatch and all 62 hatched about every fertile egg. So with those results you can be asured I will never bother them during the hatch---my experience---your Milage/experience may very. Good Luck

This was my 3rd hatch and much more successful then the first 2 attempts, excitement got the better of me. Future hatches will be more hands off.

The total count was 9 of 12; the losses were, 1 infertile, 1 quitter, and 1 at hatch (it pipped in the middle a little closer to the small end).

 

[mamalaoshi]

I had 12 hatch on October 1st. I had twenty in the incubator when I noticed one of my silkies decided to go broody. I waited a few days to make sure she was serious then put eight under her and left the rest in the incubator. I had perfect timing because the next day they started hatching. I put the babies from the incubator in with mommy hen after one day. I was planning on sneaking them in at night but she's not very accessible on the dog igloo she chose to nest in. So I ended up just dumping them in on her in the afternoon and watching- less than a minute later she had them tucked under her and a week later they are all doing great!. I was concerned because the temperature here has dropped to the 30's at night but I piled straw halfway up the dog igloo and it's pretty cozy in there.
Out of twenty I had 12 hatch, one broke through the airsac but never pipped and two quitters. The other five were not fertile- those five were all from the same hen and had very thick and dark brown shells that I couldn't see through well when I candled. I don't know how they weren't fertile. I have lots of roosters.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I don't know how they weren't fertile. I have lots of roosters.

Nun hens!! Want let him touch her!

 

[fisherlady]

I had 12 hatch on October 1st. I had twenty in the incubator when I noticed one of my silkies decided to go broody. I waited a few days to make sure she was serious then put eight under her and left the rest in the incubator. I had perfect timing because the next day they started hatching. I put the babies from the incubator in with mommy hen after one day. I was planning on sneaking them in at night but she's not very accessible on the dog igloo she chose to nest in. So I ended up just dumping them in on her in the afternoon and watching- less than a minute later she had them tucked under her and a week later they are all doing great!. I was concerned because the temperature here has dropped to the 30's at night but I piled straw halfway up the dog igloo and it's pretty cozy in there.
Out of twenty I had 12 hatch, one broke through the airsac but never pipped and two quitters. The other five were not fertile- they were all from the same hen and had very thick and dark brown shells that I couldn't see through well when I candled. I don't know how they weren't fertile. I have lots of roosters.

I am glad the grafting went well!

Some hens can have trouble with being fertilized by the rooster if they have a lot of fluff around their bottom. I have heard of some breeders even clipping the butt feathers/fluff to improve fertilization odds.