Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Violetsfeathers]

I did not  collected every day because I wanted to see if one of the hens would go broody. She started sitting full time on the 5th day.
no other hens are laying eggs in her box. I read somewhere that you just leave the eggs out for a week and if a hen claims them in a week it would be find and should get chicks. The oldest eggs are 2/25/17

Then I think they should all hatch within five days of each other, they may even all hatch on the same day. But mark all of them so you can tell if another hen is coming and laying eggs in that nest and remove the new eggs so that the hatch dates aren't even more spread out.

 

[Violetsfeathers]

One of my eggs hatched last night. It wasn't supposed to hatch until tomorrow night. Raspberry didn't keep it warm and it died. I found it laying next to her. At first I thought it was one of her giant turds.

Why?!

Why is the happening? Why do I keep failing? What is up with this year?!

 

[PD-Riverman]

Why?!

Why is the happening? Why do I keep failing? What is up with this year?!

I am sorry. but things do happen. Trying to understand and help with your questions----Tell me about this egg the chick hatched from, how it made it in the nest?? I could ask a lot of questions but it would be simpler for you to share its journey to the nest and How you knew it was due to hatch tomorrow?

 

[Violetsfeathers]

I am sorry. but things do happen. Trying to understand and help with your questions----Tell me about this egg the chick hatched from, how it made it in the nest?? I could ask a lot of questions but it would be simpler for you to share its journey to the nest and How you knew it was due to hatch tomorrow?

I set it, and 4ish other eggs on February 17 so that they would hatch Friday/Saturday March 11. Only 3 out of those five eggs were fertile. It hatched last night, march 8/9. Two days early. I found it laying next to the momma dead this morning. It's hatched egg was perfectly pipped and I found it under mommas wing, not under her belly where it was warm. The chick was cold, it had died before it dried off.
I think it died cuz the momma ignored it and didn't tuck it under her like an egg to keep it warm.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I set it, and 4ish other eggs on February 17 so that they would hatch Friday/Saturday March 11. Only 3 out of those five eggs were fertile. It hatched last night, march 8/9. Two days early. I found it laying next to the momma dead this morning. It's hatched egg was perfectly pipped and I found it under mommas wing, not under her belly where it was warm. The chick was cold, it had died before it dried off.
I think it died cuz the momma ignored it and didn't tuck it under her like an egg to keep it warm.

OK, is it possible that---that egg was layed early and a broody hen set on it until you collected it late in the day or maybe collected it the next morning?? It is possible for a egg to hatch early but a lot of the times there is a reason it does???

 

[Violetsfeathers]

OK, is it possible that---that egg was layed early and a broody hen set on it until you collected it late in the day or maybe collected it the next morning?? It is possible for a egg to hatch early but a lot of the times there is a reason it does???

I really doubt it was sat on at all before I set it, another egg pipped while I was at school
e
One of my eggs hatched a day early last year but I've never had one hatch two days early
e

These two eggs are from the same hen too, the other egg is silent.
I have found certain breeds hatch at different times.

 

[NysiaAnera]

Awe, I am sorry about the chickie. :-( There are just so many different things that can happen, it is near impossible to know why things go wrong sometimes. Mostly, we have had great broody mommas, but not without our share of sadness. This winter was especially brutal for us. Out of all the chicks hatched this winter, we have 4 out in a brooder. 4. That is from 3 different broody hens who all started out with 14 eggs, and mostly all hatched. I cannot remember exactly, but I think after breakages and infertile, there were 11 and 10 from each of two nests. One nest was abandoned on day 10 and I brought them inside. I got 1 from those eggs, 2 survived from one clutch, and 1 from the other. It was our biggest loss ever. It was horrible walking outside and seeing hatchling chick bodies laying all over. Usually, that does not happen. Even our BEST broody momma lost all but 2 of her chicks this winter.

 

[Violetsfeathers]

Awe, I am sorry about the chickie. :-( There are just so many different things that can happen, it is near impossible to know why things go wrong sometimes. Mostly, we have had great broody mommas, but not without our share of sadness. This winter was especially brutal for us. Out of all the chicks hatched this winter, we have 4 out in a brooder. 4. That is from 3 different broody hens who all started out with 14 eggs, and mostly all hatched. I cannot remember exactly, but I think after breakages and infertile, there were 11 and 10 from each of two nests. One nest was abandoned on day 10 and I brought them inside. I got 1 from those eggs, 2 survived from one clutch, and 1 from the other. It was our biggest loss ever. It was horrible walking outside and seeing hatchling chick bodies laying all over. Usually, that does not happen. Even our BEST broody momma lost all but 2 of her chicks this winter.

Yah, last winter my fav hen hatched 4/4 eggs. This year the first eight eggs I set didn't hatch so I set more.
I still think the first one died because mamma didn't tuck it under her.
The second one is still piping away
And the third one has a dent and peeping!

 

[Violetsfeathers]

My chick hatched! e
But the mom tried to kill it, fortunately we had moved her in the house so we heard the chick screaming.

I'll get better pics later.
The other chick has pipped (did I say that?) and we are waiting for it to hatch so we can get it before the mom does.
So much is happening before I get the chance to tell you guys!
e

Oh and the chick is sleeping in my room tonight! e e

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

One of my eggs hatched last night. It wasn't supposed to hatch until tomorrow night. Raspberry didn't keep it warm and it died. I found it laying next to her. At first I thought it was one of her giant turds.

Why?!

Why is the happening? Why do I keep failing? What is up with this year?!

My chick hatched!

But the mom tried to kill it, fortunately we had moved her in the house so we heard the chick screaming.


I'll get better pics later.
The other chick has pipped (did I say that?) and we are waiting for it to hatch so we can get it before the mom does.
So much is happening before I get the chance to tell you guys!

Oh and the chick is sleeping in my room tonight!

So sorry your hen is having a rough time. At least now you have a little chicky, hopefully two. Has this hen been broody before? Has she successfully hatched out chicks before?