Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bald Rooster]

Hi Karen nice to see you over here on this thread also

My Broody leghorn has 12 eggs under her,all marked with the lay date 6 were the 29th and 6 the 30th so May 21 I expect

I have her in a large cage in my feed room with her own food and water no one to bother her. Does this mean I have to reintegrate her into the flock? She was first or second chicken.

 

[NysiaAnera]

Oh, that silly Brahma!!! After several hours, she is now back on the nest! There was an egg in there, and she had it nice and hot when I pulled it out. I wonder if she actually did not even realize one of them had already hatched. Now I am going through all different scenarios in my head... I sure would rather broodies raise chicks than me raise them... I suppose I can take these two that are pipped back out to her and put the screen back up and then just keep an eye on her...

 

[thebyrdsx5]

So we just found the egg shell from a hatched chick. But no chick? They can't get out of the Coop. Idk where it went? Day 21

 

[sjturner79]

So we just found the egg shell from a hatched chick. But no chick? They can't get out of the Coop. Idk where it went? Day 21

It is probably tucked securely under the hen, or if it died it will be stuck in someone's foot.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

This little cutie made an appearance yesterday evening! So far, it is the only one I have seen, though I have heard more under this Buff Orpington and under the Buff Brahma. I also have 4 in the incubator I am planning on sneaking under someone. I just haven't decided who yet.

Aw congrats! I have a few broodies sitting on eggs, and I have a full incubator too. I am going to snea a bunch under my girls too. Fingers crossed!

First chick hatched yesterday, 2 eggs have pipped so they should be hatching today

My Silkie had one egg pipped but I didn't check anymore. This is day 21. I guess I thought at day 21 they'd be hatched and fluffy?

Hi Karen nice to see you over here on this thread also     My Broody leghorn has 12 eggs under her,all marked with the lay date 6 were the 29th and 6 the 30th so May 21 I expect
I have her in a large cage in my feed room with her own food and water no one to bother her. Does this mean I have to reintegrate her into the flock? She was first or second chicken.

If the other chickens cannot see her, than yes, you will have to reintegrate down the road.

Oh, that silly Brahma!!! After several hours, she is now back on the nest! There was an egg in there, and she had it nice and hot when I pulled it out. I wonder if she actually did not even realize one of them had already hatched. Now I am going through all different scenarios in my head... I sure would rather broodies raise chicks than me raise them... I suppose I can take these two that are pipped back out to her and put the screen back up and then just keep an eye on her...

Sounds like a plan. I thought my last broody had lost her mind. She got off the nest around hatch day, and when I looked, one of the eggs had pipped. I started to get nervous, but she was just taking one last 10 minute break. After that, she sat with them for several days, wth no problems. They do make you nervous though!

So we just found the egg shell from a hatched chick. But no chick? They can't get out of the Coop. Idk where it went? Day 21

So we just found the egg shell from a hatched chick. But no chick? They can't get out of the Coop. Idk where it went? Day 21

It is probably tucked securely under the hen, or if it died it will be stuck in someone's foot.

I agreee, it probably is hiding under Mama well. If it is stuck somewhere, usually you will hear it screaming, and the Mama will be disturbed as well, although she won't move. Sometimes you have to fully lift up the hen to count all the chicks. Hope you find it safe under Mama.

 

[thebyrdsx5]

I don't think any of them would have ate a baby chick? They are silkies.

 

[Faraday40]

Last week our Sebright went full broody. I happened to have eggs in the incubator for a week, so I moved her to the broody apartment & gave her some incubator eggs. She was on the nest for a good 3 days but then kept taking longer breaks. So long that the eggs went cold & her comb looked pink again. There happened to be an orptington hen that was acting broody. Last time I tried moving her, she stopped. Since the eggs were cold & likely dead, I put the orp into the broody apartment. She went straight to the eggs and hasn't moved for 4 days, and the Sebright hasn't looked back. This feels like some weird game of musical hens.

The eggs are due on Sunday. I candled last night thinking I'd find dead eggs & to replace them with a couple living incubator eggs. The 1st one I candled grew, but I didn't see movement. The 2nd one also grew and I saw movement! I tucked both back under the hen & we'll see what happens this weekend...... If all goes well, she'll get to adopt all the incubator chicks.

I'm still surprised about the Sebright because she was an excellent, determined mama 3xs last summer. I'm also surprised that the LF orp is staying on the eggs. (She's been all talk & no commitment when I've given her a nest with eggs before.) To me the biggest surprise is that the eggs are alive. We've had cold rainy days with temps in the 40'Fs. Last night it was 35'F. When I said the eggs were cold, I mean COLD.

 

[karenerwin]

Hi Karen nice to see you over here on this thread also

My Broody leghorn has 12 eggs under her,all marked with the lay date 6 were the 29th and 6 the 30th so May 21 I expect

I have her in a large cage in my feed room with her own food and water no one to bother her. Does this mean I have to reintegrate her into the flock? She was first or second chicken.

Howdy

Yes, you will have to re-integrate her back into the flock when she is done hatching chicks. Sometimes they regain their status and sometimes they don't. Are you keeping the chicks? Or selling them? I left our chicks with the broody and she has done a great job with them even in with the rest of the flock. She has even kept our 2 cats from bothering them at all! Good luck on your hatch!

I hope it turns out great!

 

[karenerwin]

Last week our Sebright went full broody. I happened to have eggs in the incubator for a week, so I moved her to the broody apartment & gave her some incubator eggs. She was on the nest for a good 3 days but then kept taking longer breaks. So long that the eggs went cold & her comb looked pink again. There happened to be an orptington hen that was acting broody. Last time I tried moving her, she stopped. Since the eggs were cold & likely dead, I put the orp into the broody apartment. She went straight to the eggs and hasn't moved for 4 days, and the Sebright hasn't looked back. This feels like some weird game of musical hens.

The eggs are due on Sunday. I candled last night thinking I'd find dead eggs & to replace them with a couple living incubator eggs. The 1st one I candled grew, but I didn't see movement. The 2nd one also grew and I saw movement! I tucked both back under the hen & we'll see what happens this weekend...... If all goes well, she'll get to adopt all the incubator chicks.

I'm still surprised about the Sebright because she was an excellent, determined mama 3xs last summer. I'm also surprised that the LF orp is staying on the eggs. (She's been all talk & no commitment when I've given her a nest with eggs before.) To me the biggest surprise is that the eggs are alive. We've had cold rainy days with temps in the 40'Fs. Last night it was 35'F. When I said the eggs were cold, I mean COLD.

I had something similar happen. My broody hatched out 1 chick and then she & the chick got off the nest (and couldn't get back as it was a raised nest box). When I found the nest the eggs were stone cold. I figured I didn't have anything to lose, so I put them in the incubator. I candled them & float tested them the next day. I pulled all the clears and 1 I thought was clear but wasn't

. A few days later I had 1 hatch! I had gone downstairs with the purpose of tossing the "dead" eggs. In the end they all hatched! snuck them under the broody as they hatched and dried off. It was a very staggered hatch and took 5 or 6 days, but Momma adopted all of the chicks. They are all doing great and are 3 & 4 weeks old. They & Momma have been out in the coop & yard with the main flock since day 1.

Good luck!

 

[bald Rooster]

Yes I would keep the chicks I don't know what I would do if I had more though right now I have 30 female chickens and 5 males plus 15 Red broilers for meat (boy do they grow fast)
and 4 turkeys
I have plenty of space but the whole chicken thing is getting a bit out of hand since I work a full time job and take care of this place!