Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Faraday40]

A serama pullet of mine went broody last month. I had some of her and a sister's eggs in the incubator anyway, so once i was sure she was serious, i gave her the 5 eggs on day 7. The sister later joined her sitting on them. I noticed a few days later there was an additional egg. I hoped it would hatch soon with the others, i wasn't sure how long it had been there, but it was developing nicely. Well, the 5 hatched last Monday and Tuesday. The girls finally left the other egg, so i put it in the incubator because it looked close to hatching. Finally on Sunday, yesterday, it hatched. I took it outside, stuck it under one of the girls and left for the day. Came home, not sure what i would find, but the chick is doing well. Right where it belongs.

That's awesome!

 

[Faraday40]

@Faraday40
I'm jealous.

I'm more amused. I've never seen a LF(large fowl) broody....with emphasis on the large. She looks like turkey!

I tried moving her & it just didn't work. She refused to sit on her fake egg while inside the dog crate. After 14 hrs, I let her out & she went directly to HER nest box. Funny thing because it's the smallest nest box. I guess I'll have to just keep her there. Tomorrow (day 18) she will get ONE real egg so she may experience the sensation of a hatching chick. If all goes well, the rest of the hatch will be split between her & my very experienced broody: Cookie.

 

[Citychick11]

I did it! I found a little one acre farm near me with just hatched chicks. I bought 3 and brought them home to my broody. I swapped one egg she was sitting on for a chick. When she seemed ok with that one and it started listening to her call it, I introduced the next one. All the rest of the eggs were duds. Even though when I candled them they were dark and not clear. The yolk was spread out throughout the whole egg. And it was rotten. I have a video of the hen teaching her chicks how to eat and drink. And when she went back into the nest box she called her chicks and they all followed!!

 

[Citychick11]

The two black ones were ones she hatched. The three light ones are legbars.

 

[HattieScratchy]

I know its kinda late in the year and of course the PNW is getting hit with early snow (I swear its because I wanted to hatch eggs ).. We have our first pip tonight! I love that I have done absolutely zero work in this lol.

 

[pertyjewely]

I have 11 KC duck eggs that my broody hen has been sitting on. Today from my calculation should be day 27 and still no ducklings I candles them at day 8 and everything seemed right on track. I candles them again about a week or so later the eggs had darkened and you could see the air sacks. Impatiently waiting over here.

 

[Faraday40]

I have 11 KC duck eggs that my broody hen has been sitting on. Today from my calculation should be day 27 and still no ducklings I candles them at day 8 and everything seemed right on track. I candles them again about a week or so later the eggs had darkened and you could see the air sacks. Impatiently waiting over here.

Any ducklings hatch yet?

 

[HattieScratchy]

We have 3 beautiful, healthy (so far) barnyard mixes... it was so awesome to watch everything done the way nature intended!!! Hope, Hailey and Harlow (all of our chickens have h names)

 

[Faraday40]

We have 3 beautiful, healthy (so far) barnyard mixes... it was so awesome to watch everything done the way nature intended!!! Hope, Hailey and Harlow (all of our chickens have h names) View attachment 1180772 View attachment 1180773 View attachment 1180774

Aww! Those are so cute.

Congrats!

 

[Faraday40]

Cookie got infected by the broody bug .... again! I tried explaining to her that it's NOVEMBER with winter on the way, but she's stubborn. She normally hatches 7-8 eggs, so I let her keep 3.5 eggs. (.5 = a silkie pullet egg). I'm guessing 3 will hatch, so she should have no trouble covering them.

Today is day 7, but I'm going to wait a bit before candling.