Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Perris]

Move her at night. Put her in a carrier and eggs separate. Put eggs in new nest and put her a ft away if she is flighty. Might be able to put her on the eggs if she is calm. Block her off from old nest

thanks for the guidance @Molpet - very useful. Assuming she comes off for breakfast tomorrow as she did this am, I'll be able to assess access, as well as count the number of eggs. There is quite a lot of plant material between her and the outside world which will need to be pruned so I can reach in to get her.

 

[Perris]

she didn't come off yesterday but did this morning, so I got the secateurs out and had a look - she was sitting on 20 eggs! At the rate she lays that means she finished molting and resumed laying about 5 weeks ago! Sneaky girl

One of the eggs at the back had broken and spilled yolk over several others, so I ended up taking 12 (as many as I could get in my pockets) there and then, picking out the oldest and muckiest looking, as well as one with the broken shell part covering it. Inside, they all passed the float test, much to my surprise, and candling showed that they were all clear - the roos are molting, so are presumably infertile. I broke open the oldest looking four eggs and confirmed the float and candle results. None of them fertile, none gone off. Scrambled them and gave them to the flock. Now I need to decide whether to break her or get her some fertile eggs...there's not much available at this time of year.

 

[Solanacae]

This is Caramel, a not-very Speckled Sussex. She’s a year old (plus a few months) and has gone broody several times, but I’ve always been able to break her. This time, she was not having it! Broke into the blocked off nesting boxes determined, so this time I decided to let her have a go at it. I’ve been admiring some beautiful Blue/Gold Brahmas from a nearby breeder, and she said she could gather some hatching eggs for me this week!

Caramel is currently brooding some plastic golf balls, and I’m debating on whether I should move her to a dog crate that is keep on the floor of the coop. The nesting boxes are only a few inches off the floor. She’s #2 in the pecking order and no one seems to be bothering her in the nest box.

However, I have a hen on the bottom of the adult pecking order (Desdemona) that will hassle the juveniles we got this spring. She was previously in the middle but we lost three birds to a dog attack, which included the two hens that were below her. I’m sure she’s trying to avoid falling any lower in the pecking order, but I worry a little about having her around the chicks even though I know Caramel should vigorously defend them, at least until she decides it’s time to move on. Desdemona doesn’t bother the juveniles much now, and they avoid her. It was hard to integrate them though, because we had raised them in a brooder. I’m hoping that hen-raised chicks will integrate with the flock better.

I built a larger coop this summer, with a large fenced off area for them to roam around. Not really free ranging, but the space is larger than I’d be able to cover easily, so kinda like ‘free ranging lite’. I still have my original coop, which also has a contained run, and is in the area where the chickens roam around. I’m thinking about moving Caramel there if she’s successful in hatching chicks. The rest of the flock would still be able to see her, but I’d like to do as little moving around as possible.

If Caramel is a good momma hen and keeps Desdemona away, will I need to separate the chicks when Caramel is done mothering them, or will they be integrated into the flock as lower status members of the flock?

 

[Molpet]

If Caramel is a good momma hen and keeps Desdemona away, will I need to separate the chicks when Caramel is done mothering them, or will they be integrated into the flock as lower status members of the flock?

I leave mine with the flock. Usually they are accepted by the flock. I have had a couple problems over the years with chicks getting injured by adults. But I usually have hens hatch around 50 chicks a year. I also have turkeys who I blame for the problems lol

 

[FeatherTay]

Here is my broody Ayam Ketawa Hen! She is sitting on 4 eggs, 5-8 days old.

 

[Ponypoor]

First, I am new to chickens but not new to livestock, so having baby animals around is the norm here.

I have a Silkie/Cochin gal who is going through her first bought of broodiness. I tried to stop it but she is one tough determined lady so I decided to let her sit on 4 eggs (starting this Saturday 25th Sept). I will put 2 Silkie eggs from her sisters (whom I know my young rooster has had his wicked ways with successfully), and 2 from the Americana cross hens (again young stallion chicken has done his duty with).

Questions:
1) I am keeping the eggs a couple days then placing all under the hen on Saturday as I have heard eggs can be stored ~10 days and remain fertile. I am putting them small end up, how warm does the place I am storing them have to be?

2) The young Stallion Chicken in question here is 13 weeks old but has been actually breeding the gals successfully for a couple weeks now. He is not shy about breeding the, usually in front of me at the most in opportune times (usually when talking with co-workers and clients on the phone :O ) Can I assume he is actually fertile?

3) Is four eggs too many for a little silkie/cochin first time hatching?

 

[FeatherTay]

First, I am new to chickens but not new to livestock, so having baby animals around is the norm here.

I have a Silkie/Cochin gal who is going through her first bought of broodiness. I tried to stop it but she is one tough determined lady so I decided to let her sit on 4 eggs (starting this Saturday 25th Sept). I will put 2 Silkie eggs from her sisters (whom I know my young rooster has had his wicked ways with successfully), and 2 from the Americana cross hens (again young stallion chicken has done his duty with).

Questions:
1) I am keeping the eggs a couple days then placing all under the hen on Saturday as I have heard eggs can be stored ~10 days and remain fertile. I am putting them small end up, how warm does the place I am storing them have to be?

2) The young Stallion Chicken in question here is 13 weeks old but has been actually breeding the gals successfully for a couple weeks now. He is not shy about breeding the, usually in front of me at the most in opportune times (usually when talking with co-workers and clients on the phone :O ) Can I assume he is actually fertile?

3) Is four eggs too many for a little silkie/cochin first time hatching?

1) I usually range my temp from 55-68 degrees.
2) He could be fertile, but 13 weeks is pretty soon. Only way to know for sure is to incubate!
3) Four eggs is actually a really nice amount!

 

[Ponypoor]

1) I usually range my temp from 55-68 degrees.
2) He could be fertile, but 13 weeks is pretty soon. Only way to know for sure is to incubate!
3) Four eggs is actually a really nice amount!

I am a bit worried as the two eggs are regular sized, but she is keeping the ones she steals from her sisters tucked up nicely so I figured I would try. I will bring the eggs to the house to store until Saturday, I want to make sure I get specific eggs, and while my Silkies pretty much lay daily, the Americana's are all over the map, I grabbed the one today, and hoping the other Americana lays her's tomorrow.

As for Stallion Chicken, he has been crowing since he was about 5 weeks old and trying to breed the hens since he was 8 weeks old. He has he Rooster Dance going pretty good now and I have heard him clucking and chuckling trying to get the gals to come and see what he has. I told him he was an over achiever.

 

[Molpet]

First, I am new to chickens but not new to livestock, so having baby animals around is the norm here.

I have a Silkie/Cochin gal who is going through her first bought of broodiness. I tried to stop it but she is one tough determined lady so I decided to let her sit on 4 eggs (starting this Saturday 25th Sept). I will put 2 Silkie eggs from her sisters (whom I know my young rooster has had his wicked ways with successfully), and 2 from the Americana cross hens (again young stallion chicken has done his duty with).

Questions:
1) I am keeping the eggs a couple days then placing all under the hen on Saturday as I have heard eggs can be stored ~10 days and remain fertile. I am putting them small end up, how warm does the place I am storing them have to be?

2) The young Stallion Chicken in question here is 13 weeks old but has been actually breeding the gals successfully for a couple weeks now. He is not shy about breeding the, usually in front of me at the most in opportune times (usually when talking with co-workers and clients on the phone :O ) Can I assume he is actually fertile?

3) Is four eggs too many for a little silkie/cochin first time hatching?

I keep my eggs in the basement...65 to 74f, big end up for 10 days
You can check for a bullseye if you have extra eggs

 

[Perris]

will I need to separate the chicks when Caramel is done mothering them, or will they be integrated into the flock as lower status members of the flock?

they will be integrated already if they are raised within the flock. They quickly learn while they're still with the broody which hens are hostile and best to avoid.