Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

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so are you going to leave the other eggs under her? or put them into the bator? Bhep is here to help.

 

[ChandaMerrie]

Okay the we bulit the bator, the humidity is at 50%

 

[ChandaMerrie]

I'm not sure what to do?!?

 

[BHep]

Stick them in the bator.... they will be fine.
Mom has to leave the nest within three days to feed & water her chicks. After the last chick hatches, pull the eggs.
The 3 week eggs will be fine locked down for 2-3 days. Seriously.... no big deal. Relax and enjoy the show. I get excited at every hatch.
PM me if you need anything or have questions... I don't usually lurk here.

But now I will check in.

Best of luck

 

[slurrywidow]

Thanks all for the quick and wonderfully informative replies! Much appreciated!

I'll say again how great this thread is!!

I now have a way to get less eggs, but still the silkie eggs that I wanted so Yay! I am only going to go with 6. I hope that amount will be good for her. I don't want broken eggs like someone mentioned plus both of us (Miss 'Mona and I) are new at this so less stress would be great.

I like the idea of keeping her still in the coop but in her own nest box down low. Does a small crate or box work for that? How do I get her to stay there? She's already been kicked out of the nest once today by a hen higher up the order than her. While the higher girl layed, Miss Mona just stayed puffed up pacing back and forth but then saw another nest with 2 plastic eggs in it so she hopped up in there! I guess I need to make sure there isn't any other nest that gets eggs accumulated in it?

Also, this evening I opened the door for free ranging and topped off the feeders. She heard the food and jumped down to eat. Then she made a beeline outside to her favorite dust bathing spot. I'm guessing that bare tummy really
itches.

How long can she stay off of the nest? Right now she just has 5 pullet eggs (blanks, hee hee) that I've marked so it doesn't really matter but when the real eggs come.....

Jeez this is so fun yet nerve racking! Funny how animal nature works for thousands of years, you add a human to the mix and suddenly it's all a mess.

 

[ChandaMerrie]

And if I put them in the bator when they hatch can I put them back under her at night. The chicks that hatched are silkies the chicks that will hatch in 2 weeks are a copper maran a frizzle a 2 EE. Right now I just keep checking on her to see if she is still sitting on them and she is but I know sooner or later she will get off them. Right?

 

[slurrywidow]

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Thanks! I think watching my daughters face through this whole process is what excites me the most. As for having 3 hatches at the same time....Whoo eeee, can't even imagine.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Like Bhep said in about 3 days she will come off the nest to take care of her chicks, so as soon as the last chick hatches take the eggs out from under her and put them in the bator, please believe me Bhep knows what she's talking about. as far as putting them under her after they hatch, I don't know thats a long time and her chicks she has now will be 2 weeks old, I would be worried they might harm the new chicks. looks like you'll have some chicks in the brooder.

 

[slurrywidow]

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Thank you! I think what you said about not moving her from the nest is the way to go for me. I feel like the more I mess with things, the more I'll mess it up! As for eggs, yes she has some 5 blanks under her right now, marked. I leave them but don't allow more to accumulate? Correct? 21 days...oh my...yesterday and today seemed to last forever.

 

[ChandaMerrie]

Okay thank you so much!!!