Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[NotAFarm]

Mrs. Mucket :

First timer here! Today is Day 23 for the eggs under my broody and no sign of babies. She was sitting on infertile eggs for a little over two weeks. On Sunday I gave her six Day 18 eggs from the incubator. Whenever I check she is quietly sitting on the nest (in private closed dog crate with food and water) but I have not heard any peeping or seen anything peeking out around her. The eggs I gave her looked viable on that day and three of the six incubator eggs have hatched (one a day for three days).

How long should I wait before doing anything? I have three incubator chicks from one to three days old I could slip her, or I could give her some new fertile eggs to start over with.

Unless you want to physically pick her up to check (the surest way!), listen. If she is making "low growling" or "purring like a cat" noises, she is telling the chicks to be quiet (at least, that's what mine does). My girl did not get off her nest yesterday when I went out to do chores. I went about my business and then stopped and just listened. I could hear her "growling" in a very low voice. I know there are chicks there but I will not bother her, she could still have some on the way and it's in the 30s in the barn and I don't want to chill the still wet chicks if there are any. I did put a chick size waterer and an ice cream tub lid with some starter and dried meal worms (Chickie Mama love these) inside the crate and left the door open in case she need to "do her thing" away from the nest.
If you check and she doesn't have any chicks and you determine the eggs aren't any good, I wouldn't give her more eggs if she's been sitting for three weeks already. Get her off the nest, move her to somewhere else without any nest, and let her have a while to eat and build up again. Then let her try again. It's still early.
I've never tried to foster chicks on a hen so can't help with advice for that.​

 

[NotAFarm]

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So, I never got the chance to count the eggs when she was off the nest........she didn't get off when I brought her treats. Look at the posture she has now compared to the day before

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Notice how flat she is in the first pic and how she is more upright and alert. She is making her "don't peep, there's someone here" noise whereas the days before she was silent. I know there's chicks but today is the 21st day so I'll be patient, even though it's really hard not to look!!!

 

[NotAFarm]

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You probably broke her unintentionally. The eggs may still be viable depending on how old they were before she sat on them. Remember that many times a hen will lay an egg a day for a week, or even two, before starting to brood them. When we take the eggs away each day, we "artificially" create a clutch and then return them when we decide to. This is what keeps hens from going broody, no eggs accumulating.
The oldest eggs would have been sat on each day for a period of time while the hen was "building a clutch". Those eggs might hatch before the others, but usually only by a day or two. The eggs don't start developing in earnest until the hen is consistently on the nest and the temperature is kept constant. The yolk of the egg that is absorbed just before the chicks hatch is what keeps the first hatchlings going until the hen decides that she is done hatching and takes the chicks off the nest for the first time. If you have some golf balls or artificial eggs you can "test" her with, give it a try. I use golf balls, adding them to a nest as I take away an egg, to see if any of my hens wants to sit. When one shows interest, I do as I stated above and move her. I'll only give her "real" eggs when she has stayed on the nest for two days. Then I trade out the eggs at dusk.

 

[yotetrapper]

Yayyyyyy I have a broody I think! I just got her moved into a dog carrier by herself with food and water. Just in time for Mahonri's Easter hatch!! So, my question is, how many eggs do ya'll reckon I can stuff safely under a Blue laced red Wyandotte hen?

 

[NotAFarm]

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Yote, I have/had 14 under my SLW girl! I've read 20 max for large fowl. I settled at 14 because it's still cold here and I didn't want anything on the "edges" to get too chilled. Good Luck with the broody and the Easter Hatch!!

 

[countrygirl911]

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You probably broke her unintentionally. The eggs may still be viable depending on how old they were before she sat on them. Remember that many times a hen will lay an egg a day for a week, or even two, before starting to brood them. When we take the eggs away each day, we "artificially" create a clutch and then return them when we decide to. This is what keeps hens from going broody, no eggs accumulating.
The oldest eggs would have been sat on each day for a period of time while the hen was "building a clutch". Those eggs might hatch before the others, but usually only by a day or two. The eggs don't start developing in earnest until the hen is consistently on the nest and the temperature is kept constant. The yolk of the egg that is absorbed just before the chicks hatch is what keeps the first hatchlings going until the hen decides that she is done hatching and takes the chicks off the nest for the first time. If you have some golf balls or artificial eggs you can "test" her with, give it a try. I use golf balls, adding them to a nest as I take away an egg, to see if any of my hens wants to sit. When one shows interest, I do as I stated above and move her. I'll only give her "real" eggs when she has stayed on the nest for two days. Then I trade out the eggs at dusk.

thank you she is not wanting to get on the eggs no more so i think i actidently broke her but now i have a RIR sitting all day and refuses to move she is growling worse then the other hen so tonight when it is time for them to roost i will look to see if she is still in the nest or if she is roosting if she is still in the nest i will know that she is broody and try to place eggs under her i have no fake eggs and i can afford to lose some i get over 9 dozen a week and we can not eat them fast enough to keep up with them how many eggs do you think a rir can hold under her

 

[NotAFarm]

They can flatten out alot. Are you in a cold weather climate? The maximum suggested for a large fowl is around 20 but I would suggest 12 -14, less if she is not a very big RIR. If the clutch is too big, eggs around the edges could get chilled easily, especially if your weather is cold.

 

[countrygirl911]

there is 22 eggs under her she has decided to get off the nest. she has been off for almost an hr but is walking around growling when will she go back on the eggs or was she just testing it out

 

[NotAFarm]

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It doesn't sound like she's serious about sitting. I wait until they sit for two days before taking them serious.

 

[kuntrygirl]

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It doesn't sound like she's serious about sitting. I wait until they sit for two days before taking them serious.

I agree. I wait 2 days at least.