Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[JennKzoo]

Hi all, this is a great informative thread. We have a Buff Orpington that is about 6 months old and she went broody a week ago. I found 2 eggs under her but not sure if they are "good" eggs only because most of the hens just started laying. We do have 2 rooster brothers though

Anyway, I was telling my hubby that 1) we should try moving her, the box she is in is up high in the hen house and 2) maybe if we moved her I could actually order some eggs and have her sit on them so I could get what I really want and if the other ones are no good then it would not be a waste.
So, what would you do???

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Hi and

Congrats on your first broody, if you want to move her I'd wait till new eggs come, let her continue to sit on the 2 she has till you get ready to move her and put new eggs under her, candle the ones she is on just in case they are viable before tossing. when you move her you should move her and bedding in a nest that you can close her up in till she gets use to the new place or she may go back to old nest. or you can just wait till eggs hatch then move her and chicks to new site. I would do either or in the eveni ng though while she is in her resting mode. you have a couple days after hatch before she will bring chicks out so thats when you would want to move her, after all eggs have hatched and not too long after that first 24 hrs. Keep us posted on how she is doing and what you decide, All the best to your BO and you!!

 

[Jloeffler]

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Congrats on your broody!! And x2 what Miss Lydia said. I am still learning too and currently have a broody on 4 eggs.

Today is day 5 for my eggs. Do you think I should candle or wait til day 7 ??

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Congrats on your broody!! And x2 what Miss Lydia said. I am still learning too and currently have a broody on 4 eggs.

Today is day 5 for my eggs. Do you think I should candle or wait til day 7 ??

you'll probably see more on day 7 but i have read of people candling on day 5, up to you!!
one of my hatchlings from this year was sitting on 3 eggs this afternoon, but I made her get off, She will just have to wait till spring.

 

[stonykill]

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Congrats on your broody!! And x2 what Miss Lydia said. I am still learning too and currently have a broody on 4 eggs.

Today is day 5 for my eggs. Do you think I should candle or wait til day 7 ??

you'll probably see more on day 7 but i have read of people candling on day 5, up to you!!
one of my hatchlings from this year was sitting on 3 eggs this afternoon, but I made her get off, She will just have to wait till spring.

I might not have, but I have morehen fever

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Five and a half weeks old and the biggest of the three kids doesn't actually fit under mom's wing anymore. I went in for night check tonight and there was a butt AND a head exposed - all belonging to the same baby!

I LOVE that mom still tries.

(I must try to get a picture ... )

 

[Rachel'sFlock]

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That sounds so precious! What a good Mamma!
I hope you do get pics!

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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Congrats on your broody!! And x2 what Miss Lydia said. I am still learning too and currently have a broody on 4 eggs.

Today is day 5 for my eggs. Do you think I should candle or wait til day 7 ??

I candled on Day 6 because mom got off the nest (opportunity presented) ... it was accurate.

 

[Jloeffler]

Well, momma was very calm about letting me candle her eggs tonight as long as I didn't attemp to remove them from her line of sight. Three have good veining and a visibly moving mass!! It was soooo cool to see it. The last eggs (& first) were light brown and harder to see through. Now, having looked at cream eggs I can appreciate the difference. It was so much easier to see in these eggs. The truly amazing thing, out of her four eggs, two were in the refrigerator for 24-48 hrs before I pulled them to warm to room temp. That means at least one of those eggs was still viable!!

 

[runsw/scissors]

In that case, I'll leave them be, well once they get here, (the babies I mean). Thanks for the heads up!



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Don't put a heat lamp in the coop you'll just make them miserable, mama can keep her chicks warm and toasty. They will feather faster and be healthier without one, and mama sure doesn't need it. Now good luck and keep us updated. day 1 starts 24 hrs after you set the eggs.