Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[artsyrobin]

help!!! one of the eggs is close to hatching and now some major cracks! what do i do to help it? Membrane looks intact

 

[Miss Lydia]

help!!! one of the eggs is close to hatching and now some major cracks! what do i do to help it? Membrane looks intact

how in the world s the shell cracking if the membrane is still intact, can you tell if chick is working around in the shell? all i can think is to make a very small hole in the membrane where the beak is being very careful and maybe try a warm damp not real wet paper towel over it to keep it from getting shrink wrapped.

 

[artsyrobin]

well she was in he fav nestbox and i found a pullet in the box, i am guessing an argument?

 

[stonykill]

help!!! one of the eggs is close to hatching and now some major cracks! what do i do to help it? Membrane looks intact

I had that happen before. I always figured mama acidentally broke it. Personally I have't had one hatch that cracks early like that. hopefully your situation is different

 

[Miss Lydia]

well she was in he fav nestbox and i found a pullet in the box, i am guessing an argument?

Bet so the only problem I see is the chick getting shrink wrapped inside the shell before it can pip through the membrane. Thats where warm moist paper towels come in handy, but being she is under a broody I don't know what to tell you. are you able to pick up the egg and examine it to see if the chick has pipped threw the membrane at all?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Robin, update please.

 

[artsyrobin]

ever have one of those days- just want to scream! ok- checked the egg, it was leaking all over, so i sadly had to admit i lost this one... she still has 2 eggs... but they aren't as developed- this is the hen that refuses to be relocated- then looks like my laptop died so the money i had put back for an incubator is going to be used for that...using hubby's...sigh

 

[bobbieschicks]

My 27 week old EE Smokey is sitting on 3 WL and 3 EE/WL eggs and Tuesday, Feb 21st will be 21 days. I candled the eggs yesterday and there isn't any development in the WL eggs and the EE/WL eggs are so far behind in development that I don't believe they will hatch tomorrow. This is her 1st time of going broody. I'd like to take advantage of it if possible. I don't know if they didn't develop because of the cold - the temps have dropped to 20Fs & 30Fs at night with only 40Fs to 50Fs in the daytime. When she went broody we were having a warm spell with 40s at night and 60s in the day.

I have 6 Welsummer and 6 Ameraucana eggs in my bator right now - due to hatch on Feb 28th - and only 1 looks not on target. I originally purchased these to slip under her. But haven't yet because I wasn't sure whether or how to do it. This thread has inspired me to go ahead and be bold about it

So - advice please:
Would it be wise to just remove the eggs she's sitting on now since they are not developing properly - I can candle again to be certain - and then move the Wellie & AM eggs that are developing under her?
Would you move just a few or all of them?
Should I wait until the eggs are closer to hatching or would that be too late for her to want to continue hatching them?
Should I just wait for the Wellies and AMs to hatch and then move them under her at night, remove her eggs then and hope she takes care of the chicks?
I'm considering putting half under her to see if she can hatch them and leaving half in the bator - then putting those under her after they hatch so she can raise them all. Is this even wise?

Smokey in her broody area - it's a wired off portion of the main coop. She has food & water in there with her. She is allowing me to pet her back - something she never would do before going broody. She has been getting off the eggs to eat & poop (phew) and bokking and getting back on the nest.

I candled the eggs she's sitting on again this morning before the sun was too bright. There are 6 and only 1 was still questionable as to being good - upon examination today it looked like a quitter. I didn't see any veins and it wasn't moving around. So I think it's a go to replace those eggs with the 16 eggs I have in the incubator. They are due to hatch next Tuesday.

Will moving the eggs under her extend their hatch date or can I count on Tues/Weds still?
How often should I check on the eggs and candle them or should I just leave them alone?

Also - how exactly do I do the transfer?
I was thinking I could do it today when I clean the coop out - move her over to the feed dish and then do the exchange while she's eating & drinking. Would that be okay?

I guess I'm just a little nervous about this since it's my 1st time with a broody - I'm not sure why LOL. I have a feeling that she will do just fine with the exchange. Thanks for all your support

 

[Miss Lydia]

I candled the eggs she's sitting on again this morning before the sun was too bright. There are 6 and only 1 was still questionable as to being good - upon examination today it looked like a quitter. I didn't see any veins and it wasn't moving around. So I think it's a go to replace those eggs with the 16 eggs I have in the incubator. They are due to hatch next Tuesday.

Will moving the eggs under her extend their hatch date or can I count on Tues/Weds still?
How often should I check on the eggs and candle them or should I just leave them alone?

Also - how exactly do I do the transfer?
I was thinking I could do it today when I clean the coop out - move her over to the feed dish and then do the exchange while she's eating & drinking. Would that be okay?

I guess I'm just a little nervous about this since it's my 1st time with a broody - I'm not sure why LOL. I have a feeling that she will do just fine with the exchange. Thanks for all your support

she should settle back on them without any problems. AS long as you don't give her more than she can cover up. As far as hatch they will probably still be on schedule, or maybe even start hatching a day early. Hens are the best bators ever. Alot of folks like to do the switch at night when the broody is sleeping, but you know your hen and she will probably do fine with the switch. I would just leave them alone after the switch. No need to candle she'll remove the ones that don't hatch or just get up and leave them when time to take chicks out for the first time. All the best and keep us updated.

 

[Miss Lydia]

ever have one of those days- just want to scream! ok- checked the egg, it was leaking all over, so i sadly had to admit i lost this one... she still has 2 eggs... but they aren't as developed- this is the hen that refuses to be relocated- then looks like my laptop died so the money i had put back for an incubator is going to be used for that...using hubby's...sigh

sorry about the egg Robin, thank goodness she still has 2 to take care of. and what a bummer about your lap top. why do you need a bator? sounds like you have live bators coming out your ears.