Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

Hey everyone!!! Today is hatch day for my broody hen, she has 4 eggs under her, this is her first hatch, mine too with a broody hen, so I'm excited and nervous, I can tell she wants to be a mommy so bad, she has been sitting the whole time, with exception of about 10 minutes a day when she would get up to eat real fast, how will I know if they hatch???

When you hear peeping or see a little head peaking out at you. Or you could just go out and lift her up some and take a look..

 

[Miss Lydia]

This is my first time trying to do a video but here goes, this is my white silkie Phoebe. I am giving her some eggs after finding her on a nest of 12 eggs that were all unfertile. I gave her 7 eggs total. 5 are from my father in law and they could be pure bantam blue cochin or 1/2 bantam cochin and 1/2 mixed laying hen. The other 2 eggs are 1/2 RIR or Black Australorp and Guinea. I hope those hatch. I want to see what they look like. I hope this video works.

sweet video, you did take out the 12 unfertile ones right? if not she may not be able to keep the fertile ones warm enough.. you probably did though.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Awww! I would love to see pictures too! What was going through that chickens mind when she laid an egg on kittens?! "oh what a warm and fuzzy nest"

That would be cute!

 

[Miss Lydia]

You might try a spot light hooked up to a motion detector. Just as a deterrent. If they get frustrated they will go somewhere else to hunt.

deb

I second that bit of advise.

 

[Miss Lydia]

The Party Rock continues to sit. My question is-- If the eggs (4) are up to 48 hours apart in development, will she sit through all? Or stop waiting?

If I partition off maybe three of the egg stalls (leaving one for the others), will she be more inclined to hatch the later ones too?

If you put up a partion she just may, some hens like to take their chicks out at 24 hrs, some at 36 but I'm sure there are some that would wait, especially if they hear pipping and peeping going on and their was fres water and food near by. My frizzle waited from Wed. till Friday afternoon before she rolled her unhatched eggs out from under her.

 

[wildriverswolf90]

Thought I'd share some pictures of momma and her chicks, they are almost a week old, my how time flies!

 

[Atomic Ranch]

^ Wow! Beautiful photographs! Lucky, happy family

 

[perchie.girl]

I love the Chick backpack..... Too cute

deb

Thought I'd share some pictures of momma and her chicks, they are almost a week old, my how time flies!

 

[JakRat]

not at all. hatch can happen anyday from day 19 to day 23. Always remember chickens can't tell time or read a calender and have done this for 10,000 years or more without our help

Yes! I am just so anxious for the little ones to get here!!!! I candled them today just to see what was going on inside and all I can see are the air cells, everything else is dark.

 

[hennypenny99]

Beautiful Babies! I just love Cochins! Yes Miss Lydia I did take the non fertile eggs from her. It seemed such a shame to have to throw away the eggs. I wish I had a roo to go with my beautiful girls. Now I really hope she does a good job with them. She gets of the nest at least once a day. My daughter just brought me an egg she said she found under the storage building. I think she knew better but then she wasn't with me yesterday when I put them under there. I brought it back and gave it back to her and she wasn't totally sitting on all the eggs. I think she had just came back from a break so maybe she hadn't adjusted herself yet. I did notice that she has moved them even further out of reach. Hahaha!

A spotlight on the owl isn't a bad idea. I am going to try and set up the game camera tonight. I hope I can get some good pictures of it.