Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Peach2u]

Oh I did try to get a picture of the broody with her new babies. But that didn't work so well. Mama wasn't going to move! All you can see is her fluffy BO self and 1 egg shell.

This is what I put under her. but no light brown cochin eggs just the BCM and green ones.

 

[JakRat]

so today is day 21 for my serama eggs that were supposed to hatch on day 19. One seemed to have been discarded by mom so I went and candled it. I DID see red veins still. Does this mean that this one is still alive??? I put it back under her. She seems to be aching to get out and move with the babies. I am trying to figure out what I can do about that. I only have one coop so I was unsure how many problems I would have with mom and with the other girls. I am fr sure going to keep her in until Monday, but after that I think my husband would like everyone out of the house!

 

[Miss Lydia]

So my mom says I need to have a kid.

This came up after I told her that I wanted to read "Horton and the Egg" by Dr. Seuss to the baby chicks

So far the serama eggs have not made a pip yet. I am getting worried.

I tend to agree with mom!

I will say I do sing to my chickens and ducks but so far i haven't read them a story.

 

[Miss Lydia]

your girls hatched out all these chicks, my they have been busy. I love cochins... like that pics of mama, she'll let you see hers when she is good and ready.

Some of my new babies. splash maran over ameraucanas, ee's and 1 cochin I have 50 EE olive eggers atm and 20 BCM. and Unknown under Buffy the broody

99%grey/blue 1 yellow with yellow legs!

Can you tell with one has the cochin mama! FUZZY feet love them.

 

[JakRat]

I tend to agree with mom!

I will say I do sing to my chickens and ducks but so far i haven't read them a story.

Well if I sing to them they may think that I am a predator and will eat them... thats how bad my voice is!!!!!!

My husband looked at me like a nut job yesterday when I said and I quote "guess who had their first little poopy today!?"

Yeah maybe I need to go see a shrink

 

[Miss Lydia]

so today is day 21 for my serama eggs that were supposed to hatch on day 19. One seemed to have been discarded by mom so I went and candled it. I DID see red veins still. Does this mean that this one is still alive??? I put it back under her. She seems to be aching to get out and move with the babies. I am trying to figure out what I can do about that. I only have one coop so I was unsure how many problems I would have with mom and with the other girls. I am fr sure going to keep her in until Monday, but after that I think my husband would like everyone out of the house!

If your going to keep mama and chicks in till Monday why not let the eggs alone till then, she'll either leave them herself or by then you can toss them. What other breed of chickens do you have? my little bantam hatched her chicks in our small coop but when she brought them out for their first day, that night mama moved them right into the big coop with everyone else. and it has been great, no problems. If your chickens free range then best thing would be to let them all out together and then they have a chance to see mama and new chicks on a more neutral ground that evening she'll probably just take them right in the coop, my mama has hers in a corner everyone else is on the roost.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well if I sing to them they may think that I am a predator and will eat them... thats how bad my voice is!!!!!!

My husband looked at me like a nut job yesterday when I said and I quote "guess who had their first little poopy today!?"

Yeah maybe I need to go see a shrink

well join the crowd because when i talk about my animals to my husband his eyes glaze over he has heard it so much.
my voice isn't very good either, maybe thats why my goose hollers when I sing, and all this time i thought he was joining in.

 

[aoxa]

I have all eleven of my chicks with Janet now. She is rethinking this motherhood thing They are CRAZY! She still prefers her three houdans, but will feed the others. She will not let the others under her wing, but I have her out in the barn with all 11 in a fenced off area with two heat lamps for the ones she will not cover.

Bugging at mommy

Look at those eye bags. She is so exhausted!

 

[khaosity]

Thanks for your reply Miss Lydia.

I've been trying not to bug her too much. (Gah, it's so hard!! lol) Only checking on her a few times a day and I usually bring some treats for her.
I've got a few more questions thou if you don't mind.

Three more have internally pipped but none have externally pipped yet. No holes, no cracks, no bumps. I'm a little worried about the first egg that internally pipped a few days ago but hasn't externally yet. The baby does seem to be alive in there still but 3 days is kind of a lot for just an internal pip and not an external, right?

And I noticed this morning (since she jumped off the nest, I was able to see the eggs and quickly (and very carefully) candled a couple to make sure they were still alive) that she's still been turning them and rearranging them. Is that going to mess up their hatch? She seems really restless at being stuck in her broody box (even thou she has plenty of leg room and I often let her out for about 5 min in the morning if she's super agitated) and jumps off the eggs at any opportunity so I'm a bit worried that she's not really paying attention to them or that she won't once they hatch. I'll figure that out later thou, I guess. I can always brood them inside if need be.

Anyway, I guess my questions are:
(and these are, of course, rough estimates)

How long should a duckling be internally pipping before they start to externally pip? (one of the eggs internally pipped on monday)

How long after they externally pip should it take them to hatch?

Should I be worried that she's still moving/turning the eggs even thou they've internally pipped/might be starting to hatch?


Also, I tried to check the duck forum but I found it a bit hard to navigate since it's like 500 pages of just everything duck. (it doesn't seem to be narrowed down like the chicken forums> incubating & hatching, etc.) I'll keep trying thou. And if anyone knows the a thread that might be helpful to me, that would be much appreciated if you could post it. Thanks everyone! And thanks for the welcome!

Oh and I will definitely be posting some pictures upon a successful hatch! Congrats to all the new chicks/ducklings/goslings/etc and their mamas! (bird or human

)

 

[khaosity]

Oops! I forgot to include this! Sorry, sorry. lol

Okay you have a duck sitting not a chicken it takes ducks longer to hatch so just let mama do her thing, even first time mama do awesome jobs. Best thing is to just try to remain clam and not mess with her too much, if they are a few days apart she will probably see it through to they all hatch. no difference in rouen and cayuga as far as hatch times. 13 eggs are alot so just give it time, Ducks can take 24 -48 hrs to hatch. go to the duck thread and you'll get alot more info. I have a muscovy sitting on 7 eggs so i know it can be nerve wracking waiting but it's better if you don't interfer at all. and

now don't forget to post back and tell us all about the hatch along with pictures...