Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

how long can a broody be off the nest without a problem? the eggs weren't cold, but just wondering- i take her off her nest for a food and poop break

I have to take my bantam out of her nest 1 time a day it usually takes her maybe at the most 15 min. to do all her screaming pooping eating and whatever else she wants to do. but i have seen others out for longer maybe 30 max.

 

[thailand]

Thailand I am approaching this from a different point of view. Perhaps there is something going on with the egg shell themselves.

Do they seem thin and brittle?
Do your hens have access to oystershell?
Is the bedding in the nest soft?
What kinds of pesticides are allowed in your country. If DDT is still being used there it causes egg shells to be brittle.

deb


Thanks everyone for your replies. Deb - I don't think the shells are particularly brittle and yes they have had 24/7 access to oystershell and grit for many many months now. The bedding is wood shavings. I have no idea if DDT is still being used here and frankly I wouldn't know who to ask to check this out with. We don't use ANY pesticides here on the property we're renting. My chickens are all free-ranged all day, every day. We've been living here for 7 years, originally from New Zealand. The first 2 hatched (if you can actually call them that) were fully formed and completely out of the shell unlike the photos above where the chick is still seemingly curled up in a ball. All three have had cracked up eggshell stuck to them, with some egg yolk splattered on the nesting material surrounding them. I'm at a complete loss with this. It's day 24 and 23 for two broodies and I'm still waiting for some live chicks!! This is so depressing

I'm wondering if I should forget using broody hens and just buy an incubator!

 

[Chicken Chat]

Mine are only off for about 10-15 mins. when they are broody and then run right back to the eggs. Mine seem to only leave every other day. On the days they don't leave, I will usually give them a hard boiled egg cut in half in the nest with them to eat or some meal worms . They seem to appreciate it.

how long can a broody be off the nest without a problem? the eggs weren't cold, but just wondering- i take her off her nest for a food and poop break

 

[audrey02026]

Ok so I set eggs under my broody on March 10th about noon time. I also had some in an incubator in the house. I candled on about day 10 or so and found that mine were all clear but two....one iffy and one developing....so I candled hers as well. She had 5 and two looked good..was hard to tell how good as I tried to do it quick and was outside at night but 3 nothing was going on So I took out here 3 eggs that were no good and gave her the two I had that looked ok. I'm not sure if yesterday was day 21 or if it's today but I keep checking on her and there is nothing going on. Do you think it's time to give up? I have more in the incubator that should hatch on April 4th. If these do nothing I will try and give her some of these babies at night so she thinks her hatch.

How many babies can a silkie handle do you think?? And will she know if I give her more than chicks than she has eggs right now??? I guessing chickens can't count and she will not know the difference.

 

[perchie.girl]

Gosh What a mystery Thailand. If it were a predator like a rat or something like that the eggs would be eaten or simply gone. The coop is secure right?

gosh I hope you figure it out. Maybe a critter cam to see if there is something getting in there.

deb

Quote:

 

[bobbi-j]

I'd try to slip them under her. I'd also leave her alone for a day or two. You'll know soon enough if they hatch.

Ok so I set eggs under my broody on March 10th about noon time. I also had some in an incubator in the house. I candled on about day 10 or so and found that mine were all clear but two....one iffy and one developing....so I candled hers as well. She had 5 and two looked good..was hard to tell how good as I tried to do it quick and was outside at night but 3 nothing was going on So I took out here 3 eggs that were no good and gave her the two I had that looked ok. I'm not sure if yesterday was day 21 or if it's today but I keep checking on her and there is nothing going on. Do you think it's time to give up? I have more in the incubator that should hatch on April 4th. If these do nothing I will try and give her some of these babies at night so she thinks her hatch.

How many babies can a silkie handle do you think?? And will she know if I give her more than chicks than she has eggs right now??? I guessing chickens can't count and she will not know the difference.

 

[audrey02026]

Well the others are not due to hatch until the 4th anyway so I guess I'll just leave her be and when the others have hatched If she doesn't have babies I'll give her some of the others.

 

[Morganwood]

Woke up to two fuzzy butts peeking out from under momma!

So excited! I will try to get pics! They were already dry so guessing they came early in the AM or last night.

 

[Peach2u]

Babies first day out! My BO sat on 14 eggs. 5 did not hatch. I left them in for 2 extra days just to make sure. Today I removed the 5 eggs mama Buffy flipped out. But at the same time I replaced them with 5 chicks that hatched in an incubator. I took the 5 smallest chicks out of the 50 I had in the kiddie pool. She was quick to claim them! They seemed happy to be there instead of the kiddie pool with the other 50 chicks. So final count for this season 45 in the pool and 14 out with a broody. I have 3 people already interested in my cast offs in 2 months. I will keep 1 rooster to go with my currant rooster unless the new splash maran is a rooster in which I will keep and get rid of old one. I have room for about 20 new ones unless I sell off the 1 year old EE"s. The end out come is I will have a bunch of babies left. The Rooster is a Splash Maran the hens I hatched from are Ameraucanas, EE,BCM, and giant silver laced cochin.

Buffy sharing a dust bath with Gretchen the EE. She is taking care of some of her offspring. None of the babies are buffy's

LaMar is watching this new family members closely.

All but 1 is a shade of gray.

The only yellow with yellow legs chick and the only Xcochin mix Super fuzzy legs. It also has the largest body.

 

[countrybuffs]

My coop is divided into 2 sections, so my buff hen and her Australorp chicks are in one side and 3 big Buffs on the other. (chicks are about 2 weeks now) The other day I left the dividing gate open for a few minutes and the 3 big innocent Buffs wandered over to see if there were any good treats next door, well, Henny-Penny immediately attacked them and started pecking one on the back of the neck so hard! It was pretty funny because the big dummies had no idea what was going on, they had not even looked at the chicks! Such surprised faces! Back to their side with the gate closed.