Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[fuzzybutt love]

No, quite sure she was broody at first Puffed up at me when i tried to get her out of the box, plucked out chest feathers, never stayed out more than a few minutes. I put food and water near her after a few days.

I have given it much thought, and i'm wondering if she ate some of her nesting material (hay/straw) and it got impacted in there? Though i thought that would affect the crop first.

Poor girl. we just had poor luck, it seems. I figured if you folks hadn't had those problems, it must not have been common. I know that is what it was, because it was hard, but not as hard as an egg. and it got bigger as it progressed. Sigh. Thanks for your kind words and thoughts.

 

[stone_family3]

Okay, thanks I'll run a bowl of water out there.

*ETA* I had to move mama to a different nesting box that was bigger, on a good note I'm glad I double checked the box, I found the missing chick, turns out it's the chick that is "paralyzed" on one side. Mama has been extra protective of this chick. It was in the nesting box the whole time, it was also warm so I know she's been keeping it under her.

 

[Aumlet]

Question: I have 3 eggs in the incubator that started under my broody. At about day 10 the hen pooped all over the nest and I had a bit of a freak out, so I washed the eggs and put them in an incubator. I gave the broody new eggs at that time.

At most, she's got 4 developing under there.

Would it be better to give her the newly hatched chicks (assuming they hatch) and stick the later eggs in the incubator, or brood the chicks myself until she hatches out what she's sitting on and sneaking the slightly older chicks in?

She's so fierce about brooding, I can't wait to see her as a mama.

 

[stone_family3]

What about giving her the newly hatched chicks, taking the eggs she has and giving her some wooden eggs to sit on and at hatch day give her the newest chicks?

 

[stonykill]

swapping the eggs she is on for chicks at night is the easiest way to do it.

Question: I have 3 eggs in the incubator that started under my broody. At about day 10 the hen pooped all over the nest and I had a bit of a freak out, so I washed the eggs and put them in an incubator. I gave the broody new eggs at that time.

At most, she's got 4 developing under there.

Would it be better to give her the newly hatched chicks (assuming they hatch) and stick the later eggs in the incubator, or brood the chicks myself until she hatches out what she's sitting on and sneaking the slightly older chicks in?

She's so fierce about brooding, I can't wait to see her as a mama.

 

[Aumlet]

So give her the first chicks at night, and stick the eggs she has in the incubator? Then sneak the second babies in at night after they hatch?

 

[stonykill]

So give her the first chicks at night, and stick the eggs she has in the incubator? Then sneak the second babies in at night after they hatch?

that depends. If the other eggs hatch within a few days absolutely. I think you said 10 days difference. That is a big difference in age for a mama with chicks. I have not tried anything more than 2 or 3 days difference

 

[stone_family3]

You could try, definitely watch her for awhile. Maybe sneak them in on a day that you have to do coop chores that way you can keep an eye on her

So give her the first chicks at night, and stick the eggs she has in the incubator? Then sneak the second babies in at night after they hatch?

 

[Aumlet]

I'd keep an eye on her, for sure. Lord she's cute. I went out to shut the run (the girls get to free range for a few hours in the evening) and I checked on her, and she is sitting there clucking, clucking, clucking.

The eggs are a mixed lot with some silkie sized and some some standard sized eggs.The two silkie eggs are in the batch due to hatch earlier, so they'll be small. Would that make a difference?

I am prepared to brood one batch or the other if I need to but it would be nice if she had them all eventually.

 

[Nankin22]

Question: I have 3 eggs in the incubator that started under my broody. At about day 10 the hen pooped all over the nest and I had a bit of a freak out, so I washed the eggs and put them in an incubator. I gave the broody new eggs at that time.

At most, she's got 4 developing under there.

Would it be better to give her the newly hatched chicks (assuming they hatch) and stick the later eggs in the incubator, or brood the chicks myself until she hatches out what she's sitting on and sneaking the slightly older chicks in?

She's so fierce about brooding, I can't wait to see her as a mama.