Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[arianna]

As hard as it is, I will follow the advices I received, and from today I will not move my broody hen out of the coop. I wonder when the broody hen doesn't leave the nest for few days, will she poo in the nest basket or hold it?

That might seem like a silly question, but I was curious.
She has never did her business in the nest basket or anywhere next to her nest. I will continue to hand feed her, because that's the only time she actually eats anything. I think she has lost more that half of her body weight so far. When I put her out, she did not eat, she just drink water, poo, and dust bathe in the sand box.

Well, I’m getting very excited.

I really hope she will hatch all the eggs or any. After all this hard work and sacrifice, I would be very dissipated if she wouldn’t have any babies to care for.

Last time I candle the eggs was on day 9, and I have never check them after that. Out of 6 eggs she’s got one that is cracked . I left the cracked one in there in the hope that will still hatch. I read some posts about that and some people had cracked eggs that still hatched.

 

[phasianidae]

Quote:

I agree. I would leave her alone . I never, never, never bother my broody hens. I provide fresh food and water on a daily basis and I keep their brooder clean. I let them do all of the work so that I don't have to. She'll be fine.

x2 as far as a blanket, she will not need one. I have had broodies hatch in 25 degree weather, obviously 25 degrees is not ideal, but i am sure your hen will be fine. Oh and btw, I cant see her legs but judging by her comb she doesnt look like a Cochin.

 

[phasianidae]

Quote:
I have never had a hen not leave the nest for over two days but I am sure there are exeptions. In the future I would recommend removing cracked eggs, the chances of one hatching is slim but more than that, it will likely break which could suffocate the remaining eggs.

 

[ldrwnorman47]

I agree you dont need to cover her. I live in Ohio and i dont cover anything.I just turn on 2 heat lamps in the negative degrees.

My hen didnt leave her nest for the first 3 days she sat on day 4 i took her off and she had the biggest bowel movement ive ever seen ate and then went back to her nest. Since then she gets off every couple days !

I would also remove the egg.

 

[arianna]

Thank you

 

[karenc]

Thanks for starting this thread. I am interested in having a broody hen hatch out some chicks. The info was very helpful. I'll post my results when I get started.

 

[arianna]

Day 20 and nothing yet.

Shouldn't I hear some noise by now? What's my max day to wait for hatch? If none of the eggs will hatch, does the hen leave the nest on her own, or should I pull her off?

My poor Foxy,

after all that work , I'm still hoping to see something

 

[michaelinnc84]

I have heard that you should wait to day 25 before giving up. Good luck and I hope you get some chicks hatching tomorrow!

 

[Mrs. K]

Usually broody eggs hatch a bit earlier than incubated eggs? Go to the feed store and get chicks and slip under her at night, if you don't hear anything in the shell.

Also, as a rancher, where we raise animals professionally, the less you bother a mother, the better. Sometimes you have to interfere, but most of the time you cause more problems than you fix. My Grandfather told me "she knows more about being a cow, than you will ever know" And I think it applies to chickens too!

I agree with the post about moving the laying hens, when I moved a broody, my broody hen left the clutch and went back to 'her' nest.

As to hatching above ground, not to worry, the first chicks were on the ground when I found them, mamma was still on the nest hatching the rest, the nest was about 2 feet off the ground. The fall did not hurt them. And within 24 hours, she left that nest, and the unhatched eggs, and created a new nest on the floor.

I kept the layers away from her for about 36 hours, and then they all were together, but, I free ranged them each day, which gave a lot of space to them.

MrsK

 

[Pharm Girl]

Just read this whole thread and others may have read the other one I have going - sorry! Anyhoo, I tried to keep my broody on 6 eggs in the coop as I was preparing to move the other non-broodies to a new coop and let mama hen stay on her desired nest. Well, the others politely laid their eggs in the next box over from my broody and hours later I noticed my broody had hopped off her fertile eggs and on to the nest with the three non-fertile eggs. Poo! Next time she will be separated before I give the fertile eggs. I'm still hoping for a miracle and that the eggs will still make it, but we'll see! She defiantly suffers from nest confusion.