Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[featherz]

Featherz, what should her temp and humidity be for this close to hatch?

Depends on how much you trust your thermometer. I hear others reduce temperature a degree or two after lockdown, although I set my brinsea for 60% at lockdown with 99.5 temp. I'd probably bump the oven up to 99ish If you can, but err on the side of cooler rather than hotter IMO.

 

[stonykill]

Temps of 100F would be fine for a still air bator so maybe same for oven. Humidity of 75% sounds fine but wouldnt go higher.

x2 and I'll add, great idea!

 

[featherz]

x2 and I'll add, great idea!

X3!! I think it just may do the trick. If that fails, there's always the bra.

 

[stonykill]

as an oven I'm going to assume to treat it as a still air. 101.5 is the ideal still air temp. At least that is what I shoot for and works really well for me with a still air.Most literature says this as well. 60% is a great humidity to start at. During the hatch I've watched it climb up to 80% and maybe higher, but at 80% there is so much condensation created by the wet chicks hatching that the windows get covered with water droplets and fogged over.

 

[stonykill]

X3!! I think it just may do the trick. If that fails, there's always the bra.

 

[karlamaria]

Here is our first ever chick broody hatch. Can anyone tell us what it may be ? We got misc. eggs from another chicken gal and she has rhode island reds, barred rocks, buff rocks, white rocks, white rhode islands . She was born early this morning, still wet when I woke up.
ok, hope this works LOL I have tried about everything now to show my chick and get an opinion on what it is.

 

[Linn Bee]

Thank you for the help with my Nesco chix. I have no idea how to regulate the humidity which is closer to 80% than 75% now. I just put a thin layer of water in the bottom and several towels over that.

 

[stonykill]

Thank you for the help with my Nesco chix. I have no idea how to regulate the humidity which is closer to 80% than 75% now. I just put a thin layer of water in the bottom and several towels over that.

less water, or crack the door ajar just a tad.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I'm going to move Topsy tonight - here's my plan - let me know what you think and if I should change any of it. I read that if I move her at night and keep her in the dark for 2 days she'll forget about her old nest. So I'm going try it.

Plan:
1. Go before dark and set up the new nest area - blue bankers crate will be covered with a dark beach towel to keep it dark - I'll put a the base to the cat carrier inside to give her a structure to lay on. And I'll put mostly pine shavings but also some straw since that's what she's been sitting on.

2. When it's completely dark outside - take low flashlight & son to coop - get her from the nestbox and cover her with towel for the move & take the two pingpong balls to new nest area and put them in the nest with her on top. Keep her in the dark until Sunday night then remove the towel from the box.

Hopefully that will get her settled on the new nest area. She will have food & water there and ability to get out after Sunday. Hoping she chooses to return to that nest!

So what do you think?

 

[stonykill]

ohh boy is it catching. I think my 1st chicken that isn't a Sumatra might be going broody. My EE that is responsable for the tiny roo with sturdy legs looks like she is going broody. I'll have to keep an eye on her!