Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

Alright experts, putting eggs in tonight! Should I remove the golfballs?

Absolutely! Yeah!

 

[bobbieschicks]

I was able to get one picture of Muffin and a baby. I'm still not certain how many they're are. I tried to check and she cracked one of the remaining eggs. It looked to be a few days behind, so I left her with the one that was peeping (has since hatched) and out the last two in the bator so they can bake a little longer. Any hope she'll still take them? The busted egg was super close, so I'm expecting them to hatch either sometime tonight or tomorrow. Anyway, here's the pic. Muffin looks so happy with her little ones. She's doing a fabulous job looking after them!

Adorable!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Oh my! Smokey has been hanging out in the nest box daily for hours for about a week. This morning she was walking around clucking the broody cluck. Then she got into the nest box while I cleaned the coop and laid an egg. By afternoon she was still on the nest. I took her egg since it's not fertilized so she's sitting on a ping pong ball.

Looks like she's trying to go broody again!

 

[Breshcandra]

I am so Happy I could SCREAM

! So I have my Black Cochin mix (that needs a name by the way) who hatched out 4 chicks on May 26th. Then my Black Australorp(sp?) went broody a few days later and I set 4 turkey eggs under her two days ago, and now the one I have been waiting for I am about 99.5% sure that Big Burtha my Black Jersey Giant has decided to go broody!!!!!

Just in time too, I am picking up 12 silkie hatching eggs on Friday! When I was out cleaning the coop today she had been in there for a while, until somehen elts pushed her out. Then she just went to another box and waited till the other hen was done then hoped right back in the box she was in before. I went to collect eggs and both Burtha and Ebony began puffing up and hissing at me. They are in boxes right next to each other.

I could be counting my broodies before they sit ( ha ha cheesy I know) but I should know in the next night or two if I am right!

I was just going to incubate them, I hatched out 7 (9 but two died, one from cat attack and one from intestines hanging out) of my own eggs these last two days and was getting ready to clean the bator. I will still clean it and put it away. I do enjoy being able to watch the babies hatch, but I feel broody's do it best and tend to have better hatch rates.

Burtha is big enough I should be able to fit all 12 under her, right?

Yes. I got 11 silkie eggs under my smaller silkie hen once then she quit on me. Now I have an incubator

 

[prairie]

I sure wish mine would go broody!

I haven't had chickens for about 20 years and can't remember if aracauna's go broody very often. anyone know??

 

[Miss Lydia]

I was able to get one picture of Muffin and a baby. I'm still not certain how many they're are. I tried to check and she cracked one of the remaining eggs. It looked to be a few days behind, so I left her with the one that was peeping (has since hatched) and out the last two in the bator so they can bake a little longer. Any hope she'll still take them? The busted egg was super close, so I'm expecting them to hatch either sometime tonight or tomorrow. Anyway, here's the pic. Muffin looks so happy with her little ones. She's doing a fabulous job looking after them!

Precious, chick must favor DAD.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I sure wish mine would go broody!

I haven't had chickens for about 20 years and can't remember if aracauna's go broody very often. anyone know??

I really don't know but there is a thread on BYC just for those who have Aracaunas might ask there.

 

[prairie]

Thanks I will search for the thread. Kare

 

[bobbieschicks]

I really don't know but there is a thread on BYC just for those who have Aracaunas might ask there.  

I saw them listed as one of the frequently broody chickens. The woman who sold me Smokey said she is an Araucana, but she isn't SOP. Smokey went broody back at the start of the year. And now she's going broody again. That's Smokey with her three babies as my avatar. Those babies are now 9 weeks old.

 

[prairie]

thanks for the info. I am new with all the acronyms ----- what does SOP mean??? Love the avatar -- guess I need to get a pic of my ladies. Kare