Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

Yeah Smokey was still on the nest box when I went out to close up the coop. I'll give her two more nights and then decide what to do with her. She could stay put for awhile. I don't have to worry about her getting smooshed or pecked by the others like I have to worry about Topsy.

Smokey's hatch date will be a week behind Topsy's. Technically Topsy would be due next Tuesday but since I used shipped eggs it stretched her out an extra week to May 22nd. I wonder if I could cut Smokey's due date by a week and give them both some of these shipped eggs to hatch?

I'll candle all the eggs this weekend and see where they are and whether I will need to order shipped chicks instead.

 

[bobbieschicks]

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

 

Thank you. I loved seeing the little ones pop their heads out from her feathers.

SOP is Standards of Perfection. She doesn't met the standard so I usually call her an EE. She is a great little momma.

 

[prairie]

Thanks!. Don't really know much about chickens even tho I love them and have had them for much of my life. We just kinda do what is reasonable -- kinda like when I was a kid. We had several hundred of them then to make money in selling dressed out chickens. But,,,,,,,,, I am learning more.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Precious, chick must favor DAD.  

Lol. Its a baby Cochin

 

[Tripp16]

Ok I know you all have candled eggs before and I have too! But this is the first time I have done it and seen movement!!

It was amazing! I swear I saw a wing moving around they were just in there relaxing!

How a egg can turn into a chick that is moving in just a few days tells me there is a big man upstairs, and he knows exactly what hes doing!

VERY cool! Just had to share!

 

[myby]

I got my two hens shared their box when they layed eggs. As the eggs were different and I want to tell who lay which one. I read in a magazine to put fake eggs where I wanted the hens to lay, so I put a fake egg in different places of the box. Henny Penny (hubby put the name), the first hen that went broody started steeling the fake eggs and the new eggs that Sue (my other hen) layed. I split the box and then Sue went broody about a week later. She went to the other box without fight.
Maybe you can try something like that with your two broody hens if you have time.
Sorry for my prepositions (in/at/on), English is not my native language.

 

[B J Hopkins]

Ok I know you all have candled eggs before and I have too! But this is the first time I have done it and seen movement!!

It was amazing! I swear I saw a wing moving around they were just in there relaxing!

How a egg can turn into a chick that is moving in just a few days tells me there is a big man upstairs, and he knows exactly what hes doing!

VERY cool! Just had to share!

It's amazing isn't it!? Love life in all it's diversity.

 

[chooniecat]

First off you Will not have to remove the chicks out from under mama so they rest can hatch, please believe me she can Do a better job than you. Now if you just want to get your hands on some of the chicks then go ahead and take them from her [mean person that you will be] just kidding of course. 17 is alot of chicks what breed is she is she bantam or LF? and just cause she is sitting on 17 eggs doesn't mean 17 will hatch. And if you are out there in the middle of then night in your coop watching for chicks to hatch, you need some serious counseling. Please i am only trying to get you to calm down and let mama and nature take it's course. Like i said be prepared for emergency don't don't create one.

I KNOW she probably won't hatch 17-am just joking that for all my verbal fussing I will probably end up with all 17. Sorry to fuss and I AM going to leave them alone now. Pretty much ignore suzette. Have the "working w/broody hens-let mama do it" article and read it reguarly(obviously not thoroughly THO) just read some posts about 23 day hatches. what is your thought on that if SOME hatch at 20-21 days? guess I could just leave the unhatched eggs under her for a couple more days but then(yes I am thinking out loud(?) guess if shes off cavorting with new chix the remaining(IF viable) would just have to expire. oh my. so the watch starts today and I WILL keep my nose out of suzettes work. thanks. just remembered-suzette is a salmon faverolles bought as chic from meyer hatchery 3 yrs ago. not very attractive and tiny but she is a pet so unimportant.and am retired so the middle of the night thing is OK(justification-so sad) but how can you NOT want to stay up and fuss if its your first hatch?????

 

[bobbieschicks]

Amen! It's so cool to watch them grow from seemingly nothing into a fully formed chick and then hatch out! Glad you got to witness that miracle of life

Ok I know you all have candled eggs before and I have too! But this is the first time I have done it and seen movement!!

It was amazing! I swear I saw a wing moving around they were just in there relaxing!

How a egg can turn into a chick that is moving in just a few days tells me there is a big man upstairs, and he knows exactly what hes doing!

VERY cool! Just had to share!

 

[bobbieschicks]

We have a Henny Penny too - she's my favorite Lavender Orpington

I got my two hens shared their box when they layed eggs. As the eggs were different and I want to tell who lay which one. I read in a magazine to put fake eggs where I wanted the hens to lay, so I put a fake egg in different places of the box. Henny Penny (hubby put the name), the first hen that went broody started steeling the fake eggs and the new eggs that Sue (my other hen) layed. I split the box and then Sue went broody about a week later. She went to the other box without fight.
Maybe you can try something like that with your two broody hens if you have time.
Sorry for my prepositions (in/at/on), English is not my native language.