Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

Miss Lydia is just trying to tell you everything will work out - chicken mommas have it covered

You go ahead and stay up and watch them hatch if you want to - it's such an amazing thing to watch. I doubt all 17 will hatch - but that would truly be interesting sight to see all those babies around the momma - so be sure to take pictures!

Yes, leave the unhatched until momma gives up on them. You'll know when that is. She will get up and then stop going back to the nest. Smokey got up and made a new nest about 6 inches away from the old one with the eggs on it. Then she started taking care of her chicks. So I knew she was done with the eggs. Your broody may get up and then return to the nest - in that case don't touch the eggs yet because she's still trying to hatch them. But most likely when she leaves the nest - that will be the end of the rest of them. You could candle them - I usually do before I remove the unhatched.

Exciting times!

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]

Smokey was smooshed down on the nest this morning when I went out to open up the coop. Growled at me when I said hello. Haha.

Gotta love broodies!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Smokey was smooshed down on the nest this morning when I went out to open up the coop. Growled at me when I said hello. Haha.

Gotta love broodies!

good for Smokey, she is now on stand by for those fertile eggs...

 

[Miss Lydia]

Miss Lydia is just trying to tell you everything will work out - chicken mommas have it covered

You go ahead and stay up and watch them hatch if you want to - it's such an amazing thing to watch. I doubt all 17 will hatch - but that would truly be interesting sight to see all those babies around the momma - so be sure to take pictures!

Yes, leave the unhatched until momma gives up on them. You'll know when that is. She will get up and then stop going back to the nest. Smokey got up and made a new nest about 6 inches away from the old one with the eggs on it. Then she started taking care of her chicks. So I knew she was done with the eggs. Your broody may get up and then return to the nest - in that case don't touch the eggs yet because she's still trying to hatch them. But most likely when she leaves the nest - that will be the end of the rest of them. You could candle them - I usually do before I remove the unhatched.

Exciting times!

Yes have that camera in your pocket ready for pic taking. All will be well and our hatch math is sometimes as crazy as our chicken math so it's best to let mama decide when time is up, and most likely the eggs that are left won't be viable, unless you gave her eggs all along the way. And nothing wrong with setting up a chair and waiting, we're retired too so sitting around enjoying the flock is alot of fun. Looking forward to hearing how it all comes out.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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!

That is so cool Tripp. and to think some believe in the big bang theory[

]

 

[Miss Lydia]

Lol. Its a baby Cochin

It's adorable. anymore?

 

[Miss Lydia]

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.

English is not my native language either myby, I'm from the south.

Where are you located on this BIG planet earth?

 

[Tripp16]

That is so cool Tripp. and to think some believe in the big bang theory[

]

I know. Sorry just not happening.

 

[Tripp16]

Smokey was smooshed down on the nest this morning when I went out to open up the coop. Growled at me when I said hello. Haha.

Gotta love broodies!

Yay! This gives me hope that hens do go broody more then once a year! Congrats!

 

[Glasshen]

Mama, the RIR who raised the BO chicks for me in February is at it again. This time I moved her out of the nest box and into a plastic dog crate for air travel-it has very small chick proof openings before getting her chicks. After a day I opened the grate thinking she would prefer the new nest. Not. She was back in the nest box. So I moved her again and she got really grumpy, and kept her back end to the door. That showed me!

But, even though she was put out with me I got her some chicks yesterday, two Speckled Sussex and one Americauna...had the brooder all set up for them, so the only peeping I heard was during the brief ride home. The car must have been slightly colder than they liked. After dark DH and I took the chicks, water and food to the coop and I bravely reached in to get the fake eggs. Mama pecked me gently about three times, but her heart wasn't in it, she was just registering her dips,easier at having to be in the carrier, and having me fiddling around in her personal space. But she kind of stood up, so I grabbed out the eggs and put the chicks close to her and she settled down on them.

This morning I have checked a few times, and all seems well.

I plan to keep them in the carrier today, then open the door and supervise what happens tomorrow.

I don't think Im fooling her with the fake eggs, because whenever she can get a real egg she would treat it with much more care than the fake ones. And, I don't think she is fooled into thinking that these adorable chicks hatched from those fake plastic Easter eggs that I insisted on putting with her. I think she knows that Im helping her, and that even though Im a bit overprotective and misguided by thinking I know how things work, she appreciates the chance to be a mom.