Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Pennoppom]

Just candled and I don't think I have a single viable egg. Doesn't look like there was ever anything in them. Should be day 16 and I don't see anything. Not sure that I made it to every single egg because I didn't want to disturb them too much, but every egg looked the same. I understand that it's a problem with mail order eggs, but really? 0 out of 10? I feel heartbroken for myself and Pancake.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Just candled and I don't think I have a single viable egg.  Doesn't look like there was ever anything in them.  Should be day 16 and I don't see anything.  Not sure that I made it to every single egg because I didn't want to disturb them too much, but every egg looked the same.  I understand that it's a problem with mail order eggs, but really?  0 out of 10?  I feel heartbroken for myself and Pancake.  

I had trouble candeling & ended with 8 for 8 with shipped eggs & a first time broody & a first time chicken owner!!!

 

[Barrdwing]

my goodness: my broody Basque is on day 14 of her nest, and the SPPR that followed her is on day 6, still both hunkered down & determined -- and now two ADDITIONAL girls have gone broody, the two of them both crammed into a single nestbox next to the other two, and sitting on two fake eggs between them.

my only question here is, is there any worry with any of the broodies "stealing" the chicks from the first two once they hatch? i.e. if i start the new two on some eggs, will they stick with them or will they try to short-cut to being moms once the first two clutches hatch?

thanks! delighted with all the springtime incubation going on!

Just found this thread. I did have some trouble when I let two broodies share the "broody apartment." One of them, a d'Uccle, hatched out yellow chicks with stripes. The other, a bantam Cochin, hatched out some yellow with stripes and some dark brown chicks. The d'Uccle conceived a hatred for anything that didn't look like her own chicks, and began attacking. She killed two little browns before I figured out what was going on. Since then I've tended to keep broodies in their own little enclosures . . . but even that doesn't always work. Another broody (an EE/Silky cross) with seven chicks of all different hues still went off the deep end and started killing chicks belonging to another hen when they wandered into her pen, even when they looked like her own. I guess they really do know the voices of their own chicks!

Needless to say I don't incubate eggs from either of those hens. Not good genetics.

That said, not all hens go bonkers. The bantam Cochin sisters I have are able to share chicks without anyone getting hurt. And one of my Icelandic hens went broody again when her single chick was a month old. When the new chick hatched, both mother and daughter raised it. It was really funny to see that little month-old girl brooding her baby sister!

 

[Skipspin]

I haven't been on here since last year, but the broodys have been at work.

Anyway, our "favorite" broody hatched out 9/9 eggs from our own chickens (though none of them her eggs) 8 weeks ago. BR/AR/Orph crosses and one NN. We traded 3 for 2 RIR chicks, and 1 mystery feather-footed black chick. They are all growing up and free ranged all day today for the first time since we were home to keep tabs on them. We forced mom and one rooster chick out with the flock 2 weeks ago when we traded some chicks- so they are on their own and very smart. They stay under the trees and right around their cage.

What I'm really antsy about is her daughter (game/RIR x) from last year who is sitting on some eggs that are due to hatch the 20th. 4 of our neighbor's EE eggs and 5 silkie eggs. She's our most squalky, shy chicken which is funny since we raised her and the kids are always holding the chicks. We haven't hatched any silkie eggs before, but I have 6 more for another broody if these do well. Another friend has 4 of our silky eggs in her 'bator that she says are all developing, and I gave 5 to an elementary school that's hatching out chickens in the classrooms. Silkies everywhere! We are planning on selling the silkie chicks for while to fund some poultry housing improvements like another duck house and a bigger coop for one of our 2 flocks.

 

[Pennoppom]

I had trouble candeling & ended with 8 for 8 with shipped eggs & a first time broody & a first time chicken owner!!!

Thanks for the encouragement. I suppose I'll wait 'til Sunday to see if there's any peeping. At that point I'll just buy a couple to let her raise. Thanks again!

 

[Audio51]

2 incubator chicks and 1 broody hen chick so far. At least one more pipped in the bator. Hopefully more under the hen by morning.....e

 

[krackowpolish]

So far one baby

3 eggs to go!

sooo... Cute! just love those Silkies

 

[lawatt]

so here's a question, regarding my overabundance of broodies -- if i were to try moving one of them to a new location (a pen with its own nesting box, inside the run of my coop) at night, with her eggs, would it be wiser to move:

a) the one on day 17 of her sit, closest to hatching
b) the one on day 8, kind of in the middle
c) one of the two who just went broody this weekend & are competing for next space -- at this point jointly sitting on a collection of mutt eggs, i'll be getting the ones for hatching this afternoon & tomorrow by mail, so probably starting thursday.

the pen can be closed, to keep the broody in with her eggs -- and it might be better for the first one with chicks to be by herself -- but i don't want to risk disrupting her too much at this late of a date into her sitting.

any advice/suggestions is welcomed!

 

[Johnn]

so here's a question, regarding my overabundance of broodies -- if i were to try moving one of them to a new location (a pen with its own nesting box, inside the run of my coop) at night, with her eggs, would it be wiser to move:

a) the one on day 17 of her sit, closest to hatching
b) the one on day 8, kind of in the middle
c) one of the two who just went broody this weekend & are competing for next space -- at this point jointly sitting on a collection of mutt eggs, i'll be getting the ones for hatching this afternoon & tomorrow by mail, so probably starting thursday.

the pen can be closed, to keep the broody in with her eggs -- and it might be better for the first one with chicks to be by herself -- but i don't want to risk disrupting her too much at this late of a date into her sitting.

any advice/suggestions is welcomed!

I defintley would not risk moving day 17!, I would probablies move the one who went broody this weekend. When you move her you should do it when its dark and make the nest box comfy

 

[lawatt]

I defintley would not risk moving day 17!, I would probablies move the one who went broody this weekend. When you move her you should do it when its dark and make the nest box comfy

great, i will try that once the "real eggs" are here, with one of the TWO who went broody this weekend. thanks!!!
laura