Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Johnn]

I ran down & collected all five remaining eggs -- put them in front of Frances & she immediately tucked them all underneath her, along with her four peeping araucana chicks -- only hope i wasn't too late!

edit: and here is a better picture of Frances with one of her foster araucanas:

Good Luck!

 

[OHfarmerswife]

two new mamas today! Frances with one of her four foster araucana chicks (her 12 eggs never hatched after 27 days, so i got these chicks yesterday & transferred last night after dark) -- she's adopted them without any trouble. Speedy with one of her two black copper marans chicks, both have hatched but i couldn't get a picture with both looking out -- not sure about her other 7 eggs (three bresse and 4 "icelandic surprises"), but hoping more hatch today!

soooooo cute

 

[chickeneer45]

so now my hen is broody again.... WHAT THE HECK??

 

[Moni]

new hatch from my EE bantam. This was her very first clutch of eggs she has laid. I did not expect good numbers if any at all but she hatched 13 of 17. But this is the best picture i could get... She is the meanest hen i have ever had with chicks. She is like Jackie Chan with a round house kick to the face every time i try to put food or water in with her.

 

[kannna]

so now my hen is broody again.... WHAT THE HECK??

It appears she was just taking a break

 

[bumpercarr]

Wow... I am just really depressed right now. My first broody ever and today was her one week mark. I was going to candle them all today, but when I got home and checked on her she was sitting on three other eggs that weren't hers. The ten that were hers were still warm so I grabbed her and put her on the ten eggs hoping she hadn't been off long. Since I am new to broodies, maybe I did the wrong thing, but after a week of sitting, my broody hen just got up and walked outside the coop: clearly no longer broody. I am so upset. What am I supposed to do with ten eggs with developing chickens in them? I can't eat them, and they can't develop any further so I guess they will just die.... I am so sad. Should I just smash the eggs? I smashed two to see if they were developing after the incident and both had blood in them and I could see veins... I just don't know what to say.

Mine went off of her eggs for several hours, I was sure that they were goners. I had a few hatch and probably would have had more had some not broken on day 18 and if she hadn't left the nest after 3 hatched. One thing that I learned...have a backup plan for those eggs if your broody leaves the nest early. I'm pretty sure I would have had more hatch had she not left the nest for almost a day. Of course, it might have helped if it had been warmer outside when she left.

 

[raygirl4386]

My broody hen only got off the next today to enjoy some leftover spaghetti, lol. When she went back to the nest another hen was in it (she picked the favorite box) she gave that hen a dirt look and before you knew it she shot out of that box so fast like her tail feathers were on fire!!! Lol

 

[raygirl4386]

Do you guys candle the eggs to take out the ones not doing anything?

 

[elsfieldchickens]

new hatch from my EE bantam. This was her very first clutch of eggs she has laid. I did not expect good numbers if any at all but she hatched 13 of 17. But this is the best picture i could get... She is the meanest hen i have ever had with chicks. She is like Jackie Chan with a round house kick to the face every time i try to put food or water in with her.

so cute ninja hen!

 

[bumpercarr]

new hatch from my EE bantam. This was her very first clutch of eggs she has laid. I did not expect good numbers if any at all but she hatched 13 of 17. But this is the best picture i could get... She is the meanest hen i have ever had with chicks. She is like Jackie Chan with a round house kick to the face every time i try to put food or water in with her.

My Winnie is pretty close to the same. She's lightened up a bit in the past week (mine are 18 days old now). Of course, as soon as she lightened up a cat got one of the chicks. Now she just brrrrrrs at me when I get too close, but if I keep going she'll get all puffed up. No pecking and kicking anymore though.