Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[hotrodflash]

Thanks...but, if they are INFERTILE...there won't ever be a chick...will my brahma just sit there and sit there and sit there for months and months since they just aren't hatching? I mean, heck, she sat on ping pong balls for the longest time

Depends on the broody, some will give up after a few months, others will never give up. If the eggs are infertile, she needs to be broken. I am breaking one of mine right now, I remove her from the nest several times a day, have dunked her in water and we are on day 3. You can also place them in a cage with food and water and no nest materials and they will "cool off" and break their broodiness. Hopefully.

 

[chickeneer45]

I ordered six eggs to put under my broody hen, but they will be arriving at my house tomorrow and I will not be home until Monday. I have someone staying at my house while I am gone and I am wondering if I should tell the person staying there to put the eggs in the fridge when they arrive or to keep them at room temperature in a cabinet or something. Does anyone know what would be best? Thanks.

 

[elliechooks]

Keep them at room temperature and check that they are pointy end down.


Oooooh, just a thought, I'm thinking UK room temperature, so you may need to rephrase that to "somewhere cool" depending on where you are - but certainly not as cold as the fridge.

 

[dretd]

Keep them at room temperature and check that they are pointy end down.


Oooooh, just a thought, I'm thinking UK room temperature, so you may need to rephrase that to "somewhere cool" depending on where you are - but certainly not as cold as the fridge.

Over here, it is usually in the 'basement'. Although last year I did successfully hatch a chick under my broody from an egg (hers actually-- gathered before she went broody) I pulled out of my refrigerator and there is an entire thread devoted to hatching eggs purchased in the dairy section of Trader Joe's, a boutique grocery store in some parts of the US!

 

[Chubby Cheekers]

My little seabright is brooding. I had just wanted to give her a chick. I can't image her with a normal size chick. Has anyone had success with a bantam and a normal chick?

 

[hotrodflash]

My little seabright is brooding. I had just wanted to give her a chick. I can't image her with a normal size chick. Has anyone had success with a bantam and a normal chick?

My little bantam is raising 4 large fowl chicks, they are 6 weeks old and are almost the same size as her. Since it is not cold at night here, I don't worry about her trying to keep them warm.

 

[CGinJCMO]

Hey, I don't know if I'm doing this right I'm a first timer on all counts!!! I have 2 buff orps sitting really well on 1/2 dozen eggs. Theyre on day 6 now. Problem is they wouldn't be moved so they've set up camp in the nest boxes of my coup, which means their nests are very shallow! I've gone out a couple of times and found an egg or 2 had rolled out! Assumed coz they were cold they would've died but no!! Candled a good few yesterday and all the ones I pulled out were really healthy viable eggs!!!

But today same thing one little egg not in the nest and stone cold!!!

I thought maybe she'd pushed it out coz it was dud but no! When I checked it it had a really good veiny tiny embryo in there! I've put it in the bator incase she wouldn't take it back cold.... Will it have died!!!??!! this is my first time and I'm a nervous parent!! Lol

any help would be so appreciated!

could you go to walmart ( or something similar) and buy dishpans? That's what I use for nest boxes. I have plenty of room for a chicken, nesting material and at least 10 eggs once.

CG

 

[sharol]

Can't help with all the questions, but I used a high lumen flashlight from Walmart and a toliet paper tube split and retaped to fit the opening in the flashlight to candle. I had Marans eggs, so they were very dark and it worked for them.



I used painters tape to fasten stuff and then electrical tape to block any light that was leaking out. The toliet paper tube is just a tiny bit too big, so I split it and retaped it to be the right size. This is the 240 lumens Coleman one from Wally world.

HI all...have a light brahma bantum who went broody and wouldn't STOP (nothing worked) so...we gave her some eggs to sit on, put her in our tractor and...well, there she sits. Been about 2 weeks. Kinda excited if the eggs DO hatch; they will be part olive egger part...um...something (all our roos are mix breeds...)

Anyway, few questions:

1. not sure the eggs were fertile...the olive egger only started laying about a month ago. So, if they aren't? Will she just sit there forever or will she get the hint after a while and just leave them?

2. Candeling: I don't have a "candeler"...so, can I use a flashlight? How...and how do I get the eggs from her...and how long do I have to do it before it could cause an issue to the egg?

3. She was given THREE eggs...now, she's only sitting on two. Um...where'd the other one go? (it's not in the tractor that I can see)

Thanks

 

[omilona]

So in the end, the second araucana chick died at hatching. The rest didn't hatch. We did an eggtopsy and they had developed about 3/4 of the way. The two chicks that successfully hatched one is a a partridge silkie and one is a blue ish rumpless araucana. Tinsel is a fantastic mama. Anytime she wants to go broody, I'll get her some eggs....

 

[frogz]

I've got a question about marking eggs. This is my first time hatching and I don't want to interfere too much. Does it matter what type of marker I use? I have some sharpies but I'm worried they will hurt the eggs or the fumes will deter the broody hen from her eggs. Any advice is good advice.