Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[theshepherd]

My hen finally went broody. Yay. Now I need to take ask the old eggs out. First question is what's the oldest the egg can be and still be good. Second question is how many eggs could I leave her with? Third question is if I move her to take some eggs is there a chance she will stop being broody?

 

[thechooks22]

From 7 days the fertility decreases,there isnt an exact number of eggs you can have under her it just depends how many fit under her
And she wont stop being broody if you remove eggs but if you move her she may move back to where she started and sit there even if there is no eggs there but she may not it depends on the hen
Hope this helps

 

[showbarnmom]

We have two chicks! She is still sitting tight! Two more eggs.

 

[theshepherd]

Thanks. And I'm assuming the newer the better? How do I move her?

 

[chickeneer45]

Today is day 21 I am going out to check in a few minutes!! Fingers crossed!

 

[chickeneer45]

There's a little brown chick and a little black chick walking around between two of my broodies not sure of who is their mother. I think the white one finally accepted them. My third broody is out taking a break from all of the stress thank goodness. I set twelve eggs, but so far only these two and no other pips.... any hope for the others? Thanks.

 

[chickydee64]

My hen finally went broody. Yay. Now I need to take ask the old eggs out. First question is what's the oldest the egg can be and still be good. Second question is how many eggs could I leave her with? Third question is if I move her to take some eggs is there a chance she will stop being broody?

HI,
I am not certain I fully understood your question about removing the old eggs...........
7 days is a good number. but I am wondering if they are all the same day or if eggs have been added on a continuing basis.....
Best to give her eggs all the same age.if they are staggered by to many days difference, there is a chance she will hatch some,
then leave some when she feels she needs to teach the hatched chicks to eat and drink.
Good Grief, hope I made sense............

The number of eggs depends on the size of the hen...........I go not more than 12 for a regular sized layer.
But must tell you, last fall a broody hid outside and brought us 18 beautiful chicks............
And she will not quit if you remove eggs........good luck.

 

[chickeneer45]

There is a third little black chick now!

 

[showbarnmom]

Set 5 eggs. 1 wasn't fertile. She has set all 4. 2 chicks so far. Other egg is 90% zipped. 4th egg doesn't have a pip. Doesn't have any movement or peeping inside that I can hear and its the one I am most anxious about. Still has till tomorrow.

 

[CGinJCMO]

My D'uccle hen has a external pip

, but I think it may have died

. I was checking on the eggs and found one with a bit of beak out and some dried fuzz around the hole. I tapped the beak and it didn't move. I left it with her in case. Meanwhile, my barred rock that was broody earlier this year is broody again but now I don't have fertile eggs any more. So I took three of the d'uccle's eggs and gave them to the Barred rock. The d'uccle was sitting on lf eggs and I was worried that she wouldn't be able to cover them all in a week since chicks grow so fast but with only two, she should be able to keep two warm till their feathers grow in (provided they both hatch).

If the eggs hatch, the bantam can have a couple of chicks and the barred rock can have 3 more to take care of this year (if she'll accept a 3 day broody spell instead of a 3 week brood spell).

CG