Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[mebberry4]

Is she a first time broody?  If not, how many eggs has she brooded at once in previous clutches, and what was the hatch rate?

Even though she's big enough to cover 10 eggs, she may not be comfortable with that many.  Being a good broody has a learning curve, just like any other skill.  If she feels overwhelmed with that many, she may be intentionally reducing things down to a more manageable number in order to give the rest the best chance for survival.  I've been told by several people that a first time broody should not be given very many eggs.  Some people say no more than 6, others say no more than 8.  I think a reasonable first-time maximum would be to consider the largest number that she could fully cover with experience, then give her half that many.

Since she's already got 10 eggs and she's been pushing one out of the nest, it was an excellent idea to number each egg so you can see if it's the same one she's repeatedly pushing out.  If it is, then obviously remove it.  If it's not, then it's a hard decision.  Do you return it to the nest, not knowing how long it's been cold and whether the embryo is still alive, or do you respect her decision to remove it?  If they're white or light brown eggs you might be able to candle it early to help your decision.  I've been told that good candlers can see development by day 4 if the shell isn't too dark.  (I'm making the assumption that the nest isn't shaped in such a way that eggs can accidentally roll out, and that she has to actively and intentionally eject them to get them out of the nest.)  Since she is pushing egg(s) out, it is probably quite important for you to candle these eggs and remove any that are not developing.

Here is a link to distinguishing fertile vs infertile eggs:  https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures.  There are many, many more pictures on the internet, but these are excellent.  Don't forget the the embryo spot is only on one side of the yolk.  For some reason it usually is on top when an egg is opened into a bowl, but if you don't see it you can use a spoon to gently roll the yolk over and look on the other side.  If you're not sure if it's fertile, a very bright light, +/- reading glasses if needed, can make it easier to decide.

Here are some links to egg candling: 
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=73884.0
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...g-candling-pics-progression-though-incubation
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750122/share-your-candling-pics-and-videos
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/868751/ive-candled-my-first-eggs-day-7-pics
http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/Avian/pfs32.htm
http://www.metzerfarms.com/Candling.cfm
http://shilala.homestead.com/candling.html

Please don't feel bad about paying $10 for a dozen "barnyard mix" eggs just because someone is able to get show quality leghorns for the same price.  First, it's only $10, not $110. Many people spend that much on coffee every week.   But second, it's not normal to find SQ eggs of any breed for only $10 a dozen.  Most people are paying $50-150 for a dozen eggs from SQ birds, and sometimes more, depending on the breed and the line (I know of a line of BCMs that sells for $150 per 6 eggs).  The Leghorn eggs are probably so cheap because anyone who breeds SQ birds is breeding LOTS of birds, and well, its a Leghorn.  They're the most common of the "layer breeds," and lay more eggs per year than almost any other breed, so this breeder is probably up to his/her eyeballs in eggs and would likely give them away for a thank you and a smile.  (OK maybe not, but you get the idea. Those of you that love Leghorns, I'm not trying to be mean, please don't send me ugly PMs.  Just trying to put things in perspective.)  Realistically, if they're truly SQ leghorns, $10 a dozen is a great deal.  Depending on the line, they should probably sell for a higher price.  But if you've got a lot of eggs and not many buyers, the price will come down.  I think $10 a dozen for fertile hatching eggs, which are fresh, unwashed, unrefrigerated, and stored properly for maximum hatch rates is completely fair for a barnyard mix.  After all, there needs to be some compensation for keeping and putting up with a rooster!!

Whether you should take your broody off the nest or not is a difficult decision.  Theoretically you shouldn't, as nature should have provided her with all the appropriate instinct to get up and eat, drink, poop, dustbathe, and stretch when needed.  In all likelihood, she is getting up more frequently that you know, but just doing so when you're not watching.  If you provide her with food and water within reach, in bowls that won't spill into the nest, then nature should take care of the rest.  Picking a broody up off her nest does have some risks.  She could stop brooding, she could stay off the nest too long and the eggs could get chilled, or she could damage the eggs when she returns to the nest.  If the nest isn't isolated, another chicken could also damage the eggs.  So it is a risk to remove her.  Having said that, I will say that I take my broodies off the nest 1-2 times a day throughout the brood.  But my hens are VERY tame, and their brood is very stable.  They are also quite large, so they really need to stretch and flap their wings and breathe deeply to keep from getting too stiff or getting lung problems.  Realistically, they'd probably still be fine if I left them alone, but they are pets, much more important to me than the unhatched embryos, so I'm willing to take the risk in order to keep my girls as comfortable as possible.  And being tame, they really enjoy the company when they wake up from their trance.  I cover the eggs with a towel and bubble wrap and set a timer for 20 minutes.  The eggs are always still warm when I take the hen back, and she calmly gets back on her nest and makes little happy sounds to her eggs as she arranges them underneath her.

If she does soil the eggs, you can wipe them off with some soft bedding (shavings or straw).  If the egg hasn't been washed, the bloom will minimize the likelihood of infection getting into the egg.

Hello my Buff is a second time broody, but this is her first clutch of fertile eggs. She went broody at the exact same time last year, when we were in hospital after I had my daughter. Needless to say I was in no state to be setting eggs for a broody hatch lol

That is great info to know about setting less eggs under a first time broody. I will have to remember that. Also, good point about her maybe trying to reduce her clutch size due to too many eggs. I had stuck the egg back under her and have not found any out of the nest yet. She seems to be puffing out even more, so maybe she is getting the hang of it as she goes. I will upload a picture of her extra proofed up. I was so proud to see her doing such a great job incubating those eggs. I check all around her and can never see any eggs sticking out from under her, so I hope the number of eggs turns out to be ok.

Thanks very much for the link on identifying fertilized eggs. It is rainy here this morning, so I think I will crack my two extras open today and see if I can spot the bullseye. I'm not sure about my skill at early candling, I had a heck of a time early on with my incubator hatch. Most of these are medium brown eggs, although I did get two off whitish eggs this time that would maybe candle more easily. Tonight will be 5 full days since setting the eggs, so I'm sort of torn as to whether I should wait until day 7 to candle all or not. Most things I have read so far seems to state candle on day 10 and then "water candle" a few days before the hatch, but I definitely remember candling the eggs on day 7 with my incubator hatch.

I don't feel too bad about what I payed for the eggs, I suppose I'm just sort of bummed that I didn't get to pick the breeds I really wanted to add to my flock more than anything lol. I really, really wanted SLW because I think they are so pretty, but the place that had fertile hatching eggs couldn't ship them until after the 19th. I was afraid to wait that long and then set eggs since she went broody on the 6th. I thought it would be risky to try to get her to stay broody for up to 37 days... Maybe it would have been fine, but I was quite unsure about it. You definitely have good points about the price of the eggs. I was definitively impressed that 5 Acre Rooster found such a deal on SQ eggs, but you bring up a good point about the number of eggs a Leghorn breeder would be dealing with on a regular basis. All in all (as long as this lady didn't pull the wool over my eyes with the NPIP stuff) I think I payed a fair price for the eggs I got. In the six months that we had Roos here on our property I would have to agree that some compensation for their shenanigans is only fair!

Great news! As you may have read above I saw a big broody poo in her pen yesterday afternoon and she had emptied her food tray. I'm a little bummed that I missed it or I would have let her out into the yard for a good dust bath, but I'm still very glad she got up to poop lol
I think she is fairly tame as she was the first group I hatched and hand raised, so I still might lift her off the next nice day we have so she can really stretch her wings and get in a good dust bath. I will definitely be the type to time her break and replace her on the nest if she seems to be off too long.
Thank for all the great tips and links!

 

[mebberry4]

 

[Johnn]

Broody Daisy and Bella

 

[mebberry4]

Johnn those tandem Buffs are too funny!
I only have two Buffs and I am just waiting for the other one to realize where her friend went and demand her own broody pen as well

 

[Johnn]

Johnn those tandem Buffs are too funny!
I only have two Buffs and I am just waiting for the other one to realize where her friend went and demand her own broody pen as well

Thanks and haha!

 

[Dumb Kluck]

I have a sweet lil' broody, probably because she watched me bring her all those eggs to sit, and little treats like fresh grapes a couple times per day. She chatters and lets me stroke her head, I can lift her aside & inspect the eggs, then set her back on the nest with only the occasional squeak of protest. I've seen her up a few times; still fluffed and vocal, to stretch her legs, snack, drink &/or take a quick dust bath while one of the Wyandotte's sits the nest.

 

[Scott H]

Day 20..................first look at the world!

 

[fisherlady]

I have a sweet lil' broody, probably because she watched me bring her all those eggs to sit, and little treats like fresh grapes a couple times per day. She chatters and lets me stroke her head, I can lift her aside & inspect the eggs, then set her back on the nest with only the occasional squeak of protest. I've seen her up a few times; still fluffed and vocal, to stretch her legs, snack, drink &/or take a quick dust bath while one of the Wyandotte's sits the nest.

Sounds like it is going well! It is great when you get a cooperative hen, so much nicer for working with! LOL

Day 20..................first look at the world!

Adorable!

 

[Tabatha]

I have my first egg from my new phoenix egg theif hen. So friggin excited!

 

[LisaLouHoo]

Johnn those tandem Buffs are too funny!
I only have two Buffs and I am just waiting for the other one to realize where her friend went and demand her own broody pen as well

Haha, too funny. I'm doing the exact same thing. Two BO's. One is on day four and was moved today to her own private broody coop. I think the UNbroody one was going around squawking and looking for her. I kept back some of the extra hatching eggs I was given in hopes that the other BO would follow suit. It hasn't happened and the eggs are getting old.