Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[saltandpepper2]

I think you meant "and still no chicks!"

Not all chicks hatch on day 21. Some hatch on day 18, and some hatch on day 25, but most are somewhere in between. Day 21 is just the most common day. Shipped eggs or stored eggs often take longer than fresh eggs.

DO NOT REMOVE THE EGGS!!! You don't want to accidentally kill a chick that is healthy but just a little late.

Here's a link to where this question came up on this thread about 6-7 weeks ago: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...n-hatch-a-long-and-informational-thread/20240. It starts on the third post down. (I know, this thread has great information, but is too long for anyone to read through -- someday a group of us will have to get together and catalog some of the subjects for easy reference.)

Here's a link to a great hatching article: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101. It's long, and it's oriented towards incubator hatching, but it has EVERYTHING. If you don't see what you're looking for, keep scrolling down! There is a section on assisted hatching that may be helpful.

Don't give up too soon. There's lots of late chicks out there that kept their owners worried for days. I hope yours hatch out soon. Please keep us updated.

Lol, I meant chicks. Ok, thanks for the links, and I will definitely check them out. Will keep you guys updated!

 

[boomchicken]

Here's some pics of Tina and her chicks...

Wow! How do you keep the yard so green and lush with the chickens ranging? Looks great and grats on the cute chicks!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Update on my Buckeye chicks.

Well the chick I rescued first on Wednesday, Little Runt, which I am chalking up to a stupid chick trick...it had fallen out of the nesting box insert and got really cold...I had found it limp and gasping Wednesday afternoon after hatching and looking well that morning...it is now doing fabulous...to the point I am hard pressed to tell which one it is...so little Runt has become part of the fine Buckeye chicks under my broody Silkie.

Next, the egg I removed Thursday AM when I replaced Little Runt, became my first assisted hatch chick ever...it has gotten surprisingly much stronger today! Saran (who was shrunk wrapped and stuck in a half egg), was very weak all day Thursday and much of Friday ...so much so I was about to write him or her off. It had also had an unhealed umbilical cord stump, I figured it either had neural damage from the imperfect hatch or possibly internal infection from the cord site. So my outlook was guarded at best, although hopeful as it had survived the assisted hatch and would peep and attempt to move. Well, after 3 full days of TLC, Chick Saver, Sulmet and Tetracyline, and lots of warmth in a brooder box, it began running around yesterday evening and today looked strong and chick like all day today...even eating chick crumble and drinking on its own!

So much so, I risked putting it in tonight with mom and the other siblings as we will have another relatively warm and dry night tonight and everyone is still pretty much on baby mode. I feared waiting too much longer as the other siblings will begin to pick up in activity level as they will be getting 4 and 5 days old...I feared they would begin to outstrip Saran for a more delicate foster situation. (I have trouble adding heat lamp fosters in with 5 to 7 day old hatchlings as the hatchlings have begun to run around a lot more by then, and mom has begun chicken lessons with the active chicks, so a shy foster usually gets trampled in the process).

Silkie Mom was very welcoming tonight. I placed Saran under her wing, but it soon pulled out and began to peep in panic. Momma kept chooking to it to climb into the feather comforter for bed while it peeped hysterically at the new surroundings. Then it got FUNNY....Momma kept dragging the big feather comforter, with all the little tucked in bed chicks, around to get closer to little Saran who kept peeping in panic and didn't know to go back under. I could see all the little feet of the other chicks trying to shift with Mom as she moved...like the scene in the Nutcracker when all the little children run out from under the big hoop skirt.

Saran wasn't catching on very quickly, so I finally picked it up again and stuffed it really deep under Momma's tail (risking a few pecks from mom) and it stuck. It's nice and dark, and if I can get it to stay there for a few hours, it should figure out that is where warmth and safety is. I plan to keep checking on and off tonight to make sure it imprints well with mom. Tomorrow will be nice and warm, so if it gets confused again, it shouldn't risk too much chill. I'll keep everybody on the Chick Saver/Sulmet water for the next couple of days...it won't hurt anyone, and it should help Saran transition better in case of any latent infection....and of course the dry chick crumble.

Keep your fingers crossed for me...I may get 4, count them 4, Buckeye chicks out of this yet!

Lady of McCamley

A photo yesterday of Saran (who looks even better today)

 

[bumpercarr]

Update on my Buckeye chicks.

Well the chick I rescued first on Wednesday, Little Runt, which I am chalking up to a stupid chick trick...it had fallen out of the nesting box insert and got really cold...I had found it limp and gasping Wednesday afternoon after hatching and looking well that morning...it is now doing fabulous...to the point I am hard pressed to tell which one it is...so little Runt has become part of the fine Buckeye chicks under my broody Silkie.

Next, the egg I removed Thursday AM when I replaced Little Runt, became my first assisted hatch chick ever...it has gotten surprisingly much stronger today! Saran (who was shrunk wrapped and stuck in a half egg), was very weak all day Thursday and much of Friday ...so much so I was about to write him or her off. It had also had an unhealed umbilical cord stump, I figured it either had neural damage from the imperfect hatch or possibly internal infection from the cord site. So my outlook was guarded at best, although hopeful as it had survived the assisted hatch and would peep and attempt to move. Well, after 3 full days of TLC, Chick Saver, Sulmet and Tetracyline, and lots of warmth in a brooder box, it began running around yesterday evening and today looked strong and chick like all day today...even eating chick crumble and drinking on its own!

So much so, I risked putting it in tonight with mom and the other siblings as we will have another relatively warm and dry night tonight and everyone is still pretty much on baby mode. I feared waiting too much longer as the other siblings will begin to pick up in activity level as they will be getting 4 and 5 days old...I feared they would begin to outstrip Saran for a more delicate foster situation. (I have trouble adding heat lamp fosters in with 5 to 7 day old hatchlings as the hatchlings have begun to run around a lot more by then, and mom has begun chicken lessons with the active chicks, so a shy foster usually gets trampled in the process).

Silkie Mom was very welcoming tonight. I placed Saran under her wing, but it soon pulled out and began to peep in panic. Momma kept chooking to it to climb into the feather comforter for bed while it peeped hysterically at the new surroundings. Then it got FUNNY....Momma kept dragging the big feather comforter, with all the little tucked in bed chicks, around to get closer to little Saran who kept peeping in panic and didn't know to go back under. I could see all the little feet of the other chicks trying to shift with Mom as she moved...like the scene in the Nutcracker when all the little children run out from under the big hoop skirt.

Saran wasn't catching on very quickly, so I finally picked it up again and stuffed it really deep under Momma's tail (risking a few pecks from mom) and it stuck. It's nice and dark, and if I can get it to stay there for a few hours, it should figure out that is where warmth and safety is. I plan to keep checking on and off tonight to make sure it imprints well with mom. Tomorrow will be nice and warm, so if it gets confused again, it shouldn't risk too much chill. I'll keep everybody on the Chick Saver/Sulmet water for the next couple of days...it won't hurt anyone, and it should help Saran transition better in case of any latent infection....and of course the dry chick crumble.

Keep your fingers crossed for me...I may get 4, count them 4, Buckeye chicks out of this yet!

Lady of McCamley

A photo yesterday of Saran (who looks even better today)

Another great adventure!! I'm so glad that things are working out for Saran. Fingers crossed that the imprint works.

 

[Sydney Acres]

Come on Saran, you can do it!!! It's soooo warm and comfortable under mom...

 

[K Epp]

Update...

Both the Silkie eggs I moved to the incubator are now fluffy fuzz balls in the brooder. 1 partridge and 1 splash/blue.

This is the 3rd partridge I've gotten. Breeding pen has 2 blue roos, 2 splash hens, black frizzle Silkie, and a white sizzle. I know the roos had partridge siblings so I guess the gene is showing up here too.

 

[Scott H]

Quote:
I have no idea....we only have three hens maybe...oh, and now 5 chicks

 

[kelseylv]

Well I had a broody hen die last night. She had just started showing signs of broodiness earlier in the day, and was otherwise healthy. My husband processed her, and found a golf ball size 'hoard' of feed in her throat. We are assuming she coked to death after trying to prepare to sit for a long while. Is this fairly common? Everything I've seen say they usually starve themselves...not the opposite.

 

[fisherlady]

Well I had a broody hen die last night. She had just started showing signs of broodiness earlier in the day, and was otherwise healthy. My husband processed her, and found a golf ball size 'hoard' of feed in her throat. We are assuming she coked to death after trying to prepare to sit for a long while. Is this fairly common? Everything I've seen say they usually starve themselves...not the opposite.

Sorry for your loss... I've never had one die during brooding, if she just started showing signs of broodiness earlier in day is it possible she had a problem developing through the day and chose to hide in a nest area for peace and quiet? Possibly an impacted crop?
No matter what the problem was it is still hard to loose a member of your flock...

 

[winteree]

Well I had a broody hen die last night. She had just started showing signs of broodiness earlier in the day, and was otherwise healthy. My husband processed her, and found a golf ball size 'hoard' of feed in her throat. We are assuming she coked to death after trying to prepare to sit for a long while. Is this fairly common? Everything I've seen say they usually starve themselves...not the opposite.

wow that really sucks sorry for your loss

it does sound like a issue with her crop though impacted or sour crops are hard to catch until it's too late especially because they hide their illness so well