Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[fisherlady]

OH WOW!

How gorgeous are both your broodies and their chicks!

Maybe just as well I don't have a camera as Tasha would not compare well..... she's a bit of an odd ball! Still, as long as she is happy and healthy and a good mother, I will be more than happy.
Just hope I don't get too many cockerels. I'm already trying to psych myself up to rear them for meat, although considering her size, I will be lucky if they even make stock! Since they are going to be farmyard mutts there isn't any breeding potential in them. What do other people do with their male chicks. It seems a shocking waste of life to kill them as chicks or youngsters. I wonder if it will be possible to auto sex them with their sire being a cream legbar.?....
Am I perhaps counting my cockerels before they hatch!

I can't answer your question about auto sexing, I am totally worthless when it comes to the genetics coloring questions...
We raise our youngsters till they either lay eggs or crow, but we are able to allow them to free range with the broodies and then on their own as teenagers...if they crow and they have a good attitude we will attempt to sell them first but if no one is interested we do butcher them for meat at about 18 to 22 weeks (depending on breed)
Ones which develop poor attitudes early, or are really rough on hens (not just the normal hormone rush the first couple of weeks rough... but nasty stalking and ambushing behavior) get sent to freezer camp sooner and we won't sell any that are like that either.
To me it is a practicality when raising birds, it is up to me to protect the hens in our flock, and it is our responsibility to take care of any nasty roosters who may injure a person... it is part of the responsibility a person takes on when choosing to raise them.

 

[fisherlady]

I'm embarrassed to say that I guessed at fertility, figuring since she was one that the rooster picked on that she would be fertile. We had one egg since 5/5 and one since 5/7. Other hens kept going in the box with her, making it messy and leaving eggs. We left a few more eggs under her that the other hens laid there. I know this sounds so very unorganized. The two eggs we candled looked like something was in there. This sounds like a mess and should probably be so easy. Looking forward to your reply. Thanks.

Fertility can be an issue for anyone's flock... I didn't know if it was an egg from your own yard or a store bought or breeder or shipped... that type of thing. So if from your own flock and the rooster is attentive then we will hope there is a good chance they were fertile...

When the hen started to set (around the clock, only off the nest for short break once or twice a day... that type of setting...) ... then you can start a count down. If she started on Monday the 5th then you could normally expect hatching somewhere around Monday the 26th.
So try to figure out when she started to be a dedicated 'setter' and figure 21 days from there for the earliest eggs. Eggs added to her clutch after she started to set will each have their own 21 day time frame. So if egg #3 was added 3 days after she started setting on the first 2 then you would expect it to be 3 days behind developing.
If you go back a week or two one this thread there have been numerous questions and answers about staggered hatching, which is the term we usually use when referring to nests where eggs were added for multiple days after the hen initially began to set.

I hope this helps... and keep in mind, if no eggs hatch she may still be willing to adopt day old chicks from the local feed mill if you want to go that route... or you may remove the 'dud' eggs and let her start over again with a new set of marked eggs. Only do this if she appears to be in good health though, because brooding can take a lot out of a bird.

 

[atief1253]

Thanks. Your answer helps alot. The eggs under the hen are from an attentive rooster so we'll see. We all learn from our mistakes so if/when we do this again, we will be more knowledgable. Thanks.

 

[fisherlady]

Thanks. Your answer helps alot. The eggs under the hen are from an attentive rooster so we'll see. We all learn from our mistakes so if/when we do this again, we will be more knowledgable. Thanks.

We have all been there! And trust me, there is no such thing as 'knowing it all' when it comes to dealing with broodies and chicks! Every time we think we get it sort of figured out the hen's have a secret meeting so they can change the rules on us!!

They are the source of great joys and even greater frustrations!

 

[atief1253]

True. Thanks.

 

[Tabatha]

Thank you, Tabatha!
My coop is very small, with a small run attached to it. I open the run early in the morning and my girls free range in a fenced acre all day.
I placed the dog carrier in the run under the coop, so the other ladies can go up to the nesting boxes to lay and not disturb the broody. During the first half of the day I have to keep the carrier closed, otherwise the others will want to go in to lay an extra egg for her .
I open the carrier mid afternoon and leave it open till dusk, when all go inside. I can't leave food and water at night because of predators. I once found 2 opossums near the coop: one was head into the chicken feeder, with only the tail showing. The other was looking up at the coop, probably trying to figure out how to get in and catch my girls. 

I'll try leaving the water just outside her carrier and hope the others don't make a mess there. 

I thought I would just have my 5 hens and be happy with that, but that chicken math finally got the best of me. I am excited and a little nervous at the same time

Chickens are my crack!

 

[bumpercarr]

We have all been there! And trust me, there is no such thing as 'knowing it all' when it comes to dealing with broodies and chicks! Every time we think we get it sort of figured out the hen's have a secret meeting so they can change the rules on us!!

They are the source of great joys and even greater frustrations!

It would be so funny if it wasn't so true!!! Love the secret meetings statement, that must be what is happening behind my back!

 

[poodlechicks]

Babies are herreee

They are lovely! My set up is just like yours minus the chicks, of course. I still have about 14 days to go.

 

[poodlechicks]

Chickens are my crack!

 

[elsfieldchickens]

my pekin on 8 guineafowl eggs