Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[poodlechicks]

Here are a few ( bad ) pics of my Broody and her chicks. She's so mean, it's hard to get any good ones! It looks like she hatched five. One egg was a dud. and the other died while hatching. I'm wondering if it's because a few were early, and they trampled it while it was trying to hatch... I feel really bad. Any ways, here are the pics!

Nice pictures!
My broody is very nice so far. She'll puff herself up and growl when I get near, but let's me hand feed her treats and has never tried to peck at me when I had to move her twice. That was all during the day. One night, I tried to gather her eggs for candling. I was counting on her deep sleep, so I went in very quietly thinking I wouldn't disturb her. What a big mistake! She turned into a monster and tried to kill me, pecking non-stop . I guess she didn't know it was me and was trying to defend her clutch.
Next day I go in to candle the eggs and she lets me remove all of them without a peep. Go figure!

 

[saltandpepper2]

Nice pictures!
My broody is very nice so far. She'll puff herself up and growl when I get near, but let's me hand feed her treats and has never tried to peck at me when I had to move her twice. That was all during the day. One night, I tried to gather her eggs for candling. I was counting on her deep sleep, so I went in very quietly thinking I wouldn't disturb her. What a big mistake! She turned into a monster and tried to kill me, pecking non-stop . I guess she didn't know it was me and was trying to defend her clutch.
Next day I go in to candle the eggs and she lets me remove all of them without a peep. Go figure!

Oh wow. hahaha. No, she was just mean day and night

She quit on the egg that didn't hatch, and it was definitely dead. Now she is happily picking around with her five very healthy chicks. I post more pics soon!

 

[poodlechicks]

Oh wow. hahaha. No, she was just mean day and night

She quit on the egg that didn't hatch, and it was definitely dead. Now she is happily picking around with her five very healthy chicks. I post more pics soon!

Please, do! I'd love to see them growing up.

 

[saltandpepper2]

Here's a better pic of them

 

[atief1253]

My hen was laying on some eggs for almost 21 days. Unfortunately, other hens went in her box, messed it up, got poop all over the eggs and nest box. We had to throw away some eggs but there were four clean eggs. We moved her into her own coop and nest box. Now, my question is, we do not know how old these eggs are. They look like chicks are in them. Will she keep laying until they hatch even though it's been 25 days already? She is perfectly content to sit on them, she eats, drinks and runs in the run. How long should she be allowed to sit on them?

 

[K Epp]

I have chicks every where. I haven't risk my fingers to get a final count, but gave the Australorp her 2 early hatches back. I think she has 7 or 8 EE. I got a peek at one D'anver chick.

 

[mebberry4]

Here's a better pic of them

Great hatch!

 

[mebberry4]

I'm on day 19 over here hoping I start to hear some peeps from under my broody soon!

 

[fisherlady]

My hen was laying on some eggs for almost 21 days. Unfortunately, other hens went in her box, messed it up, got poop all over the eggs and nest box. We had to throw away some eggs but there were four clean eggs. We moved her into her own coop and nest box. Now, my question is, we do not know how old these eggs are. They look like chicks are in them. Will she keep laying until they hatch even though it's been 25 days already? She is perfectly content to sit on them, she eats, drinks and runs in the run. How long should she be allowed to sit on them?

Since you don't know how long the eggs she currently has have been developing and she is content to set then as long as she is healthy then let her do her thing.... however, you need to watch the calendar because since she is now in a more secure area and you know when she got these eggs you will know if there is no hatching within a few weeks then the eggs are duds and you will need to provide her with adoptive chicks or otherwise try to bring her out of her broody mood to avoid stressing her too long.
Also, since these eggs aren't marked or otherwise dated you should expect a staggered hatch, and be prepared to possibly have to finish some of the eggs in an incubator if the hen hatches the first one or two and abandons the others in the nest to go care for the first hatchers.

 

[atief1253]

Thank you for the good advice. It helps.