Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Tabatha]

Location: Broody jail
# of inmates: 2

Inmate #37462727
Janet
AKA Dammit Janet
Armed with 11 phoenix eggs on day 17+hours
crime:allowing a hen half her size to root her out of her nest on a daily basis.

Inmate #8493928
Cheshire
AKA Broody Demon
Armed with 2 juvenile delinquents hatched day before yesterday & 8 more mixed mutt eggs on day 21
Crime: abandoning eggs to frolick with said juvenile delinquents. Not cool to let the eggs cool!

Ok. On a serious note, broody demon's remaining eggs will be on day 22 tomorrow. Candling isn't working because the eggs are too full of chicks. I water tested and got some wiggles. If broody jail doesn't work and she pushes the eggs out again, I'll make an incy. But. BUT. What if they don't pip? Tomorrow morning is day 22. What then?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Location: Broody jail
# of inmates: 2

Inmate #37462727
Janet
AKA Dammit Janet
Armed with 11 phoenix eggs on day 17+hours
crime:allowing a hen half her size to root her out of her nest on a daily basis.

Inmate #8493928
Cheshire
AKA Broody Demon
Armed with 2 juvenile delinquents hatched day before yesterday & 8 more mixed mutt eggs on day 21
Crime: abandoning eggs to frolick with said juvenile delinquents. Not cool to let the eggs cool!


Ok. On a serious note, broody demon's remaining eggs will be on day 22 tomorrow. Candling isn't working because the eggs are too full of chicks. I water tested and got some wiggles. If broody jail doesn't work and she pushes the eggs out again, I'll make an incy. But. BUT. What if they don't pip? Tomorrow morning is day 22. What then?

Cute story...sorry about your unruly broodies.

Wait and see what tomorrow brings...and if necessary day 23. Resist peeking. Let the broody do her thing unless she abandons them, then you'll have to intervene and put them in an incubator.

If nothing appears to be happening by day 23...and you are sure that is day 23...then candle and assess. Be aware the more you mess with them the more you risk interrupting the process or introducing bacteria especially if your water is not the right temperature for a float test (it should be several degrees hotter than the internal egg to prevent osmosis bringing in bacteria and no more than 1 minute and as a last resort to save a hatch).

Patience Grasshopper.

Lady of McCamley

 

[bumpercarr]

Patience Grasshopper.

Lady of McCamley

X2. The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. -- Tolstoy

 

[Tabatha]

thanks guys. I need to buy me some of that patience stuff! Lol. Im just SO nervous! I know they're alive, but wont be for long if she doesnt just sit back down.

 

[bumpercarr]

thanks guys. I need to buy me some of that patience stuff! Lol. Im just SO nervous! I know they're alive, but wont be for long if she doesnt just sit back down.

All of us have been through it and all of us feel your pain! It is trite for me to say, but try to relax a little. There is little you can do, try to save the eggs if you are sure they are viable with either an incubator, heating pad, heat lamp....whatever you can try. The thing to remember is that if she abandons the nest and you do nothing, any viable eggs will die. If you fail at trying to hatch them yourself, they will die. As I see it, there is no loss in trying to save them if it becomes necessary. Good luck and our fingers are all crossed for you!

 

[bumpercarr]

BTW, I don't do the float test because of the possible invasiveness of the process for bacteria or other bad things. For me, it is just too much risk. I'll try almost anything, even keeping the darn eggs in a bator until day 28....at that point I generally give up. I just think the risks outweigh the benefits of float testing, so I prefer to just wait instead. Doesn't mean that my method is correct, it's just my method.

 

[Tabatha]

I wouldn't normally float test but I got really nervous about her leaving them to cool for two days. When they hadn't pipped, I thought she killed them I just wanted to make sure before I just let her give up on them. I'm going to try the youtube $20 incy tomorrow. I hate having her in a cage when she just wants to be out with her new chicks, teaching them life, but I don't want to lose the other babies either

 

[Johnn]

My flock came under attack by some dogs the other day. Bella came worse off and got a chunk ripped out of her side and its hanging off. I'm self treating as the vets refuse to do anything. She managed to keep her baby safe and Bellas mother managed to avoid all of this (the baby probably went with her). I really hope she makes it. The chick seems to be what is keeping her going. I have been hiding meal worms under the straw and she gets up to have a good scratch about for them and is still caring for her chick. If she does die, I think Bella's mother will happily take it on as when I take Bella away to treat, the chick calls out and Bella's mother comes out her shed to look for it.
Thanks everyone! The vets just refused to anything. The best they would give me is to go in and pay for the consultation to get her anti biotics. She's doesn't appear to need them yet. I will be checking daily for infection and topping it up with anti septic spray. She was moved into a bigger, better ventilated shed yesterday with straw as bedding so it doesnt go in her wound. I hid meal worms under the bedding and her and she chick had a good scratch around looking for them. I am going to let her out for an hour tonight to see her friends so she's not forgotten. I will be doing it just before they go to bed so theres less flies about! Here is her and her baby

 

[elsfieldchickens]

Praying bella makes it!

 

[Johnn]

Praying bella makes it!

Thanks