Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[CandylandRanch]

Yes I did put mommy right back on them. I set up a maternity ward my basement bathroom this evening and I went and got mom and eggs and brought them in tonight. I candled some of the eggs (this is my first hatch as well as hers) and I saw pronounced red veins, would this be sign of death? Like a blood ring? I'm so nervous...

 

[bumpercarr]

At day 14-15 it should be pretty dark in the egg, I usually can't see any veins. Here is a link to what they should look like when candled. Are you sure that they are on day 14? Anyway, this thread should help you.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...g-candling-pics-progression-though-incubation

Although I don't get really cold snaps very often, I've noticed that my broody hatches aren't really good in the cold weather. Probably a lot of scientific reasons for that, but I just know from experience that winter isn't a very good time for the broodies. Even if none of these hatch, she will have learned a lot and you will have learned a lot. Then when it warms up in spring, she'll be ready for the next batch if this one doesn't work out!

 

[ChickyChickens]

I have been collecting my eggs recently to hatch in my bator!! I only have 1 broody!! Left don't want a few for a while now though...

 

[A6chickenhome]

Help I'm pretty sure the fate is sealed.. But I need to be told. I have a hen in the coop laying boxes that has been sitting for about 14 days now on 7 eggs.. I went in this afternoon and she was in the wrong box.. The eggs were pretty **** cold.. Coop temp is mid 30s.. She was on them late last night.. But who knows how long she has been off.. Could have been all morning.. I should have checked earlier... I was going to bring her inside tomorrow to finish the hatch.. These embryos are dead aren't they....?

Dido to both replies. I have also read that if the eggs get chilled during incubation they may even take up to 25 days to hatch, so I would keep trying till then. You can also candle the eggs now (after they get warmed up of course) and then again after several days and you will see a change in the growth of the embryo if they are viable. If I was you, I would keep incubating them with the broody hen, some would say hatch rates are higher than with incubators. Good luck and keep us posted!

Ps. I would also shut the broody hen up with the nest, maybe a cage thats big enough for her to get up to relieve herself and get something to eat and drink.

 

[A6chickenhome]

Yes I did put mommy right back on them. I set up a maternity ward my basement bathroom this evening and I went and got mom and eggs and brought them in tonight. I candled some of the eggs (this is my first hatch as well as hers) and I saw pronounced red veins, would this be sign of death? Like a blood ring? I'm so nervous...

I just had a clutch hatch 2 weeks ago and at day 12 mine had pronounced veining. My eggs also got chilled a few times, when broody got up to do her thing, and they hatched on day 21. The incubation period was during that big cold snap we all had and it was in the teens at times.

 

[kristin07035]

Hoping for Christmas babies

 

[ChickyChickens]

Hoping for Christmas babies

Same here!!

Just with my bator

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Yes I did put mommy right back on them. I set up a maternity ward my basement bathroom this evening and I went and got mom and eggs and brought them in tonight. I candled some of the eggs (this is my first hatch as well as hers) and I saw pronounced red veins, would this be sign of death? Like a blood ring? I'm so nervous...

Pronounced red veins is a good thing especially if you have dark blob at the big end and pronounced veins running from that to the little end...it means you have a viable chick. It should look like the pic at day 12 to 14 in the link bumpercarr provided....typically all I can see is a lot of dark blob with pronounced veins.

A blood ring is just that...a ring that looks like an "O" in the middle of the egg with nothing else developed....that is a sign of death.

There is hope. Keep them on the nest until you are certain that nothing is hatching...I agree day 25 could be a target....and yes, make sure momma can't get confused again with the wrong nest.

Lady of McCamley

EDITED TO ADD: This link provides photos of "winners" and "quitter" that help determine if your eggs are viable
http://lancaster.unl.edu/4h/embryology/candling.shtml

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Hello all! Today is my first day on this thread. I have a broody (bantam Langshan) that has gone broody three times since I adopted her in July. So this time, she is having it her way and I got her some fertile eggs. I got six eggs and tossed them under her last night. She is still in one of the nest boxes in the coop, but she is high on the pecking order. I will leave her in there, and see how she does. My original idea is too let her handle them on her own, and I think it is too late to move her, so we will have the hope for the best.

Do you all recommend candling halfway through to make sure they are all viable?

I have not been home yet today and I can put wait to get back and check her! I hope she will be a good Momma, she sure does love to sit!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Hello all! Today is my first day on this thread. I have a broody (bantam Langshan) that has gone broody three times since I adopted her in July. So this time, she is having it her way and I got her some fertile eggs. I got six eggs and tossed them under her last night. She is still in one of the nest boxes in the coop, but she is high on the pecking order. I will leave her in there, and see how she does. My original idea is too let her handle them on her own, and I think it is too late to move her, so we will have the hope for the best.

Do you all recommend candling halfway through to make sure they are all viable?

I have not been home yet today and I can put wait to get back and check her! I hope she will be a good Momma, she sure does love to sit!

You can...it is fun to see if anything is developing...but you don't have to in your situation.

I only find it "necessary" to candle if I have some shipped eggs that I am trying to maximize my percentages of hatch on (as shipped eggs are usually much less successful than non-shipped) and thus have some under the broody and some in an incubator...then I candle on day 5 and 10 and adjust so that the broody has the best developing eggs for hatching.

The only other time I find it necessary is in warmer weather as you have greater risk of those non-fertile or "quitters" (started but stopped developing) going bad and exploding in the nest...not the end of the world but definitely stuff to clean up for the hen and you with risk to the other eggs of bacterial contamination.

It can be helpful if you have staggered eggs at all so that you know if any late hatches are expected.

Otherwise, it is simply preference and curiosity.

Lady of McCamley

EDITED TO ADD: Welcome to the Broody thread...watching the broodies and chicks is great fun!