Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[hmbrown05]

There was only on shell in the nest though and she is a conchin lx leghorn cross also who had just started laying. Her eggs are tiny and have a distinctive tan color that is different from all my other birds and there wasn't any evidence of that shell color in the remnants

 

[Lady of McCamley]

There was only on shell in the nest though and she is a conchin lx leghorn cross also who had just started laying. Her eggs are tiny and have a distinctive tan color that is different from all my other birds and there wasn't any evidence of that shell color in the remnants

Unless somebody else went broody and hatched eggs and she stole their chicks (less likely from what you are describing), she stole eggs from others and hatched them.

She simply had some eggs hidden that you were not aware of. Broodies will secretively gather eggs and hide them for their clutch. They can go amazingly far distances with the eggs tucked up in their wings to place them in their chosen nest. That is the most likely scenario....or somebody is pranking you and slipped some extra chicks...but I think the hen just had a couple of eggs you weren't aware of. Happens all the time.

LofMc

 

[hmbrown05]

Not to mention I physically took her off her 14 eggs and placed her in a box with the other 6 in it near her original nesting site, chunking her eggs...?

 

[hmbrown05]

Unless somebody else went broody and hatched eggs and she stole their chicks (less likely from what you are describing), she stole eggs from others and hatched them.

She simply had some eggs hidden that you were not aware of. Broodies will secretively gather eggs and hide them for their clutch. They can go amazingly far distances with the eggs tucked up in their wings to place them in their chosen nest. That is the most likely scenario....or somebody is pranking you and slipped some extra chicks...but I think the hen just had a couple of eggs you weren't aware of. Happens all the time.

LofMc

Would she maybe have eaten the shells?

I have picked her completely up to check a head count and pick up the shell remnants and only had two halves and 9 chicks.

I mean, I know twins are possible though highly improbable, I would think triplets would be impossible for sure-there's just not enough room, not to mention in the year I have had these birds I have only gottne one double yoked egg and it was out of one of my production reds, not the leghorns who I understand are very unlikly to lay double yolkers due to them being a more "commercial" bred, and that was the presumed egg they came out of.

Oh well, blessed mystery

 

[bumpercarr]

Not to mention I physically took her off her 14 eggs and placed her in a box with the other 6 in it near her original nesting site, chunking her eggs...?

LOL....they are wily things, those broody hens. Triplets are highly unlikely....I read somewhere that it is almost impossible for twins to hatch and then live, so I can't imagine that triplets would hatch at all, nevertheless survive more than an hour or two if they managed to hatch.

I also suspect that your broody had some eggs hidden....I've picked up a broody, counted eggs, put the broody back on the nest and the next day there were two additional eggs that could have only come from her. I almost threw them away, I figured she laid them. In fact, she probably moved them with her, tucked under the wings and since I didn't check under there before I put her back down, there they were. I just can't think of another explanation unless someone is playing a joke on you.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Would she maybe have eaten the shells?

I have picked her completely up to check a head count and pick up the shell remnants and only had two halves and 9 chicks.

I mean, I know twins are possible though highly improbable, I would think triplets would be impossible for sure-there's just not enough room, not to mention in the year I have had these birds I have only gottne one double yoked egg and it was out of one of my production reds, not the leghorns who I understand are very unlikly to lay double yolkers due to them being a more "commercial" bred, and that was the presumed egg they came out of.

Oh well, blessed mystery

I can say with almost certainty, unless someone is pranking you, she had hid them in her wings and moved them with her when you put her on the 6 eggs and new nest. You just never knew she had those eggs tucked in her wings.

I often don't see all the shells where they should be after the hatch...mom tidies and moves after the chicks hatch. You may find them buried in the bedding, crumbled outside the cage, and yes she might have eaten some of it as well.

LofMc

 

[Faraday40]

Not much has changed. Cookie is happily sitting on her eggs. Seems very determined.

It was 17'F this morning, so it can't be much fun. Two more weeks to go. (Actually, her orig stolen eggs will hatch sooner, but we swapped those out to add DD's experimental eggs. The stolen eggs are in the incubator. Another incubator is set up for the rest of DDs experimental eggs. It's going to be a chick overload in 2 weeks!

 

[Faraday40]

How fun...happy hatching.

BTW...love Cochinbator...ha ha ha....

I must have a Brin-Silkea. :snork, snork:

LofMc

Love those names!


Cookie must be my "incu-orp"

 

[StarMeKritten]

Love those names! Cookie must be my "incu-orp"

I love these names. Lol. To take it one step further (and perhaps one step to far!), this is my brin-silkie cochinbatorp.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Love those names!


Cookie must be my "incu-orp"

I love these names. Lol. To take it one step further (and perhaps one step to far!), this is my brin-silkie cochinbatorp.

:sniff: snork: sniff

....or you've got an Hovorp-ator bwahhhh.....

Leaving now before being thrown off.... snork, snork, snork.

LofMc