Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Heron's Nest Farm]

I believe what you've had is an over stressed hen due to an overly staggered hatch. She did not know what to do with the hatched chicks and the still yet living but unhatched chicks, and it over stressed her.

She may calm down. She is probably still trying to get back to sit on eggs that are undeveloped but near hatch. If you are careful and stand by and watch, you may try removing all unhatched eggs and leave only chicks and see how she does. It may be best to do this at night, and I would check on her frequently. If she is not going to settle to mother them, you'll have to brood them.

Sorry to hear of your experience. This is the main reason most of us discourage staggered hatching. Not all hens will respond this way, but some do.

LofMc

The weird thing is I put those eggs under her. I put them under her the same day. If they were staggered it was genetic development issue. Todya the chick she had in her mouth looks like it may die. I think it was sick and she knew?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

The weird thing is I put those eggs under her. I put them under her the same day. If they were staggered it was genetic development issue. Todya the chick she had in her mouth looks like it may die. I think it was sick and she knew?

That would be very odd to have 5 day delay in eggs set at the same time...is it possible she stole or laid some others after you set? EDITED TO ADD: Also...where did you get the eggs? Just a long shot to try to figure out how you got such staggered hatches...typically that is due to colder weather and sudden temp changes...which can happen here in Oregon....but maybe the eggs were started by another hen and you didn't realize when you gathered them? Or if you know all laid/gathered/set at the same time, then it would likely been weather induced.

It is possible the chick were sick, but you stated she had her whole brood cowering in a corner with eggs yet unhatched which to me indicates a stress situation with hatched/unhatched due to over staggered hatch.

It could be just an odd fluke ....why those eggs didn't develop together could be some of them got colder as usually a 2 or 3 day stagger is normal if they were all set at the same time...most hens will simply abandon the unhatched eggs to happily take care of the hatched chicks. Some however, will hang in for the unhatched ignoring the hatched chicks. A few will attack the hatched chicks due to the stress of hatched vs. unhatched. I personally would think twice about using this hen again unless you can figure out what may have set her off (was her area too confined? was she disturbed by some intruder?). You may consider giving her the benefit of the doubt if this was an issue of eggs set at different times, as in hidden eggs or stolen eggs, or outside stress as an intruder, but even so, the good hens will simply abandon the nest at day 2 or 3 to tend to the hatched chicks.



My thoughts.

LofMc

EDITED for additional thoughts

 

[TGRREZ]

I have 5 OEG bantam broody hens on nests. I want to move them out of the flock coop and put them in a separate pen, their eggs will start hatching later this week. each hen went broody about 3 days after each other thus they will have a staggered hatch. does anyone know if I need to separate then to have their own pens in the new hatching area, or will they stay on their nests to hatch their own clutches even though some nests will begin hatching before others?

 

[bumpercarr]

That would be very odd to have 5 day delay in eggs set at the same time...is it possible she stole or laid some others after you set? EDITED TO ADD: Also...where did you get the eggs? Just a long shot to try to figure out how you got such staggered hatches...typically that is due to colder weather and sudden temp changes...which can happen here in Oregon....but maybe the eggs were started by another hen and you didn't realize when you gathered them? Or if you know all laid/gathered/set at the same time, then it would likely been weather induced.

It is possible the chick were sick, but you stated she had her whole brood cowering in a corner with eggs yet unhatched which to me indicates a stress situation with hatched/unhatched due to over staggered hatch.

It could be just an odd fluke ....why those eggs didn't develop together could be some of them got colder as usually a 2 or 3 day stagger is normal if they were all set at the same time...most hens will simply abandon the unhatched eggs to happily take care of the hatched chicks. Some however, will hang in for the unhatched ignoring the hatched chicks. A few will attack the hatched chicks due to the stress of hatched vs. unhatched. I personally would think twice about using this hen again unless you can figure out what may have set her off (was her area too confined? was she disturbed by some intruder?). You may consider giving her the benefit of the doubt if this was an issue of eggs set at different times, as in hidden eggs or stolen eggs, or outside stress as an intruder, but even so, the good hens will simply abandon the nest at day 2 or 3 to tend to the hatched chicks.



My thoughts.

LofMc

EDITED for additional thoughts

If they were shipped eggs, particularly from a colder region, it isn't unusual to have a staggered hatch...although usually it is only about 3 days apart. I agree with LofMc, I'd hesitate using this hen again unless she snaps out of it soon and starts to tend to her chicks. I'm assuming that this is her first hatch for you. I don't remember, so tell me again what breed is she?

Edited to add: Could also be the result of having too many eggs under her and some got chilled.

 

[bumpercarr]

I have 5 OEG bantam broody hens on nests. I want to move them out of the flock coop and put them in a separate pen, their eggs will start hatching later this week. each hen went broody about 3 days after each other thus they will have a staggered hatch. does anyone know if I need to separate then to have their own pens in the new hatching area, or will they stay on their nests to hatch their own clutches even though some nests will begin hatching before others?

This is going to be a non-answer, but the best that I can do. It depends on the hens. Some hens will leave their own nests trying to steal chicks from the nest that has hatched. Some hens will sit tight waiting for her own to hatch. Some get totally confused, as their eggs haven't hatched and yet they can hear chicks. I'm assuming that they are all going through their first brood.

That being said, I would try to keep them separated with some sort of divider until all of the chicks have hatched. You may also face the hens fighting over the chicks and the chicks being in the middle of the squabble when they are all released together. Just keep an eye on them and be flexible enough to intervene in some way if necessary.

 

[TGRREZ]

This is going to be a non-answer, but the best that I can do. It depends on the hens. Some hens will leave their own nests trying to steal chicks from the nest that has hatched. Some hens will sit tight waiting for her own to hatch. Some get totally confused, as their eggs haven't hatched and yet they can hear chicks. I'm assuming that they are all going through their first brood.

That being said, I would try to keep them separated with some sort of divider until all of the chicks have hatched. You may also face the hens fighting over the chicks and the chicks being in the middle of the squabble when they are all released together. Just keep an eye on them and be flexible enough to intervene in some way if necessary.

you have made GOOD points. I never thought about them fighting and possible hurt the chicks. (made me think of mama penguins..how they do the same) my initial thought was to separate them anyway. lol thanks

 

[Heron's Nest Farm]

If they were shipped eggs, particularly from a colder region, it isn't unusual to have a staggered hatch...although usually it is only about 3 days apart. I agree with LofMc, I'd hesitate using this hen again unless she snaps out of it soon and starts to tend to her chicks. I'm assuming that this is her first hatch for you. I don't remember, so tell me again what breed is she?

Edited to add: Could also be the result of having too many eggs under her and some got chilled.

That would be very odd to have 5 day delay in eggs set at the same time...is it possible she stole or laid some others after you set? EDITED TO ADD: Also...where did you get the eggs? Just a long shot to try to figure out how you got such staggered hatches...typically that is due to colder weather and sudden temp changes...which can happen here in Oregon....but maybe the eggs were started by another hen and you didn't realize when you gathered them? Or if you know all laid/gathered/set at the same time, then it would likely been weather induced.

It is possible the chick were sick, but you stated she had her whole brood cowering in a corner with eggs yet unhatched which to me indicates a stress situation with hatched/unhatched due to over staggered hatch.

It could be just an odd fluke ....why those eggs didn't develop together could be some of them got colder as usually a 2 or 3 day stagger is normal if they were all set at the same time...most hens will simply abandon the unhatched eggs to happily take care of the hatched chicks. Some however, will hang in for the unhatched ignoring the hatched chicks. A few will attack the hatched chicks due to the stress of hatched vs. unhatched. I personally would think twice about using this hen again unless you can figure out what may have set her off (was her area too confined? was she disturbed by some intruder?). You may consider giving her the benefit of the doubt if this was an issue of eggs set at different times, as in hidden eggs or stolen eggs, or outside stress as an intruder, but even so, the good hens will simply abandon the nest at day 2 or 3 to tend to the hatched chicks.



My thoughts.

LofMc

EDITED for additional thoughts

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.
This was her first hatch. She is a chocolate orpington and my super sweetest.

The eggs were all mine. I collect eggs each day. I had eggs from two consecutive days. I DO believe she laid another as I got an unexpected chocolate.

I think she was attacking the chick that was sick and all her chicks had scrambled and were freaked, but that is a guess. I feel bad taking her babies, but I NEED 4 of these chicks for my program so they are all inside. She seems forlorn today...

and it is hard for me to watch as she is my favorite.

I thought about just giving her a few because it is so sad! Should I try again?

 

[bumpercarr]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.
This was her first hatch. She is a chocolate orpington and my super sweetest.

The eggs were all mine. I collect eggs each day. I had eggs from two consecutive days. I DO believe she laid another as I got an unexpected chocolate.

I think she was attacking the chick that was sick and all her chicks had scrambled and were freaked, but that is a guess. I feel bad taking her babies, but I NEED 4 of these chicks for my program so they are all inside. She seems forlorn today...

and it is hard for me to watch as she is my favorite.

I thought about just giving her a few because it is so sad! Should I try again?

I would only consider giving her back her chicks under close supervision. Move them under her at night and see what happens. If she starts to attack them again, then you'll know for sure.

 

[Angie16hearts]

My broody hen pepper just had a clutch about 9-10 weeks ago. She tried very early (after5eggs) to go broody but failed . She stopped laying for 3 months. Then she started laying for about a month and went broody again. Hatched 9-10 chicks. She stayed with them for almost 8 weeks and was laying during last two weeks. It's been about 3 almost 4 weeks since she ditched her babies. I go out today to find her ****** off cackling in laying box. Could she be going broody again this soon? I noticed the nest is covered in another hens feathers. Thanks in advance! I just put 12 eggs in incubator so if she goes I'm going to have a lot of chicks. I'm glad I set eggs out.

 

[bumpercarr]

My broody hen pepper just had a clutch about 9-10 weeks ago. She tried very early (after5eggs) to go broody but failed . She stopped laying for 3 months. Then she started laying for about a month and went broody again. Hatched 9-10 chicks. She stayed with them for almost 8 weeks and was laying during last two weeks. It's been about 3 almost 4 weeks since she ditched her babies. I go out today to find her ****** off cackling in laying box. Could she be going broody again this soon? I noticed the nest is covered in another hens feathers. Thanks in advance! I just put 12 eggs in incubator so if she goes I'm going to have a lot of chicks. I'm glad I set eggs out.

LOL, their timing is always crazy isn't it? It's almost as if they can read our minds and figure out the worst time to brood.

Anyway, yes it is possible (and probable) that she is broody again. Generally three months is the norm, but it really depends on the breed. I had a silky mix once that would brood, hatch, raise chicks for 4 weeks, lay one egg and then go broody again. She was perfectly content to hatch the other girl's eggs for them...all she wanted was babies. She was a baby making machine and I could almost count on her to be broody on a specific date (unless I ordered eggs for her...then she'd read my mind and decide to hang out for a while).

I feel your pain. I have a broody sitting on 6 eggs, 18 eggs in the incubator and another 12 coming tomorrow. I didn't expect a broody, so her 6 are "extras". Of course, she picked the worst place to brood, I'll be on vacation when they hatch and the housesitter doesn't know a thing about chickens except how to feed & water....so, I'll be trying to figure out how to make all of this work in the next week or so to try to ensure that things go as smoothly as they can while I'm away. Sigh. There seems to always be some sort of chicken drama going on here.