Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Shahann]

I use a sharpie and draw a line the whole way around the center of the eggs...i have yet to have a chick hatch with a tattoo! LOL

Hillarious! Thanks for the idea.

 

[Faraday40]

Just went outside & took these pics. They're 3.5 weeks old.
Cookie hatched 3 Bielefelder (2 are female) & 4 English Orpingtons.




The broody's bunch have claimed this corner of the center run. The small hanging feeder & waterer are theirs. The treadle feeder is for the layers & will be moved as soon as the hens polish it off. I think I'll be using only chick feed by Saterday. I have a dish for extra oyster shell, so I think it's safer feeding everyone chick feed than trying to keep fast growing chicks out of the layer feed. Is that what most people do?

 

[southernBelle79]

Ok need advice. My cochin hatched an egg two weeks ago. She has been a great mother. Because it was only one egg, (others disappeared) we sat her on more. Two of those hatched today and she killed both chicks by the time I got home. Three eggs left set to hatch tonight or tomorrow. One has a pip. I took the two week old out of the broody pen hoping she would better bond with the new chicks. But it won't stop fussing unless I hold it. I feel terrible. And I really want to sleep tonight. Advice??

 

[vpatt]

I assume Jessica is the former broody? I don't remember when my broods started laying again but would think their hormones go back to normal fairly quickly when their done keeping eggs warm constantly.Sounds like Jessicas working hard. 

Last hatch i think her chicks were over a month old before she started laying again....yeah it sounds hard to me to be laying eggs while raising chicks.

Olivias eggs should hatch this weekend!

 

[ChickenLady2014]

I have a question, this is my first broody hen and she has done wonderful. I'm wondering if I need to quit taking her out of the nest once a day after tonight. This evening is day 18, I know when I incubate I stop turning and lock down at the end of day 18. Is it the same for a broody. I candled all 8 of her eggs and they are all going strong. Thank in advance for the advice

 

[Wishapup]

I have a question, this is my first broody hen and she has done wonderful. I'm wondering if I need to quit taking her out of the nest once a day after tonight. This evening is day 18, I know when I incubate I stop turning and lock down at the end of day 18. Is it the same for a broody. I candled all 8 of her eggs and they are all going strong. Thank in advance for the advice

I have the same question! I have heard that most broodies will stop getting off the nest at this time and will remain on the nest for days. However, 1) I am responsible for my broody's breaks because I have to manually remove the partition--so she can't just get out on her own, and 2) it's hot, and she needed to get off the nest twice today to drink. But I'm not sure why she would change her habits if nothing is happening [that she could discern]. They don't have an exact biological clock because they will sit patiently for weeks and weeks.

 

[losttexan]

I have a question, this is my first broody hen and she has done wonderful. I'm wondering if I need to quit taking her out of the nest once a day after tonight. This evening is day 18, I know when I incubate I stop turning and lock down at the end of day 18. Is it the same for a broody. I candled all 8 of her eggs and they are all going strong. Thank in advance for the advice

I think the Day 18 "lockdown" term is a less a description for what the egg needs, and more of a way to convince people to quit opening the incubator and leave those **** eggs alone! Like someone else said, a broody will continue to sit on eggs (and engage in her usual break routine) long after 21 days are up. Now, most will stay put once they feel hatching/hear peeping, and you definitely shouldn't remove her after a pip, or else you run the risk of dropping the humidity drastically and resulting in shrink-wrapping, but I think a couple of days off the nest for a break has a low potential for harm. That being said, if a broody is perfectly content to do so, a few days straight on the nest won't hurt her, and you won't have to worry about that early hatcher.

 

[ChickenLady2014]

I think the Day 18 "lockdown" term is a less a description for what the egg needs, and more of a way to convince people to quit opening the incubator and leave those **** eggs alone!  Like someone else said, a broody will continue to sit on eggs (and engage in her usual break routine) long after 21 days are up.  Now, most will stay put once they feel hatching/hear peeping, and you definitely shouldn't remove her after a pip, or else you run the risk of dropping the humidity drastically and resulting in shrink-wrapping, but I think a couple of days off the nest for a break has a low potential for harm.  That being said, if a broody is perfectly content to do so, a few days straight on the nest won't hurt her, and you won't have to worry about that early hatcher. 

Thank you losttexan, she is very focused so her staying power is definitely not a problem. I think I will take her off tomorrow morning, then leave her be. When I candled her eggs today I didn't see any internal pips and this evening is the just the start of day 18. She is a Blue Chochin/EE mix and has been a awesome broody, hoping she will be as good of a mother as she has been of a broody

I have a sneaky suppicision that she will be.

 

[Faraday40]

I had a different set-up (not boxed in), but my broody refused to get off the nest. When I put food & water within a neck's reach, she gratefully ate & drank. Very quickly she learned to poop in my presence, so it would be immediately removed from the nest. (How could I not notice the strong odor of warm broody poop?) She would hold it until I came for my daily check - then BOOM. What a greeting!

In your case, I don't think it would hurt to offer a bio break by opening up the nest- especially if it's hot weather. If she chooses not to jump out, then that's OK too. If you're very worried about water & food, just try offering it to her.

 

[chicksurreal]

I had a different set-up (not boxed in), but my broody refused to get off the nest. When I put food & water within a neck's reach, she gratefully ate & drank. Very quickly she learned to poop in my presence, so it would be immediately removed from the nest. (How could I not notice the strong odor of warm broody poop?) She would hold it until I came for my daily check - then BOOM. What a greeting!

In your case, I don't think it would hurt to offer a bio break by opening up the nest- especially if it's hot weather. If she chooses not to jump out, then that's OK too. If you're very worried about water & food, just try offering it to her.

She must really love you! Lol!

I never actually saw my first broody leave the nest to do her business, but I did see the evidence after the fact. Impressive!