Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Pyxis]

I hatched some CCL (hen) x Lav orp (roo) eggs.  All chicks looked like black orp (that part I understood) & almost all had a very tiny 1mm area of white on their heads.  One had a larger 7mm spot on the head.  Not sure if they were all male or if the ones with only a few light hairs were female.  I simply sold them "straight run, " so I will not know the answer.  What do you think?

I would say the one with the big head spot was definitely male. Crested cream legbar hens are only single barred, so they can only pass their barring to their male offspring, and it always passes, so males are always barred, and it's impossible for females to be barred. I'm not sure if the tiny spots are indicative of the chicks being barred or if it was something else that happened because of the color combinations. If they all had feathered out barred, they would all be males, because it would be impossible for the females to be barred. It just seems really unlikely that you managed to hatch all males. I'm thinking maybe the smaller head spots were caused by the weird color combinations involved and weren't really head spots that indicate sex. Too bad you didn't keep them until they at least got wing feathers, because then you would have known for sure. With CCLs, females can sometimes hatch with little white spots on their heads, but they also carry barring, so that could be why that happens. It's nowhere near the size of the spot on the males' heads, though.

I recently hatched out an accidental 'black sex link' cockerel myself. I didn't realize it until he feathered in, because his chick down didn't make it apparent. He is a buff orpington/leghorn cross. The leghorn apparently carries barring in her white feathers that can't be seen. The chick's down was yellow, so the head spot was invisible. That's why it's recommended to use black breeds when crossing, because it makes the head spot very easy to see.

 

[chickchoon1]

OMG-just looked in to check BO broody,21 days in to brood, and had a scare. I don't see well and shes in semi dark right now and there was what I initially thought were dead chicks, then I thought ripped up weasel( ? ) but entered and realized it was a poop SHE had done that was the size, quantity of a 40 lb dog. I sooo miss being able to post stupid pics of things like that!Given they back huge eggs out often i guess it didn't harm her but goodness gracious! My dog has no access but I still had a hard time realizing she had done that.Still no sound from eggs(other chickens make so much noise its hard to tell) so I may go out at roost and see if any chirps happening.

 

[kristin07035]

When 2 of my girls went broody on me ... after trying to break them i finally gave in & purchased silkie nn/showgirl eggs...
Sooo excited only the night of day 4 & already see veining & movement in 4 out of 6 shipped (unexpectedly on a plane) eggs.
Was sooooo disappointed when i saw the airplane sticker on the box (thought travel was close enough to go ground shipping)
Now for the longest wait ever

 

[Wishapup]

Day 20 and nothing. No wiggling, no chirping...

 

[Pyxis]

Lacie goose's egg is internally pipped! The little gosling in there is peeping at me Mine in the incubator is internally pipped, too. I see a happy goose in my future.

My broody BO is definitely in it for the long haul, so tonight she gets the twelve guinea eggs that have been in my incubator. I'm concerned that she might not have gotten off the nest in a couple days so tomorrow I'm tossing her off the nest for a bit for her own good. She's gonna need a name now that she's raising chicks for me.

 

[chickchoon1]

Day 22- late afternoon check broody/eggs-1 egg shell visable and hear a chick but I realize the egg shell is from rotted egg(smelly?-I didn't candle/etc so this is a problem) and the chick I hear is in one of the 9 remaining eggs so I leave and will check before leaving for work at 6 pm. Say a prayer.

 

[Wishapup]

Day 22- late afternoon check broody/eggs-1 egg shell visable and hear a chick

That's great! How many eggs does she have?

My hen has been so dedicated, sitting on 5. I really hope they hatch for her. The 2-3 eggs I wanted her to hatch had been stored for a few weeks so I was worried about their viability--just in case, I included a couple fresher ones. I don't know why nothing is happening. I know I have around 100% fertility based on my incubator runs. I would have added extras but she can only fit that many.

 

[Pyxis]

My hen has been so dedicated, sitting on 5. I really hope they hatch for her. The 2-3 eggs I wanted her to hatch had been stored for a few weeks so I was worried about their viability--just in case, I included a couple fresher ones. I don't know why nothing is happening. I know I have around 100% fertility based on my incubator runs. I would have added extras but she can only fit that many.

I wouldn't worry too much yet. They can take longer than 21 days to hatch. Have you candled at all? If you're really worried and still aren't hearing anything by tonight you could always candle to see what's going on.

 

[Wishapup]

I wouldn't worry too much yet. They can take longer than 21 days to hatch. Have you candled at all? If you're really worried and still aren't hearing anything by tonight you could always candle to see what's going on.

I can't candle these because of the egg colours (dark choc & blue with thick shells), unfortunately. All I've been able to monitor is her time off the nest, which has been fine.

I'm just anxious because I'm used to seeing action in my bator by day 19, and today is day 20--when I usually have at least a chick or two and pips.

If nothing is happening by tonight I'll make an attempt to candle, but I probably won't be able to see a thing.

 

[Pyxis]

I can't candle these because of the egg colours (dark choc & blue with thick shells), unfortunately. All I've been able to monitor is her time off the nest, which has been fine.

I'm just anxious because I'm used to seeing action in my bator by day 19, and today is day 20--when I usually have at least a chick or two and pips.

If nothing is happening by tonight I'll make an attempt to candle, but I probably won't be able to see a thing.

If you have a small flashlight that has a lot of lumens, use that. I have a nice 200 lumens flashlight I got at Walmart that can see through even black copper marans eggs. I love the thing. Good luck and don't give up hope! With broodies I've found they almost always hatch on day 21 and not any sooner, and sometimes later, since they are getting off the nest, while most of us aren't cooling the eggs in our incubators.