Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Wishapup]

Chick is almost 20 hours old. Hen is very attentive to it but she wants to sit on the eggs. She gulped some chick starter when I put it nearby but her baby didn't seem interested and just dived under her to keep warm. I'm thinking of taking away the other eggs in a few hours and opening them up.

 

[TGRREZ]

Chick is almost 20 hours old. Hen is very attentive to it but she wants to sit on the eggs. She gulped some chick starter when I put it nearby but her baby didn't seem interested and just dived under her to keep warm. I'm thinking of taking away the other eggs in a few hours and opening them up.

If the chick is only 20hrs old, then hen will sit on the nest for a few more days, the rest of your eggs could hatch by then.

 

[Faraday40]

I think someone should invent a nesting box with a clear (maybe lucite) bottom, so you can see what's going on when the chicks hatch, and how the mama hen manages them throughout the process.

Your idea reminds me of those clear-bottomed boats. One big flaw, though: broody poop.

 

[holm25]

Your idea reminds me of those clear-bottomed boats. One big flaw, though: broody poop.

I never thought of that

 

[Wishapup]

If the chick is only 20hrs old, then hen will sit on the nest for a few more days, the rest of your eggs could hatch by then.

Sadly, I think they are duds. It's day 22 and they were old eggs. The one that hatched was a fresh egg. I've held them up to my ear and tapped and there's no movement. I will probably make a hole very carefully in the large end before I open up the eggs completely.

 

[fisherlady]

Sadly, I think they are duds. It's day 22 and they were old eggs. The one that hatched was a fresh egg. I've held them up to my ear and tapped and there's no movement. I will probably make a hole very carefully in the large end before I open up the eggs completely.

I agree to consider pulling them since she has a chick already out... in my experience if eggs are going to hatch (when all set at the same time) then usually it is within a 16-24 hour time. Any which go longer are rarely viable even when they do try. That is not to say that they are always bad, because odd events are always a possibility, but at the least I would candle for movement and development.... certainly candle and be prepared to pull them or put them into an incubator by the 2nd day so the broody can get up to start her life with her new chick. If any hatch later in an incubator they should be simple enough to graft back to her.

 

[Wishapup]

I agree to consider pulling them since she has a chick already out... in my experience if eggs are going to hatch (when all set at the same time) then usually it is within a 16-24 hour time. Any which go longer are rarely viable even when they do try. That is not to say that they are always bad, because odd events are always a possibility, but at the least I would candle for movement and development.... certainly candle and be prepared to pull them or put them into an incubator by the 2nd day so the broody can get up to start her life with her new chick. If any hatch later in an incubator they should be simple enough to graft back to her.

I can't believe what just happened.

I thought I put ONE fresh egg and FOUR old eggs under her. Turns out I put THREE fresh eggs and TWO old eggs under her. I misread the dates because the pencil had rubbed off slightly on two of them; the others I had done in Sharpie.

...so end of day 22, over one hour ago: I opened up the 2 eggs that were clearly marked as old. Both just yolk, obviously never viable. I begin to open up the 3rd egg by carefully scoring at the air cell with a needle, like I did with the others. I chip away a sizeable hole. Then I see the white membrane move. It's alive

This chick is NOT ready to hatch. I must have poked a blood vessel, even though I was being careful, and it bled all over my fingers. I was panicking knowing that they can hemorrhage very easily.

An hour later: little Olive Egger is still alive in the incubator. No bleeding anymore. It doesn't look too bad. I have a full incubator going right now so all I had to do was rush it inside and tent it with a warm wet paper towel.

If it does make it, I'll wait until I'm certain it's strong/healthy to return to the hen. Right now it's looking at the next few days in the bator, absorbing blood vessels/yolk/hatching process to complete! Very risky.

Of course I'm not touching the last egg now. It's also an OE collected around the same date, and like the one I opened, there's no signs of it being alive. It's under the hen with the chick.

The chick hatched on day 21 with a rough navel. On day 22, another chick hasn't absorbed its veins. And the 3rd egg may be in a similar state. To me these things point to low incubation temps. I thought things were ideal under a broody, though--and she probably only spent 20 min total off the nest every day. I'm completely shocked to find one, potentially two, eggs alive and so behind schedule.

Add: I would have a better knowledge of what was going on had I been able to candle during incubation/lockdown, but these eggs have thick blue shells. So a complete surprise.

I'm referencing the assisted hatching guide for the poor little OE in the ICUbator [Intensive Care Unit].

 

[itstartedwith2]

I candled an egg tonight and there is veining!!! In so excited I hope my girl gets at lest 1 to hatch. She is a banty and I put 6 of my BB Red eggs under her I'm so proud of my first little broody Stella

 

[Wishapup]

I candled an egg tonight and there is veining!!! In so excited I hope my girl gets at lest 1 to hatch. She is a banty and I put 6 of my BB Red eggs under her I'm so proud of my first little broody Stella

Congratulations to her

 

[holm25]

Congrats!!