Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[horselover1999]

Last night

Edited to see veins below.

 

[southernBelle79]

On day ten and my broody and I had a misunderstanding about her new waterer. I thought she got it and took away the bowl that kept getting dirty. I got home from work to a frantically thirsty momma off her clutch and a broken egg that she had eaten

I replenished her bowl and put it right next to her and she is sitting again. I did have to wipe some of the eggs with a warm damp cloth but most of them are fine. Some of them were cold though. Wondering if everything will be okay? I'm going to candle them tonight. I feel terrible. And the one egg she ate was viable. I'm just hoping that it doesn't happen again. But I won't take out the bowl.

 

[PD-Riverman]

But I won't take out the bowl.

Good. I do not Change Nothing while they are setting. But "I" personally would not have her food or water where she can get to it without getting off the eggs. She needs to get off for a few minutes to eat, stretch her legs, poop etc. You sure do not want her to be pooping in the nest! Good Luck

 

[Faraday40]

Here's my 5x in one year, broody hen, "Cookie." Thankfully she's not trying to hatch anything at the moment, but I still enjoy reading this thread.

Cookie was seriously thinking about nesting last week before we got several inches of snow. She had a good, loud broody scream going, and the other girls kept picking on her. It seemed as if they were saying, "Don't you dare bring more chickens into this coop!" The last time she hatched chicks was Sept 21st. She really needs to get herself back into shape & take a break from going broody.

 

[southernBelle79]

On day 14 of hatch. Last night I pulled an egg that had oozed out. It was stinky but seemed isolated and nothing had touched the other eggs. I did notice that the stinky part of that egg had touched momma's skin. I didn't clean her off, but tonight I noticed that the other eggs smell a little. I candled them and things look good. (Although I had previously seen an air sack on the egg that oozed. It was an EE egg though so maybe I was wrong.) 8 of her eggs are maran, so I can't see a thing. 2 are barred rock mixes and two are Cochin mixes. Wondering if I should be concerned about smell? I think it rubbed off from her skin to the eggs. The nest seems clean. Thanks in advance. I'm a little worried that one of the Cochin eggs might not make it because it was a little old but it seems like it's developing.

 

[Faraday40]

On day 14 of hatch. Last night I pulled an egg that had oozed out. It was stinky but seemed isolated and nothing had touched the other eggs. I did notice that the stinky part of that egg had touched momma's skin. I didn't clean her off, but tonight I noticed that the other eggs smell a little. I candled them and things look good. (Although I had previously seen an air sack on the egg that oozed. It was an EE egg though so maybe I was wrong.) 8 of her eggs are maran, so I can't see a thing. 2 are barred rock mixes and two are Cochin mixes. Wondering if I should be concerned about smell? I think it rubbed off from her skin to the eggs. The nest seems clean. Thanks in advance. I'm a little worried that one of the Cochin eggs might not make it because it was a little old but it seems like it's developing.

We once had an egg break in the nest. Mama hen's feathers were all wet. When I discovered it, I quickly wiped some of the gooey slime off of the hen & removed the soiled shavings. I left the eggs alone. All the remaining eggs hatched. I don't remember a smell though.

 

[southernBelle79]

...

We once had an egg break in the nest.  Mama hen's feathers were all wet.  When I discovered it, I quickly wiped some of the gooey slime off of the hen & removed the soiled shavings.  I left the eggs alone.  All the remaining eggs hatched.  I don't remember a smell though.

Do you think I should do anything? It's day 15.

 

[Faraday40]

If you candled & are pretty sure an egg(s) has stopped developing, toss it (them). Likewise, if you see any oozing or weeping eggs, they should go before they explode. Remove wet/smelly bedding & replace with clean stuff. ( I once had an egg explode in an incubator on day 20. Had to open it & clean. It caused many pipped eggs to die. Now I remove all clears by day 10.)

It's up to you if you want to disturb the hen. If she's already dry & a little smelly, there's nothing really to do with her. Mine preened herself & wasn't too bad a few days later. (I only wiped her with a dry towel because her belly was coated, wet, & slimy. The eggs were a little shiny-wet but I left them alone.) If you carefully smell each egg, you may find another bad one. If you already did that & think the odor is from the hen, then perhaps just let her be. The eggs should have the bloom to protect them, so trying to wash them or getting the hen wet, could cause more eggs to go bad.

 

[fisherlady]

If you candled & are pretty sure an egg(s) has stopped developing, toss it (them). Likewise, if you see any oozing or weeping eggs, they should go before they explode. Remove wet/smelly bedding & replace with clean stuff. ( I once had an egg explode in an incubator on day 20. Had to open it & clean. It caused many pipped eggs to die. Now I remove all clears by day 10.)

It's up to you if you want to disturb the hen. If she's already dry & a little smelly, there's nothing really to do with her. Mine preened herself & wasn't too bad a few days later. (I only wiped her with a dry towel because her belly was coated, wet, & slimy. The eggs were a little shiny-wet but I left them alone.) If you carefully smell each egg, you may find another bad one. If you already did that & think the odor is from the hen, then perhaps just let her be. The eggs should have the bloom to protect them, so trying to wash them or getting the hen wet, could cause more eggs to go bad.

X2

 

[horselover1999]

I tried to move her into a cardboard box that I could just pick up and take to the garage for hatch day. When I got home she had switched nests and the eggs were cold. She was in the wrong nest for a maximum of 12 hours. When I candled them I saw movement in 2 out of 3 eggs. I didn't pull the egg that did not squirm. I want them to hatch so badly!