Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

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It's not that I'm desperate to hatch these. If a hen had never gone broody then they would have ended up in the frying pan. It's just that these are live, developed chicks and I just can't toss them and say, "Oh well." They deserve a chance.

Also these silkie eggs were started 1 day behind the others. Our silkie that hatched, hatched out yesterday on schedule. If these guys had hatched right alongside the other silkie baby they'd be running around with their mama today too. :(
 
It is not unusual for a hatch to take additional time even when the eggs were started at the same time. This is especially true when the eggs are from different breeds and conditions have not been ideal.
 
ameliadanielle said:
It's not that I'm desperate to hatch these. If a hen had never gone broody then they would have ended up in the frying pan. It's just that these are live, developed chicks and I just can't toss them and say, "Oh well." They deserve a chance. I'm with you on this. I save, "Oh well" for when there is no chance at all.

Also these silkie eggs were started 1 day behind the others. Our silkie that hatched, hatched out yesterday on schedule. If these guys had hatched right alongside the other silkie baby they'd be running around with their mama today too.
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This hens habits are not what I expected a broody to be and that could very well have contributed to the lag. The Buff Orpington mix hatched first, the blue laced gold Wyandottes all three on the next day, then the next day silkie. I think she may have spent too much time off of the nest during the whole process.
 
matt4068 said:
Probably old information covered before but I'm curious; how does removing the early hatchlings to prolong the broody work?
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Often the broody mama will abandon the still hatching eggs to take care of the ones already hatched and running around. If you take them away until the others hatch, mama stays on the nest.
 
Touching base after not being on this thread for awhile....(double post with Broody Thread)
to my broody friends,

I finally have a co-brooding situation...the two Cochin sisters are on day 18 of 5 eggs which they have shared fairly equally.

4 of these will be Barnevelder roo over Gold Star hen (who lays a lovely terra cotta egg) and should be nice red laced utility layers...with I'm hoping a lovely deeper red egg (Barnie with the GS' color)

The other egg is a test run on my Splash Marans girl with Barnie roo...it should be a blue laced dark layer (if hen). This Splash Marans does not lay a deep color like she was supposed to (parents 7 on the scale), but it is a pretty deep red egg...hoping with Barnie genes to create another possible road for a deep cordovan brown/red egg

Hatch day, if all goes well, is Wednesday March 9th...and all looked to be developed last candling at day 16.
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I think these Cochin girls will be nice about co-brooding chicks...we'll see. I'll also see how well this little banty flock functions with the new chicks.

The Silkie's latest baby (Barnie/Cal grey backyard black sex link) is almost a strapping teen at 10 weeks of age...doing very nicely. Silkie raised 2 babies (lost one earlier on due to ???) with the Cochins aunties nicely, so I have every expectation that the Cochin mommas will do well with Auntie Silkie and "sibling" BSL in pen too.

Countdown approaching
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LofMc

 

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