Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[nchls school]

My broody is brooding. I have not seen any big piles of poop, but she ate all the food I had in her bowl.

You will soon have piles to clean up and it probably won't be long.

 

[h2oratt]

You will soon have piles to clean up and it probably won't be long.

luckily I have a very large pooper scooper I use for my dogs. I will use it in her area

 

[butterfliesdoku]

I currently don't have any broodies but was wondering about broodies and shipped eggs. Any advice? I've only had shipped eggs in the incubator and the air cells are messed up so they had to stay in cartons but they can't stay upright with a hen.... Any special instructions regarding shipped eggs and a broody?

 

[nchls school]

I currently don't have any broodies but was wondering about broodies and shipped eggs. Any advice? I've only had shipped eggs in the incubator and the air cells are messed up so they had to stay in cartons but they can't stay upright with a hen.... Any special instructions regarding shipped eggs and a broody?

Last week I received 5 shipped eggs and after 24 hours of sitting upright I put them under a broody. All five are developing. No special instructions.

 

[lwiese58]

Good news! Yesterday I told the breeder from whom we got our fertilized eggs, that I feared our broody girl wasn't turning the eggs. He suggested I mark a few and check daily do see if they had moved. So today, 24hrs after marking four of them, I checked and they were in totally different spots! I did feel like I had to lift her out of the nest box to encourage her to eat and stretch her legs. She didn't want to stand, but after taking a few sips of water and a few bites, she at least did walk back into the box and assume the broody position. I am so relieved I could cry.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Good news! Yesterday I told the breeder from whom we got our fertilized eggs, that I feared our broody girl wasn't turning the eggs. He suggested I mark a few and check daily do see if they had moved. So today, 24hrs after marking four of them, I checked and they were in totally different spots! I did feel like I had to lift her out of the nest box to encourage her to eat and stretch her legs. She didn't want to stand, but after taking a few sips of water and a few bites, she at least did walk back into the box and assume the broody position. I am so relieved I could cry.

If she is with other chickens you for sure need all her eggs marked and remove fresh layed in her nest daily. Your hen will turn her eggs and Will get out the nest to eat/drink and relieve herself when "SHE" gets ready---you doing that in my opinion is not a good thing-----Chickens knew how to hatch eggs before you and I came alone. Good Luck to you!!

 

[butterfliesdoku]

Last week I received 5 shipped eggs and after 24 hours of sitting upright I put them under a broody. All five are developing. No special instructions.

Thanks

 

[lwiese58]

If she is with other chickens you for sure need all her eggs marked and remove fresh layed in her nest daily. Your hen will turn her eggs and Will get out the nest to eat/drink and relieve herself when "SHE" gets ready---you doing that in my opinion is not a good thing-----Chickens knew how to hatch eggs before you and I came alone. Good Luck to you!!

She is in a completely separate place from the others I can be certain all are hers. This is her first experience as well as the first broody experience for us. I've read so many others say theirs get out to eat, drink, stretch and poo that I got concerned after 7 days of her not getting out for any of this...mostly concerned for her legs. I don't believe she will starve herself to death but began to wonder if this could do damage to her legs, so long not stretching them out. ? I really don't know. But once I lifted her out, I could tell the nest box smelled very bad of urine. Is that to be expected?

 

[DancingWthDucks]

It looks like my Silkie x Polish has gone broody- I just need to convince my family to let me put some eggs under her.

 

[PD-Riverman]

She is in a completely separate place from the others I can be certain all are hers. This is her first experience as well as the first broody experience for us. I've read so many others say theirs get out to eat, drink, stretch and poo that I got concerned after 7 days of her not getting out for any of this...mostly concerned for her legs. I don't believe she will starve herself to death but began to wonder if this could do damage to her legs, so long not stretching them out. ? I really don't know. But once I lifted her out, I could tell the nest box smelled very bad of urine. Is that to be expected?

OK, are you feeding or have feed/water where she can eat and drink without leaving the nest?