Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Kassaundra]

I have a problem and need advice quickly. I have posted a few times in the last few days...first time broody hen that I was concerned may not be turning her eggs, wasn't getting out to eat or drink. We have learned this week she is turning them, and has gotten out a few times to eat and drink. Only in the last couple of days has she pooped but not much. Until just now. It has been about three hours since I checked in on her but just went down to the basement to check and she has had a major blow out. Her nest box is an old computer monitor that they've been using to lay eggs inside their coop, we moved it to our basement where she's been sitting for two weeks tomorrow. There is poop all over the inside of the monitor, up on the top OUTSIDE, and a big pile on the floor behind it. She looked up at me like she was pleading for help, 3 eggs only half covered by her wing. She's been so good at covering them all up, there is no telling what is under her. HELP!!! If the eggs are covered in poop, surely I can't wash them, can I?? How much cleaning up can I do of the hen without messing up the sitting? Would it be a bad idea to out her on something else to finish up with them? Wondering of o could move eggs and her to a round basket I have so I can hose off the monitor.

I don't have much experience in this situation, but it has to be cleaned. I would do it as quickly as possible to minimize her disturbance and yes I would clean the eggs, but maybe w/ just a soft moist cloth, just to get the bulk off, but not to scrub.

 

[lwiese58]

I don't have much experience in this situation, but it has to be cleaned.  I would do it as quickly as possible to minimize her disturbance and yes I would clean the eggs, but maybe w/ just a soft moist cloth, just to get the bulk off, but not to scrub.

Thankfully, my husband arrived home from work as I was asking for help. Before I saw your reply, we went down and I removed her, brought her upstairs to get her bottom washed and dried while he removed the eggs, gently wiped them off, put fresh bedding in a large round basket and put the eggs in there, then he took out the monitor to wash off. I put the hen back on the eggs in the basket. Hopefully the disturbance won't break the spell and make her throw in the towel. Thank you for your response. We also felt it had to be done.

 

[h2oratt]

Thankfully, my husband arrived home from work as I was asking for help. Before I saw your reply, we went down and I removed her, brought her upstairs to get her bottom washed and dried while he removed the eggs, gently wiped them off, put fresh bedding in a large round basket and put the eggs in there, then he took out the monitor to wash off. I put the hen back on the eggs in the basket. Hopefully the disturbance won't break the spell and make her throw in the towel. Thank you for your response. We also felt it had to be done.

Yes I would have done the same.

 

[h2oratt]

She has a double hit of a recessive and very rare gene called scaleless, she genetically has no feather follicles or scales.

Wow how interesting. Kinda like the hairless dogs and cats?

Genetics is so interesting

 

[nchls school]

I have a problem and need advice quickly. I have posted a few times in the last few days...first time broody hen that I was concerned may not be turning her eggs, wasn't getting out to eat or drink. We have learned this week she is turning them, and has gotten out a few times to eat and drink. Only in the last couple of days has she pooped but not much. Until just now. It has been about three hours since I checked in on her but just went down to the basement to check and she has had a major blow out. Her nest box is an old computer monitor that they've been using to lay eggs inside their coop, we moved it to our basement where she's been sitting for two weeks tomorrow. There is poop all over the inside of the monitor, up on the top OUTSIDE, and a big pile on the floor behind it. She looked up at me like she was pleading for help, 3 eggs only half covered by her wing. She's been so good at covering them all up, there is no telling what is under her. HELP!!! If the eggs are covered in poop, surely I can't wash them, can I?? How much cleaning up can I do of the hen without messing up the sitting? Would it be a bad idea to out her on something else to finish up with them? Wondering of o could move eggs and her to a round basket I have so I can hose off the monitor.

I would not wash the eggs. Clean the immediate nest. Any hard cleaning of the surrounding area can wait. Any smell will lesson and disappear as the mess dries. Move the hen off to the side-give her the eggs as you clean. Hopefully the eggs are not as messed up as they could be. Be quick and get the eggs and hen back to the nest. I would not move her as this might cause her to stop brooding. I have had eggs completely soiled hatch.

 

[PD-Riverman]

There is poop all over the inside of the monitor, up on the top OUTSIDE, and a big pile on the floor behind it.
HELP!!! If the eggs are covered in poop, surely I can't wash them, can I?? How much cleaning up can I do of the hen without messing up the sitting? Would it be a bad idea to out her on something else to finish up with them?

You got some good advise---hope everything goes great. Let me add---in the future---should you have another broody---the best thing for the eggs and broody is to not let her get poop all over everything---for sure not her eggs. This can be controlled by you, how you set her up, how you feed her, etc. Good Luck!

 

[lwiese58]

Thanks to all who replied to my question about what to do this afternoon. Things soon to be going well at this time.

 

[felixb]

Hi,
We have a Buff Orpington sitting on eleven eggs due to hatch in May I'm pretty sure there are about 3 Faverolle eggs, and another 2 Buff eggs, with the rest being from our other girls who are Rangers, Blue Hybrids, or Columbian Blacktails. We have one Buff roo and a Salmon Faverolle roo so all chicks will be half of either. I was wondering if it would be safe to keep our broody in the coop with the others, as someone told me she would keep her chicks safe. At the moment she is sitting in a nesting box in the coop, as we tried to move her to her own house but was having none of it! We've been keeping chickens for about six years but never got a broody to successfully sit on some eggs, so we're all really excited!!

 

[fisherlady]

Hi,
We have a Buff Orpington sitting on eleven eggs due to hatch in May I'm pretty sure there are about 3 Faverolle eggs, and another 2 Buff eggs, with the rest being from our other girls who are Rangers, Blue Hybrids, or Columbian Blacktails. We have one Buff roo and a Salmon Faverolle roo so all chicks will be half of either. I was wondering if it would be safe to keep our broody in the coop with the others, as someone told me she would keep her chicks safe. At the moment she is sitting in a nesting box in the coop, as we tried to move her to her own house but was having none of it! We've been keeping chickens for about six years but never got a broody to successfully sit on some eggs, so we're all really excited!! :yiipchick

Congrats on the broody!

Moving her to another area is a personal choice...some hens do fine in a coop environment without any assistance, some need all the help they can get and should be moved at the earliest time possible and before getting eggs. Most fall somewhere in between.

If your hen seems dedicated to the same nest consistently and you leave her there then you have to do a couple of things.... you have to mark her eggs (I just draw a line around the center of them with a sharpie). Marking them makes it easy to identify and remove eggs which may be added to her clutch later by other flock members. You have to remove the invader eggs daily to avoid overcrowding in her nest and staggered hatches, which are a real problem with flock broodies who aren't managed well.
The other thing you need to do now is plan ahead.... figure out how you can provide a barrier to her nest to prevent invading by other hens, this is especially important in the last couple of days before hatch...if she is pushed off the nest when her eggs are hatching it could result in crushed chicks or other hatching difficulties.
Can you provide a safe area for a few days while the chicks get more mobile? That is ideal, even in a chick friendly flock...
If your flock is friendly with chicks then it is great to allow the hen to raise them within the flock...but it comes with risks....injuries can occur if something gets the flock excited and chicks get stepped on, it isn't frequent, but it can happen. Is your coop and run set up to be chick safe? Check for nooks and crannies which they can get caught in, cover water buckets to prevent drowning accidents and remember that chicks can escape through tiny openings in fencing or walls but the silly things can rarely find their way back in.

I'm sure this doesn't answer all of your questions but hopefully it gives you something to start with... let us know how it goes....good luck with the hatching!

 

[fisherlady]

A few recent pictures. ..
Brownie has her wings really, really full with her dozen! None of them actually need under her anymore but they still want their mommy time, poor girl will probably be happy to cut the apron strings soon! LOL

Laverne has her 2 week olds out and about just like the big chickens, she is a first time broody and is doing great with her 9.... she is teaching them to roost on the sticks and they have been managing ramps and steps since 6 or 7 days old.

And another hen went broody this week, she got her eggs yesterday, she is #4 currently sitting....we have 2 due the end of this week.
Patty, doing her broody monster look...