Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[h2oratt]

Here's the air cell.

I really have no idea.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Anyone online? My broody will be technically in lockdown tomorrow. I have her in a cat litter box. How important is it to turn it upside down tonight.(so the chicks could actually go out) The chicks won't be able to get out the way it's set up now. How does it work with a broody hatch? The chicks hatch out and just hang out until the hatch is over? So I can just leave the box as is until the official hatch is over, then flip the box so they can follow mom off the nest?

Just leave the box like it is----the chicks will stay with her till the hatch is over and she will then come out the nest and call the chicks out---if its real deep you would have to help. They will be fine for at least 3 days without food and water so no food and water in that nest----that would cause the broody hen to eat, which would cause her to poop all over everything. They all will be fine without it---I promise. Good luck

 

[kharmon320]

I really have no idea.

I ended up throwing the egg out. When I rotated it, I could see stuff moving/floating. So, all done with the hatch with 7 adorable babies.

 

[ameliadanielle]

I've managed to hatch a few left behind eggs that were viable. Putting them in a box on a heating pad on low with some balled up paper towels sprinkled with water. Not wet, just damp. Cover the little box with a towel to hold the warmth in. I also kept a couple in my bra to keep them warm during the day and then slipped the eggs back under her at night when mama was back in the nest box with the babies. One of mine hatched out on the heating pad that way, three I just kept warm and alive until I could put them back under mama hen and then they hatched at night under the hen. Those were eggs that were abandoned but I could see movement when candling or they were internally pipped and I could hear them peeping.

 

[kharmon320]

I'm only allowed hens in the city, but I must tell you that this process is addicting. I'm ready to go out and get more fertile eggs, buy an incubator, etc. Maybe when my boys are grown and out of the house!

 

[ameliadanielle]

I'd love to have an incubator. I've tossed out a lot of eggs I've saved and wanted to hatch out waiting for someone to go broody but they got too old. I just work too much. We're literally at work more than we are at home. So I can't keep my eyes on an incubator all the time. I'm worried something would go wrong while I was at work and my eggs would be cold or cooked when I get home. Lol. If my silkies would just go broody like they're supposed to... they sure can pump out eggs but getting them to sit on them is another story. My silkie hens have a nest of eggs right now that they just keep adding to. I think the nest is too big for the little things to cover. I'm going to have to take them out soon.

 

[ameliadanielle]

We had multiple peeps going on last night. So we just had the one early hatcher. It keeps poking it's head out from under mama to look at us. It's adorable. Mama hen woke up this morning and acted like she was going to get up and bring out babies. Then she looked under herself and parked it again.

 

[ameliadanielle]

So now I've seen two fluffy faces peering out. The early hatcher looks like a buff orpington/blue laced red Wyandotte cross. Baby number two looks like a blue laced gold Wyandotte (mom gold laced wyandotte, dad is a splash blue laced red wyandotte). I'm just waiting to see the silkie babies.

 

[kharmon320]

Congrats! How can you tell the hybrid babies when they are hatching? Is it the down color, etc.?

 

[Catandherchicks]

I've managed to hatch a few left behind eggs that were viable. Putting them in a box on a heating pad on low with some balled up paper towels sprinkled with water. Not wet, just damp. Cover the little box with a towel to hold the warmth in. I also kept a couple in my bra to keep them warm during the day and then slipped the eggs back under her at night when mama was back in the nest box with the babies. One of mine hatched out on the heating pad that way, three I just kept warm and alive until I could put them back under mama hen and then they hatched at night under the hen. Those were eggs that were abandoned but I could see movement when candling or they were internally pipped and I could hear them peeping.

Wow! Talk about dedicated. Congratulations foster momma hen. Man, I just cringed at the thought of a broken egg in your "portable incubator".