Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[tlshaw2000]

I'm so sad my beautiful girl sat the whole time. I waited until day 32 but did water test and last 6 eggs were bad. There were two that formed but stopped right near the end it looks like. I just want to cry. I pushed her out of the nursery a few minutes ago. Oh a Btw Don't check the eggs in the house. It's gross in here lol

 

[Catandherchicks]

I'm so sad my beautiful girl sat the whole time. I waited until day 32 but did water test and last 6 eggs were bad. There were two that formed but stopped right near the end it looks like. I just want to cry. I pushed her out of the nursery a few minutes ago. Oh a Btw Don't check the eggs in the house. It's gross in here lol

So sorry. How disappointing.

 

[ameliadanielle]

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

Sorry, just now saw this post. I've let a few grow up to the point I could figure them out. I have gold laced Wyandotte hens, buff orpingtons, red stars, and RIR. The rooster with them is a splash laced red wyandotte. So all his babies are blue. The mix with him and the GLW makes for chicks that look like GLW except they are blue where a GLW chick would be black and a brownish red where a GLW would be yellow. The buff mix come out dark yellow with small amounts of brown patterns. Red star mixes look like they will be white but get their pattern as their feathers grow out. The RIR mixes look like red chipmunk pattern chicks. I've been hatching those mixes since I hatched my first chicks. Took me some months to see some of them grown up to be able to tell. Now I am pretty accurate just looking at my chicks. I'm not good really with any other mixes though. Lol. Just mine that I've raised and seen grow feathers in.

 

[Coop de Grass]

I finally put some eggs under my broody Bielefelder hen. She sat on them for two days, but today when I went to collect eggs, she was in a different nest box. Since there was a new egg in with the fertilized eggs, I assume that another hen got into the nest when she was out and when she came back into the coop she couldn't get back into her nest box.

I don't know how long the eggs were uncovered.

How long can they go before they die? The temps in NJ have been in the 50s. The eggs weren't cool when I touched them and the newly laid egg was still warm.

Advice, anyone?

 

[fisherlady]

I finally put some eggs under my broody Bielefelder hen. She sat on them for two days, but today when I went to collect eggs, she was in a different nest box. Since there was a new egg in with the fertilized eggs, I assume that another hen got into the nest when she was out and when she came back into the coop she couldn't get back into her nest box.

I don't know how long the eggs were uncovered.

How long can they go before they die? The temps in NJ have been in the 50s. The eggs weren't cool when I touched them and the newly laid egg was still warm.

Advice, anyone?

I have had eggs which were left uncovered for 6 hours still develop and hatch...it may cause a bit of delay in development so hatch may be a few hours behind what you expect.

 

[Coop de Grass]

I have had eggs which were left uncovered for 6 hours still develop and hatch...it may cause a bit of delay in development so hatch may be a few hours behind what you expect.

I have a camera in the coop, but I can't figure out when she left the nest, and since I refocused the camera in the afternoon (before I knew she wasn't in the nest) I can't figure out when she got into the other nest!

You just can't win, no matter how much technology you use.

I think that I will candle them in a couple of days to check.

 

[curious chickee]

My bantam brahma is broody again. First time, she went broody after just 3 weeks of laying her first egg. I didn't let her sit then add I was using her in my breeding program. Now that I am done hatching she can have some eggs. Tomorrow I will mark the eggs and see how many she has.

 

[h2oratt]

I went to check on my broody. Her chicks are due. She had a dead chick in there with her. I think she pecked it. It looked good but had blood on its side. How often do hens kill their chicks? Should I take the rest of the eggs away? I can hear peeping so I know more will be hatching.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I have a camera in the coop, but I can't figure out when she left the nest, and since I refocused the camera in the afternoon (before I knew she wasn't in the nest) I can't figure out when she got into the other nest!

You just can't win, no matter how much technology you use.

I think that I will candle them in a couple of days to check.

Just properly move the hen to a private hatching place----then you can sleep Good. I use to have this same problem, but not with the last 150 broodies because they were all moved. Good Luck!!

 

[nchls school]

I went to check on my broody. Her chicks are due. She had a dead chick in there with her. I think she pecked it. It looked good but had blood on its side. How often do hens kill their chicks? Should I take the rest of the eggs away? I can hear peeping so I know more will be hatching.

I do not believe a hen killing her chicks happens that often, but, unfortunately it does happen. I would take the eggs away if there is another hen or incubator to finish the hatching. I hope all goes well for you. Good luck.