Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[vpatt]

No pics, but mama and babies are doing great. Daddy calls them to food and theygo running. Out of eight chicks six are frizzled!

 

[Bukbuk Betty]

We call it the broody flu....

We have had all kinds of hens go broody in our coop, raising chicks is a whole flock activity at our place. Roosters help out and birds of all ages running around. I do believe environment can help foster the tendency which may be dormant in many birds.

Lol! Broody flu.... I love it.

 

[Turk Raphael]

Lol! Broody flu.... I love it.

Ha...Broody Flu my Butt! It's full Pandemic around here.

 

[Velvet Hairpiece]

Day 19! Eeeep!

I've been trying to keep this as an experiment in my head, since I've not hatched before, but I can't help but to be anxious! I haven't candled since I set them with the hen, so I have no clue if they have even started laying. I did see one broken egg laying outside the broody today (no chick, I'm pretty sure it was one of the cracked eggs that didn't make it). The other 9 eggs are intact.

Fingers crossed! *biting nails*

 

[Bukbuk Betty]

...

Day 19! Eeeep!



I've been trying to keep this as an experiment in my head, since I've not hatched before, but I can't help but to be anxious! I haven't candled since I set them with the hen, so I have no clue if they have even started laying. I did see one broken egg laying outside the broody today (no chick, I'm pretty sure it was one of the cracked eggs that didn't make it). The other 9 eggs are intact.

Fingers crossed! *biting nails*[/quote

So exciting!

 

[Junibutt]

Day 19! Eeeep!

I've been trying to keep this as an experiment in my head, since I've not hatched before, but I can't help but to be anxious! I haven't candled since I set them with the hen, so I have no clue if they have even started laying. I did see one broken egg laying outside the broody today (no chick, I'm pretty sure it was one of the cracked eggs that didn't make it). The other 9 eggs are intact.

Fingers crossed! *biting nails*

Good luck!

day 19 just started for me. Some eggs are under a broody and some in the incubator. Opened the incubator to add water and lock-down and to my surprise, had an egg with an external pip and big crack in the egg. Since my flash-light was on already, I see that is pipped from the wrong end. So probably did not have any air to breathe and cracked the egg open to do so. What should I do with it? I think its too early to help it out but I think it will shrink wrap if there is no intervention.

Any suggestions?

 

[Turk Raphael]

Good luck to all with with hatches coming off...may you all be over-run with peeps!!!

 

[oregonkat]

Day 19! Eeeep!

I've been trying to keep this as an experiment in my head, since I've not hatched before, but I can't help but to be anxious! I haven't candled since I set them with the hen, so I have no clue if they have even started laying. I did see one broken egg laying outside the broody today (no chick, I'm pretty sure it was one of the cracked eggs that didn't make it). The other 9 eggs are intact.

Fingers crossed! *biting nails*

I am on day 21 today.

I thought yesterday was day 21 but I guess you dont count the day that the eggs go under the hen. It is absolutely nerve wracking and I am heartened by the fact that yesterday I listened to a couple of the eggs and heard some distant pecking noises. Patience, grass hopper, all will be as it should be. Terrible advice I know. Good luck.

 

[fisherlady]

Good luck!

day 19 just started for me. Some eggs are under a broody and some in the incubator. Opened the incubator to add water and lock-down and to my surprise, had an egg with an external pip and big crack in the egg. Since my flash-light was on already, I see that is pipped from the wrong end. So probably did not have any air to breathe and cracked the egg open to do so. What should I do with it? I think its too early to help it out but I think it will shrink wrap if there is no intervention.

Any suggestions?

Sally sunshine has a hatching thread going all the time, assisted hatches are heavily covered. I don't incubate so I am about worthless on assisted hatching but go find one of the current hatching threads and jump in, they are usually really quick to help...
I think one is 'hatching with friends'....

 

[Meadowchick]

BROODY FLU...it must be pandemic...nation wide! I have a full Hen-itentiary!