Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Puddin Fluff]

I've just had a silver pencilled wyandotte bantam go broody, she's a horrible chicken that screeches when you go near her when she's broody, but that's just get protective nature I guess. Anyway, we're away on holiday for a month so I have arranged for the person caring for our chooks to swap the fake eggs she is on for some of our own cream legbar/cream legbar cross eggs from our large fowl run in just off a week's time so they hatch out just after I come home

has anyone had a wyandotte bantam hatch out average side LF eggs before, I'm not sure how many she can cover? Also will she be okay sitting for a week-ish before getting her real eggs, as I know sitting for too long can cause health issues?

One week extra, she should be okay. Sometimes it takes me a few days to round up the eggs I want to give a broody and I have never had a problem with a 4 week (or a little more) brood.

I have my largish banty covered 9 LF eggs but I knew I would be candling and most likely pulling a couple of clears. Ended up I only pulled one. She covered 8 LF and hatched 6 of them, 2 were quitters. I really only wanted to giver her 6 but my friend who is a terrible enabler sent me home with 9.

If she is a first timer, 6 isn't a bad number. She should be able to cover them, as long as she isn't tiny,tiny, and even if a couple don't hatch, she should still have a good number to mother. Good luck!

 

[tobit]

One week extra, she should be okay.  Sometimes it takes me a few days to round up the eggs I want to give a broody and I have never had a problem with a 4 week (or a little more) brood.  

I have my largish banty covered 9 LF eggs but I knew I would be candling and most likely pulling a couple of clears.  Ended up I only pulled one.  She covered 8 LF and hatched 6 of them, 2 were quitters.  I really only wanted to giver her 6 but my friend who is a terrible enabler sent me home with 9.  

If she is a first timer, 6 isn't a bad number.  She should be able to cover them, as long as she isn't tiny,tiny, and even if a couple don't hatch, she should still have a good number to mother.  Good luck!

Thank you! I thought 4 weeks should be okay I think I will go for 5 eggs (this may change to 6 lol), she is fairly small, not as big as my silver laced wyandotte bantam, but currently very much happily and easily covering 2 bantam and 4 LF fake eggs

 

[morsekathan]

I have a Wellsummer who is broody for a week now and I'm giving her fertilized eggs today. This is our first time, so of course, we're excited and reading a lot of these threads and other blogs. Question - I tried to move her to a nest box on the ground - she wouldn't have any of that. I did it at night and followed everyone's advice. So, more reading suggested just leaving her in the nest box and putting a fence on it so the chicks won't fall out. The nest boxes are about 24 inches off the ground. I can do that. She's moved from the "good" nest box to the "icky" one so the other hens aren't pushing their way in. But is there a worry that there won't be enough room. She seems to take the entire nest box as it is especially in her huge puffed out state. I plan on moving her and the chicks to a "brooder" on the floor of the coop after they hatch. The coop is a repurposed playhouse - about 6 x 8, but I think there is enough room for a nest box and little yard in one corner. I only have three hens.

thanks for everyone's advice!

 

[Velvet Hairpiece]

We have six babies so far now!

Love the little grey one!

 

[Puddin Fluff]

We have six babies so far now!

Love the little grey one!

 

[oregonkat]

We have six babies so far now!

Love the little grey one!

Oooooo, big love. Just the cutest ever, congrats.

 

[Curnow]

Opinions Please! Is 16 eggs too many?

I just set eggs under a broody Cuckoo Marans hen. By the time I was done giving her the eggs, I had given her 16. Guess chicken math kicks in when hatching too! Ugh.

I am worried after reading some other posts that I have set her up for problems, and or egg breakage. She is large and is covering the eggs well. She has 8 Oprington eggs, 4 medium Easter Egger eggs, and 4 small Sultan eggs.

This will be first hatch for this particular broody if successful.

I purchased the 8 English Orpington eggs...so they will stay regardless. I just don't know if I should have put that many under her. I am really second guessing it! They are newly set, so it won't be a terrible issue if I have to remove some of the other 8 eggs. They will still just be eggs, not developing chicks.

What do you all think? Leave her with 16 eggs? Or cut it back some to 12 or 14? The sultan eggs are small remember.

Thanks in advance!

 

[sjturner79]

Opinions Please!  Is 16 eggs too many?

I just set eggs under a broody Cuckoo Marans hen.  By the time I was done giving her the eggs, I had given her 16.  Guess chicken math kicks in when hatching too!  Ugh.

I am worried after reading some other posts that I have set her up for problems, and or egg breakage.  She is large and is covering the eggs well.  She has 8 Oprington eggs, 4 medium Easter Egger eggs, and 4 small Sultan eggs.

This will be first hatch for this particular broody if successful. 

I purchased the 8 English Orpington eggs...so they will stay regardless.  I just don't know if I should have put that many under her.  I am really second guessing it!  They are newly set, so it won't be a terrible issue if I have to remove some of the other 8 eggs.  They will still just be eggs, not developing chicks. 

What do you all think?  Leave her with 16 eggs?  Or cut it back some to 12 or 14?  The sultan eggs are small remember.

Thanks in advance!

If you can see eggs whilst she is sitting on them then you should remove some. If not then leave it until day 10, then you can candle and take the clears out. There are some chooks that can build a nest and hatch and support 36, others struggle with more than 6.

 

[Curnow]

If you can see eggs whilst she is sitting on them then you should remove some. If not then leave it until day 10, then you can candle and take the clears out. There are some chooks that can build a nest and hatch and support 36, others struggle with more than 6.

Thanks for the advise and quick reply.

Yes, she is covering them well and appears comfortable doing so. I know the hatch rate on shipped eggs is lowered and chancy anyway, so I just want to make sure I give her the best chance to hatch them. Really looking forward to having the Orpingtons (Blue, Black, and Splash). Don't want to set her up for failure. I have had 100% hatch rate on my own fertile eggs so far with my Marans Broodies. They're good broodies and excellent mothers.

 

[Curnow]

We have six babies so far now!

Love the little grey one!

Beautiful Hen! Lovely chickies too! I have an Olive Egger that I always wondered about her crossing. I think now she might be a Welsummer cross, she is almost identical to yours but with pea comb.

Congratulations on the hatch!