Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Lady of McCamley]

i hope they hatch well, and

for hens...unless 1 rooster for a Barney backup.

Okay...update....

Rosie has 2 little chicks. One is clearly a boy...nice clear head dot. The other I *think* is a girl compared to the male. She is chipmunk and hatched first, and I thought I saw a faint whisp of white on her head (which I've had before in male CL's), but hopefully in this line that is not enough to indicate barring.

The 3rd egg is slow and showing no signs of pipping. I candled it and saw movement, so stuffed it back under Rosie with the one chick that hatched yesterday evening, one that hatched earlier today (and still wobbly)...hopefully this last egg will hatch within the next 24 hours or so. Hoping for another girl.

In total count....the two that hatched were washed eggs. The slower to develop is an unwashed egg.

So apparently, in this instance, washing the eggs was not a detriment in any way.

6 eggs...4 washed, 2 unwashed.

2 duds (washed), 1 quitter (unwashed)
2 hatched (washed), 1 late bloomer (unwashed)

I won't make a habit of washing eggs, especially my own, I'll just set clean eggs. But if I ever get purchased breeder eggs less than clean, I won't hesitate to wash and set with a broody.

LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thank you, I was wondering what issues might arise. Mama seems to go out in the run sometime around noon every day. I'll keep checking on them and Mama #2 out if she moves over. I'm hoping having her own eggs will keep her satisfied. Only 3 days till hatch and I'm home 24/7 right now so it'll be easy to keep an eye on them.

I'm glad you are able to watch.

If it were me, I'd put up some sort of screen to keep broody #2 out.

The chicks are very vulnerable to crushing during hatching and early hours after hatch when they are wet and wobbly. That's when I lose chicks to hens butting in. Momma stands to defend the nest and a chick gets crushed.

Good luck with the imminent hatch.
LofMc

 

[NysiaAnera]

I'm glad you are able to watch.

If it were me, I'd put up some sort of screen to keep broody #2 out.

The chicks are very vulnerable to crushing during hatching and early hours after hatch when they are wet and wobbly.  That's when I lose chicks to hens butting in. Momma stands to defend the nest and a chick gets crushed.

Good luck with the imminent hatch.
LofMc

I put up the "Maternity Screen" at the end of day 18, or on day 19, and remove it a full day after all the chicks have hatched. It keeps everyone safe and sound with momma until she is ready to take them out.

 

[NysiaAnera]

I am a bit irritated tonight! Duke brought home 8 goose eggs from work today that should be hatching right now. It took me a little while, but I think I have the whole story straight. The brooding goose was being pecked up by the chickens and the goslings were being killed. The people panicked and attempted to move the nest... without making sure momma was secured first. Momma completely freaked out and took off. Then they could not get her to go back on the eggs, so they panicked even more, and now I have goose eggs in my incubator. Had I known the full story beforehand, I would have told them to put the eggs back where they were and let momma get resettled where she wanted to be, and block her so no chickens can get to her. Then, they could have moved her later to a safe location. I also then found out they had just taken the eggs, and left the momma goose with nothing! No substitutes to keep her going until the eggs, or hatched babies, could be returned to her. That poor momma!! I totally get that they really don't know what they are doing, and they were upset and trying to help, but what irks me is that Duke should have known better. Chickens and geese are different, yes, but a broody momma is a broody momma, and with all the broodies we have dealt with, he should have had at least some idea of the best way to go about handling the situation. I am just sitting here hoping that the momma stays broody, and that the eggs will still hatch, and that the momma will take them back. I don't know about geese yet, since we don't have any, but I really hope this story has a happy ending. I will be doing some research tonight just to make sure my plan of action is a good one, and then sending him to work tomorrow with specific instructions on what to do next.

 

[Pstock44]

I'm glad you are able to watch.

If it were me, I'd put up some sort of screen to keep broody #2 out.

The chicks are very vulnerable to crushing during hatching and early hours after hatch when they are wet and wobbly.  That's when I lose chicks to hens butting in. Momma stands to defend the nest and a chick gets crushed.

Good luck with the imminent hatch.
LofMc

TY. Unfortunately I built this coop as an egg gathering coop. I have a small one (my 1st) I was going to move her into but due to temporary physical limitations and then all this rain I couldn't get the brooder run completed. This morning #1 & #2 Mama are settled in nicely and my other 3 hens and Mr Roo are happily wandering around out in the run. Peace has returned!

Here's a pic of my setup to be, should be nearly complete by this evening. I need to install the fencing around the little coop and put in a temporary divider fence to split the run.

 

[PD-Riverman]

TY. Unfortunately I built this coop as an egg gathering coop. I have a small one (my 1st) I was going to move her into but due to temporary physical limitations and then all this rain I couldn't get the brooder run completed. This morning #1 & #2 Mama are settled in nicely and my other 3 hens and Mr Roo are happily wandering around out in the run. Peace has returned!

Here's a pic of my setup to be, should be nearly complete by this evening. I need to install the fencing around the little coop and put in a temporary divider fence to split the run.

Just make sure that tarp is raised in the middle where water will run off or it will collapse your top/pen is it holds water. Good Luck!

 

[Pstock44]

Just make sure that tarp is raised in the middle where water will run off or it will collapse your top/pen is it holds water. Good Luck!

This tarp is temporary and has holes strategically cut on the downhill side to drain the rain. I have a carport tarp going up soon as the run is done.

 

[thunderbird]

Alright so I found out one of the eggs under my broody orpington has what looks like a peck mark, what do I do? Leave it alone or something idk

The eggs are on day like 6 or 7

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Alright so I found out one of the eggs under my broody orpington has what looks like a peck mark, what do I do? Leave it alone or something idk


The eggs are on day like 6 or 7

Since they are only day 6 or 7, and I assume not an endangered breed or very expensive eggs, I toss. There are too many days for that egg to do anything but go bad and explode on the others.

Chances are its shell was a bit fragile in that spot, so it crushed.

There are those who can rescue valuable eggs by dobbing on a bit of fingernail polish for small cracks then place in an incubator for further protection.

But, again, unless this is a crucial hatch, simply toss.

LofMc

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

It's a broody buy 1 get 1 free! All the cool hens are doing it!