Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[sheila3935]

We are on day 17 with our broody australorp. I candled tonight and all are developing nicely she has one that is a liitle behind either she stole an egg after she started setting or someone climbed into her nest when she got up to eat and drink she was on 7 then all of the sudden 8. Should I fire up the incubator in case she doesnt set on the last egg lond enough? It is about a week behind the others.

 

[NotAFarm]

Here is my Silver Laced Wyandotte, Chickie Mama, and her brood of Icelandic chicks she is fostering.

Right after hatch 4/2:

One week old:

 

[parkersmom120106]

I just read about half of the thread and didn't see this question, so I hope it hasn't been answered already. I have 2 hens that have gone broody..one black australorp and one standard cochin. They've been broody for several weeks now..I take them off the nest, take the eggs and they go right back into the nest even if nothing's in there..I've even taken them off the nest to find nothing under them. I gave up on trying to break them..the eggs they're sitting on are probably fertile as there are 2 roosters running around with them..one bantam cochin and one rhode island red. I don't want to let them hatch those eggs because I'm already selling more than they're supplying, plus I'd rather hatch some purebred chicks under them. Anyway..the question is this..is it too late to try buying some fertile eggs and putting them under them?

My other question is about size of the broody cage. I don't want to leave them in the coop for several reasons. They're taking up 2 of my 3 nestboxes, snakes can get in and eat the babies once they hatch, the other hens are laying in the boxes with them, and I don't want the babies harmed by the other chickens. Ok..so I have a 4 hole rabbit cage that we build, it's all wood and hardware cloth. Each hole is 2x3..is that big enough to put one hen in to hatch her brood?

I'll keep reading this thread and others like it..thanks for any answers ya'll can offer.

 

[boxermom]

I think I'm going to have to bow out of this one for now. My turk that was recuperating after an attack went broody, but I was sure her eggs weren't fertile. I put 12 chicken eggs under her. Well, her date was Fri. She was standing up tonight so I took a look under her. It looks like she broke/kicked out all the chicken eggs and continued to lay turkey eggs.

Now, I don't know what to do. I have not had any luck with broody turks. I let 2 have a try at it last year. No luck. This year, I thought I'd give it a try since they were hatched and raised by chickens. Guess that didn't work either.

 

[aprophet]

I have one serama hen who has 5 eggs for like 6 days now

 

[NotAFarm]

Quote:
The rabbit cage sounds like it would be a perfect broody box. I use an extra large airline dog carrier and the size is about the same as you mention your cage is. As far as giving them eggs now.....it would depend on the condition of your hens. If they've been broody "for several weeks" as you say, I'd be concerned about them sitting for three weeks unless they are in very good condition right now.

 

[parkersmom120106]

They seem to be in the same condition as they were before they started..I do catch them out and eating, but the inevitably go back to the nest box. Every time I go to check for eggs there they are. I have to pick them up out of the boxes, set them on the ground and take the eggs out of the box. This is when they'll sometimes go out and have a drink and some food, but they always go back into the box. I guess I won't know til I try. I'll set them up in the cages and see how they react and go from there.

 

[OrpingtonManor]

Quote:
personally, I don't have experience. But, from what I've read here, you can bet she won't stay a full extra week to incubate that egg. The other chicks will need her, and she will get up to tend to them after a couple of days. If you really think that egg has a chance, I would move it to the incubator. If anyone else has personal experience, I hope they chime in!!

 

[OrpingtonManor]

on my own homefront....

The broody Barnevelder sisters have been sitting for 19 days now. One of the two eggs is on day 18. I was taking them out of their nest box every day for food/water/stretch but now will only give them food/water in the box, and let them decide for themselves if they want to get up and stretch.

I candled, and both eggs appear viable. (They already kicked out/ate the other 4 eggs.) They seem as dedicated as ever. I hope to see or hear something under them within the next 72 hours.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:
It is up to you. I agree that your hen probably will NOT set an extra week on an unhatched egg when she has other chicks to tend. My hens usually stay for about a day on the nest while the chicks are hatching, and the next morning are ready to take everyone for their first outing. Any unhatched eggs are left to cool in the nest.

How important is that last egg? If I were hatching some rare breed of chicken I would take the trouble to try to continue its incubation. Otherwise I'd bury it at the dripline of some bush and let it fertilize the plant's growth.

This is why it's ideal to separate a broody hen once she begins her set. I neglected to do that with my current broody, and am letting her set on eggs laid on different days. There's only a few days separating their start time, so I plan to remove the chicks as they hatch and return them to the hen after the last one comes out.