Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Chicklette 1]

I'm pipping!! OMG......I'm a nervous wreck! I have a little first time (for both of us) silkie who is sitting on 3 of her eggs. I do have her in a separate coop from the other hens. She has been wonderful!! I went out to clean the pen and the bigger coop and then I nudged her aside to check the eggs and I saw a nice round hole in the top of one. I did not check the others because I did not want to disturb her more than necessary. I thought maybe Wed. but since this whole thing has been very unscientific and more of a natural experiment, I did not make exact notes of each of the eggs. The silkie roos chest looks bigger already! He is the only roo so they all have to be white silkies. It is pouring rain on and off here so I cannot go to my plastic chair in the pen and stare at her but I will be periodically checking. I put some cracked corn and some of her pellets in her nesting box and she started eating right a way. I usually have let her out of her coop a couple times a day for her to eat and poop and stretch her legs and she goes right back to her job when I put her back in. How often should I check on her? I don't want to make her crazy!!

 

[NotAFarm]

Quote:
My SLW girl does the same thing...gets her treats...relieves herself..drink..crumbles...back to her nest...all business. I wish she could teach the others!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Congrasts on the hatching!! I wouldn't mess with her too much, she'll take care of everything. and they won't need to eat for 24 hrs. so she'll just sit on the and keep them warm.

 

[Chicklette 1]

Thank you very much Miss oydia.........I can breath now! I will just try to keep myself busy and resist the urge to keep checking. The heavy rain we are having helps......not too anxioux to be outside. I'll keep posting when I have some thing more happen. I just got the chick food into a feeder and will replace Snowy's feeder with the crumbles so the food will be there when they need it. There is already a waterer on there of course. I'm good to go. I also have 8 chicks coming this week from My Pet Chicken so I guess I will be very busy and have lots of fun.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds like you will and mama can eat the chick food. Are you going to put your chicks from MY pet chicken under a broodie? Our chicks that hatched last Wed. are now outside with mama, she brought outside for the first time yesterday. I just love to sit and watch. so hopefully your rain will stop and when she gets ready to bring hers out you'll have a front row seat. we have another broodie sitting and due to hatch on the 18th.

 

[Kathryn4629]

Ok I need some advice from the broody experts

My broody started with 11 eggs under her. I checked her a couple of days ago and she only had 8!?! No shell anywhere! I am guessing that she ate them. Why? My only guess is that they hadn't developed. Upon checking one was chipped/cracked, membrane intact. I took the egg and put it in the incubator. The broody eggs are due on wednesday and the eggs in the incubator are due on friday. This morning I went out to check the broody eggs and she had crushed another one, but this one was dead, blood everywhere.

The rest of her eggs are rocking. Now I just went to check the incubator and can hear the chipped egg peeping!! I dont go into lockdown until wednesday. What should I do? I was thinking of just putting the chipped egg back under her when it pips, is this a good idea? I didn't want to try and wax or tape for fear that she would reject it. Advise is needed.

I also was wondering if there is any chance that I could sneak the incubator chicks under her as they hatch? She is a LF cochin and very large even for a cochin so I dont think being able to keep them all warm would be an issue. I have 12 eggs in the incubator.

Thank you, Thank you

 

[Miss Lydia]

I think putting the egg that is peeping back under her would be okay, but your talking about 21chicks under your broody? thats alot so someone else will have to speak up about that question. Good luck on the hatch.

 

[Kathryn4629]

Quote:
Poop I am a bone head, there is only 18 eggs. So that would be 18 chicks assuming that there all hatch. Put the egg under her now, or when it pips?

Thank you!

 

[mprivett]

Day 21 yesterday came and went and my broody, Rosemary, is still sitting. She did have about 18-20 eggs underneath her and I recently took some out. I'm afraid all those eggs were too much for her and now most of them won't hatch or develop. I have not candled most of the eggs. I just hope to get at least 2 chicks!!

I think I'm gonna give her about 5-7 more days.

My other hen, Chamomile, kept laying in the nest box with her and Rosemary would steal her freshly laid eggs. Also when Chamomile would go to lay, she would steal about 4-5 eggs each time from under Rosemary to sit on, then lay her egg, then get up and leave (leaving the poor eggs to get cold!).

I'm going crazy with anticipation!!! Should I plan to buy some chicks to slip underneath her if nothing hatches?

 

[phasianidae]

Quote:
Sounds like they exploded or she ate them, or both.