Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[threeboysmom]

Update on my Cochin... today is hatch day and we woke up to two baby chicks! The eggs were shipped and we knew the hatch rate was not so great, but we have two so far! One more has a little crack in it and I can hear the baby peeping inside so we've left it alone. The boys are soooo excited! Not much movement from the other three eggs, but we'll see!

 

[Zoomom]

Awesome thread. I am loving all the great info, pictures and learning about the ups and downs of broody hens. Hope this isn't hijacking...

I have a broody Mille Fleur Belgian D'Uccle pullet who is 10 months old, but she seems determined to be a mom. I am going to try putting EE eggs under her tomorrow morning. My friend is bringing the fertile eggs today from her flock. They are a mix of egg colours ranging from true blue, light green-blue, and a darker green.

Do you think I have a decent chance of hatching from this pullet? She is sitting tight all day and night for the last 2 days and keeps stealing the other girls' eggs (infertile) and the 3 fake eggs I gave her. (I put the fake eggs in front of her and she shoveled them under her with her beak.) I had a bit of trouble getting my eating eggs out from under her - she screeched and puffed up and hunkered down when she saw me, and I had to sneak the eggs from the non-beak side.

Do you think I can fit 8 large eggs under her? She is small, maybe a pound and half.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Zoomom]

threeboysmom - great pics of the broody and chicks. So adorable. Congratulations.

 

[boxermom]

zoomom, all you can do is try. They will really flatten out and cover quite a bit. When my BO's were broody, I put 12 under them. They had no problems. When they hatched my turkey eggs, I put 10 under them since they are bigger. Just try. If she can't cover them all, take one or 2 away.

 

[Zoomom]

Thanks boxermom.
I will just try as many as I can fit under her up to maximum 8, as I am hoping for 2 to 4 to be girls. Any boys will need new homes to spread the blue egg genes to other flocks, and hopefully not start crowing too young and disturb anyone.

 

[Carol.in.WV]

Quote:
Eight standard eggs may be too many for a little d'Uccle. I manage to get about 8 silkie eggs under mine or 9 d'Uccle eggs. Actually last night I went to the coop now converted to a nursery to candle eggs and found the little d'Uccle in the wrong nest box (small dishpan filled with sawdust) She was on the Silkie eggs and the Silkie pullet was on hers but the big surprise was that the Silkie pullet that hatched hers about 10 days ago was also in the nest/dishpan with her and with her 6 babies, so I figure one way or another the eggs are being kept warm even if by little chicks.

Here is a picture of my girl that recently hatched 4 babies in 3 days

The dark one hatched first on the 17th and the bigger gray and the chipmunky one on the 18th and the other little grayish one on the 19th yesterday with help so its not very strong yet. Three died before piping. ??? May have been turned wrong.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Such sweet pictures Carol in WV and also threeboysmom, I am still waiting on my rest to hatch, just checked a while ago and nothing yet. Am thinking hopefully I got it right and it's sat. Congrats on all the hatching going on!!

 

[Farrierswife]

Hi ya'll!

Our broody hen hatched 5 healthy chicks! There are still two eggs with no sign of hatching (other peeps came yesterday afternoon and night). I candled them and there is still movement, I'm going to give them another day or so(all these eggs were from the same day and put under her at the same time). Mama isn't interested in sitting on them anymore so I have them under a heat lamp in the box with Mama and babies. I know that if they are weak or underdeveloped mother nature takes it course and they don't hatch, buuut is there any thoughts on this? I know that helping them out usually ends badly. I guess I'm anxious about the thought of the chick dying in the egg since they are moving so much.

Thanks for any input

 

[Zoomom]

Carol in WV - Such cute baby silkies! What a good mom. I love Silkies.

I was actually hoping my Silkie would be the one to go broody, but no such luck this time. She was last broody in Sept. 2010. She is bigger than the D'Uccle.

I guess what I'll do is see how many Lady Godiva can comfortably fit under her and go from there. If I get at least 6 under her I would be happy. My friend just dropped off the eggs - there are 9 blue ones to choose from.

Miss Lydia - good luck with your hatch, and the same to anyone else trying to hatch right now.

 

[chics in the sun]

I started a thread asking this question, but figured this is a good place to get some advice. I have two sisters that have gone broody for the first time (7 months old), and are sharing a nest box. The box is fairly big - here is a picture:

I have ordered hatching eggs - 14 of them. Should I leave them together and put 7 in each, or separate them? I can easily fence them off from the rest of the flock in their current box, and I also have several ways to separate them from eachother and the rest of the girls.

Also, I have found the three chickens (two of them are these two girls) I had another broody hatch and raise to be the most unfriendly of chickens. I am thinking of taking the chicks away early, like 1 or 2 weeks, to raise in a brooder and hope they turn out friendly. Has anyone else found the broody raised chicks to be less people-friendly? They won't let me get near them, and it's not just the breed - one is an Ameraucana, one is an Ameraucana cross, and one is a Blue Plymouth Rock. It feels mean to remove them, but I want to be able to pick them up and enjoy them when they are adults. Any and all advice is much appreciated!