Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[boxermom]

I had shipped eggs that I tried to hatch under a broody last year. They came in the mail scrambled. Out of 18, I set 7. They were gooey and had loose air cells. I had nothing to lose. One started to pip. I left it alone because everyone said it is bad to help. Let nature take it's coarse. Well, it died at the pip. I had another one pip the next am. I helped her. I was very careful, using tweezers and moist papertowels and a heating pad. I tried to do as little as possible, but she was just too weak. I tried placing her back under "mama" who then kicked her out. (I made the mistake of giving her silkie chicks, when the shipped eggs weren't hatching. Finally ended up keeping her warm in the oven until she dried off and I could put her in a brooder. "Lucy" is my one and only SLW. She's beautiful. I call her my $20 chicken.

DH says we can't butcher a $20 chicken, so I guess she's safe.

From my experience, I would help again.

 

[Miss Lydia]

when mama does the raising your not going to get the friendlist like you would if you set the eggs and hatched them in the bator, I still let mama have them the whole time and go into the coop when they go to roost and pick them up and love on them, some of my games are pretty flighty but since i have been doing this they will now come up and eat out of my hand, it takes time on the mama raised ones, but she has so much to teach them.. Just my 2cents. And about the 2 sisters, I had 3 sets of hen sharing nest boxes last year, it was so sweet, never fought over the eggs and both participated in raising them, so it's really up to you,

 

[Carol.in.WV]

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My thought would be to leave them together, they will do a better job that way. I once had three hens on one clutch. Only one hatched and I took it away so they wouldn't fight over it and it has become my constant companion, a silkie that eats with me sleeps with me and sits on my shoulder the rest of the time.

My experience is that hen raised chicks are taught by their mommas to run from people whereas brooder raised ones are much more of pets. Unfortunately because the mommas do the better job and their chicks can take a lot cooler temps but I've found that even chickens raised wild can be easily tamed and petted by isolating them and going slowly. Just MHO

 

[AKsmama]

In 10 or 11 more days I hope to have some eggs hatching under my broody Black Star! She is still sticking with it, and now I can check off "saw broody hen poop" off my bucket list

Good grief, that poop pile is as big as my dog's!

My Marans decided to quit after 3 days, though. Oh well, no biggie.

 

[NottinghamChicks]

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My silkie mix is the same size and I put three polish mix eggs which are small, one tiny bantam egg, and two large brown eggs under her. SHe definately is at her max because when my other hen was leaving her an extra egg each day they were not fully covered. I put her in a small crate inside the coop to keep her from feeling an obligation to her pen mate

She tried

If you seperate her into a little crate within, you don't have to worry about getting screeched at either. Everyone is happy.

 

[azhenhouse]

Here is my broody, Broody, sitting on her eggs. Today is the day, but I haven't seen or heard anything yet.

 

[krcote]

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How exciting! Fingers crossed for you!!!

 

[mrsmaonaigh]

We are on Day 23, yes 23 and still nothing. I just went out to check and my broody was sitting on the wrong nest. I think someone laid another egg in her nest too because there were NOT that many eggs to start with. I moved her back to the proper nest but is the damage done? How many more days should I give her before I check the eggs?

 

[azhenhouse]

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I would like to know the answer to this, as well.

 

[phasianidae]

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If she is in with non broodys then this has probably happened before and the eggs will not hatch. The eggs can take some periods with cold air, but not to many for vary long.