Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

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10 to go,

congrats!!!

 

[KWAK]

I cant wait I havent had a broody since i was in 4th grade... im now in 10th! haha

 

[kegbergman]

I am confused and I know that with all the hen savy people on this list, someone will be able to help. I have 2 hens. One hen sarted acting broody a couple of weeks ago, so I bought 6 fertiziled eggs to put under her and hopefully hatch out. 7 arrived with the order. She has dutifully been sitting on them since. My other hen has continued to lay for me until 3 days ago when she missed a day. Not unusual as she will often take a day or two off every week. 2 days ago, she laid a no shell egg while roosting and today laid a normal egg. When I shooed my broody hen out of her nest for a few minutes today, so she would eat, I discovered 8 eggs in the nest. Remember I received 7 eggs with my egg order.
Now this is where I am confused.I suppose it is possible that 3 days ago my laying hen laid the egg so that the broody hen was able to pull it into the nest. I really don't believe that it was laid when the broody hen left her nest because she has been stuck to it like glue since I put the eggs under her (actually was worried that she wasn't eating because she wasn't leaving and not really accepting the food I tried to hand feed to her). I finally learned that it was OK for her to be off the nest for a little while each day, so yesterday I started making her get off the nest and get some food. Although I have offered her yogurt, meal worms, bananas, strawberries and hard boiled eggs, she mostly eats the laying crumbles I have out for the laying hen. Question: Is it possible that my broody hen laid the egg and still remains brody and wanting to sit on the nest? Am I going to find tomorrow that she doesn't want to sit on the nest anymore and will then need to find an incubator pronto as I don't have one? Or is it likely that my laying hen is responsible for the mystry egg? Thanks for any advise you can give this neewby to chickens in general and hatching eggs in particular.

 

[stonykill]

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non broody's love to lay eggs in a broodys nest. A broody will get up for 15 minutes to a 1/2 hour a day. Many times you don't even see them get up. And not all will get up everyday. So I would venture to guess that your non broody laid the egg.

aren't those shellless eggs the strangest thing? I had one for the 1st time last week. Weird.... that RIR has laid regular since then.

 

[kegbergman]

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non broody's love to lay eggs in a broodys nest. A broody will get up for 15 minutes to a 1/2 hour a day. Many times you don't even see them get up. And not all will get up everyday. So I would venture to guess that your non broody laid the egg.

aren't those shellless eggs the strangest thing? I had one for the 1st time last week. Weird.... that RIR has laid regular since then.

Thanks Stonykill. Even though my laying hen has always used her own nest box for laying her eggs, I'll check everyday that I am missing an egg from her nest to see if was laid with my broody hen.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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non broody's love to lay eggs in a broodys nest. A broody will get up for 15 minutes to a 1/2 hour a day. Many times you don't even see them get up. And not all will get up everyday. So I would venture to guess that your non broody laid the egg.

aren't those shellless eggs the strangest thing? I had one for the 1st time last week. Weird.... that RIR has laid regular since then.

Thanks Stonykill. Even though my laying hen has always used her own nest box for laying her eggs, I'll check everyday that I am missing an egg from her nest to see if was laid with my broody hen.

Just a suggestion but might be a good idea to mark the eggs so you will be able to tell, unless they are a different color.

 

[Chicken from the hood]

Hey everyone, I have a first time broody and she's been broody for about a week and tomorrow Im going to pick up some fertile eggs. But my question is would she still sit another 21 days on them and to add to that the average day tep her is 21 and it gets soo hot in the coop

Sorry if this question has allready been asked.
Thanks

 

[lightfoot]

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My silkies each swiped large orpington eggs, moving them several feet up an incline to their nests. They also swiped other silkie and cochen eggs. My white one had 9 banty and 1 orp. egg, today she 12 banty and 1 orp. Those extra eggs were several feet away from the broodies.

 

[Fuffy]

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'

Oh thank you so much for responding...I moved her to a brooder pen (4x4x2foot high) along with some of the eggs she had been sitting on ...gave her her own water and feed close to the nest box and she climbed right in and hunkered down on them....I will make a swap with the eggs in the evening as you suggested...I am hoping she doesn't break any of them because of her size...I did make sure to give her a nice cushion of shavings!...I hope this works!

we'll be pulling for her.!!!

Good luck from this side of the pond, too!

 

[Fuffy]

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If she is serious about being broody, then another 21 days will be fine.

Make sure she has access to fresh, clean water and try to keep her strength up with lots of yummy things to eat. She probably won't eat much, anyway, so give her what she wants.

Can you rig up some shade for her? A tarp or even a sun umbrella? Maybe one of those tents for kids at the beach?

Good luck and keep us posted!