Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Christie Rhae]

Quote:
The broody hens eggs were due to hatch 2 days before my incubator eggs. (not on purpose, the marans eggs spent waaay to long in the mail).

I wonder if I should try to put some of my incubator eggs under her? Or wait till they hatch and pop a few chicks under her. She is young and not tested so just don't know if I should trust her. ARGH what to do?? lol The eggs in my incubator are purebred wheaten ameraucana and very important to me.

what to do....

If I put new fertile eggs under her and she stays on them she will have been broody for... 8 weeks. Than cannot be healthy for her. sigh..

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
The broody hens eggs were due to hatch 2 days before my incubator eggs. (not on purpose, the marans eggs spent waaay to long in the mail).

I wonder if I should try to put some of my incubator eggs under her? Or wait till they hatch and pop a few chicks under her. She is young and not tested so just don't know if I should trust her. ARGH what to do?? lol The eggs in my incubator are purebred wheaten ameraucana and very important to me.

what to do....

If I put new fertile eggs under her and she stays on them she will have been broody for... 8 weeks. Than cannot be healthy for her. sigh..

Again up to you, she will probably sitr another 21 days mine did and did great. but you know your chickens the best. Then again I would at least give her 2 or 3 just to make her feel good after sitting so long. Bless her heart. or wait and give her a few chicks, but I would go with the eggs if I was making the choice. you'll really enjoy watching mama and chicks.

 

[ChickenCrazed]

Quote:
haha i bet she can hold at least 10

I'd say 10 also that way they won't be as apt to get broken.

EEEEKKKK!...I put all 24 eggs in the box and she very carefully got on them...Maybe I should go bother her again and take about half of them away and put them in the bator!...She seems quite happy!

 

[Christie Rhae]

Quote:
The broody hens eggs were due to hatch 2 days before my incubator eggs. (not on purpose, the marans eggs spent waaay to long in the mail).

I wonder if I should try to put some of my incubator eggs under her? Or wait till they hatch and pop a few chicks under her. She is young and not tested so just don't know if I should trust her. ARGH what to do?? lol The eggs in my incubator are purebred wheaten ameraucana and very important to me.

what to do....

If I put new fertile eggs under her and she stays on them she will have been broody for... 8 weeks. Than cannot be healthy for her. sigh..

Again up to you, she will probably sitr another 21 days mine did and did great. but you know your chickens the best. Then again I would at least give her 2 or 3 just to make her feel good after sitting so long. Bless her heart. or wait and give her a few chicks, but I would go with the eggs if I was making the choice. you'll really enjoy watching mama and chicks.

I think I want to give her eggs too! I have 12 in the incubator, maybe I will give her half of them. She has been such a faithful broody. I want her to have some babies soon! I don't know if I can bear to see her sit alone in her little box for another month...
Ok thats it, I am gonna give her eggs from my incubator on the lockdown day... Now to convince my husband that I know what I am doing. lol He just rolls his eyes at me.

 

[Fuffy]

Quote:
haha i bet she can hold at least 10

I'd say 10 also that way they won't be as apt to get broken.

Well just to throw the cat among the pigeons, as it were: I'd give them all to her and candle as soon as I was confident.

My little silkie cross just did 12 LF eggs. Candled on day 12 and ditched 3. She was fine

Good luck!!!

 

[stonykill]

Quote:
I'd say 10 also that way they won't be as apt to get broken.

Well just to throw the cat among the pigeons, as it were: I'd give them all to her and candle as soon as I was confident.

My little silkie cross just did 12 LF eggs. Candled on day 12 and ditched 3. She was fine

Good luck!!!

I have a 3.5 lb Sumatra sitting on 16 eggs and seems to be doing fine with it. I should candle soon and ditch any duds, if there are any....

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Well just to throw the cat among the pigeons, as it were: I'd give them all to her and candle as soon as I was confident.

My little silkie cross just did 12 LF eggs. Candled on day 12 and ditched 3. She was fine

Good luck!!!

I have a 3.5 lb Sumatra sitting on 16 eggs and seems to be doing fine with it. I should candle soon and ditch any duds, if there are any....

I bet thats cute

 

[Spitman]

Quote:
Sat day 1, sounds like you have a good setup for them, she will probably stay on the eggs if you didn't add anymore after 2 days, they usually like to take the chicks out and about around day 3 of hatch, but with food and water close by hopefully she'll sit till all are hatched, after day 25 of last set eggs I'd remove unless she does it herself. She can take chicks around other members of flock anytime and will most likely, my last broody hatched hers in the coop with all her flock around her and has had them in there the whole time, Most flocks respect the mama and her chicks, they don't want to tangle with a broody. So good luck and keep us posted on how it goes..

Thanks miss Lidia , so after a week or so with the cage separating the chicks from the flock I could lose the cage? Hope so, but what about the feed issue , I'm thinking my big girls will probably eat there chick feed.?

 

[Chicken from the hood]

Thanks fuffy

I just got eggs today for her but there was only one rooster with like 30 hens

what are my chances on fertile eggs?

 

[stonykill]

Quote:
well not as good as they could be. If the roo was REALLY the dominant type, all MIGHT be fertile. But ideally you want 1 roo for ever 10 to 12 hens. But one can keep their fingers crossed!!!!