Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Tiss]

If they were only cool for 5 hours, I think you still have a very good chance of them hatching.

Did you try to put those 5 back under the broody after she kicked them out? My latest broody was really bad about scooping eggs back under her. The other hens would scatter eggs around sometimes and as long as she was sitting on a few, she'd leave others all over the nest.

If you decide to bring them in, I think that mama would accept the babies without any trouble. Someone once told me that chickens can't count.

I think broodies do a better job hatching than a bator, so if she'll accept them back, I'd go that route.

Good luck!

 

[heatherkh]

Oh man SadieSue - that is a BUMMER. I might make DH sleep in the coop for that little slip up!! I might give her one more chance to accept them back - unless there's a risk of her breaking them for whatever reason. Broody hens are a mystery wrapped in an enigma covered in feathers.

My broody has been good at getting off the nest once a day to take care of her own needs, allowing me the opportunity to check on the eggs and remove any new eggs. Yesterday, I noticed a small smear of poo on one of the eggs. My gut with this whole endeavor is the less intervention of any sort the better, but is poo on the egg a hazard when it comes time to hatch? Thanks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

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She laid another egg, in the nest today

but she is still not sitting

At least they aren't breaking anymore or orphaned under the shrubs

Hopefully she'll get the idea soon!

give her time she'll figure it out.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Hey we didn't get nothing but a little wind up here in the mountains. Had company for a few days so haven't been able to get on, happy to see everyone is still going good with mama and chicks..

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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Hey we didn't get nothing but a little wind up here in the mountains. Had company for a few days so haven't been able to get on, happy to see everyone is still going good with mama and chicks..

I'm SO relieved!!

 

[slurrywidow]

Hi again, still lurking, so far I've read up to pg 140 on the thread, and I still have a broody! Love this thread. More questions for you...

The fertile eggs haven't arrived yet so Miss Mona is still sitting tight on her blanks. The real ones should be here tomorrow

and my plan is to move her to her own enclosed crate within the big coop. I'll do that in the morning and then wait until bedtime to give her the fertile eggs. I didn't really want to move her but things are just getting a little crazy for her in the regular nest boxes. She's getting pecked and harassed until she leaves the nest so someone else (the highest girl) can use it. She then hops up into another nest even if it doesn't have eggs. I've never seen her leave her nest on her own. I plan on using a large wire dog crate, 42x28, which will give her room to stretch and also have access to her own food and water.
Q: What should I use for a nest? Bottom half of a small plastic dog crate? The whole small dog crate? A box?
Q: My plan is to keep the door to the large crate shut so that she can just relax and not be bothered anymore. Is this a good idea? Should I leave it shut for the 21 days or just a few at the beginning?
Q: She doesn't seem to ever leave the nest to care for herself. I've held up food and water to her a couple of times and she eats like she's starving and will drink some when coaxed. How can she last for another 3 weeks like that? Her comb is looking horrid. Very dry/chapped looking, pale (which I'd expect) and flopped over. Is that normal?
Q: You wonderful folks told me to leave the shipped eggs to sit for 24 hours before I put them under her. So if I get them from the PO at around 6 am and let them rest until about 9 pm would that be long enough before slipping them under her?
Q: (sorry so many) Every one talks about marking eggs. How do you all do it?

Thanks again. I've been having a blast reading this thread from the beginning. All those precious baby pics just have me melting! Glad to hear people stayed safe from the nasty weather. Being here in the PNW it's sooo hard to imagine what others go through weather wise. Sending out good thoughts for all.

 

[Fuffy]

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If it were me, I'd try putting them back under her.

But keep the incubator fired up, just in case.

I would think she'll take them as day-olds, IF they hatch!

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Fuffy]

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Firstly, if she is being disturbed, I would move her and her 'falsies' like NOW, always assuming she really wants to sit. Get her settled in her new nursery. You can put the eggs in after, but you don't want her to give up coz the other hens won't leave her alone!

If she is outdoors in a wire dog crate, you will want something relatively dark and draft free as a nestbox. Maybe a small plastic dog/cat carrier? Or a cat litter tray thingy with a lid (One of those ones that looks like an igloo...I picked one up for free the other day coz the door flap was broken!) Remember that the babies need to be able to get in and out safely.

When you get your eggs, get them out of the styrofoam container and leave them at room temperature for 24 hours, pointy end down. Those little people have been REALLY shaken about in there, and they need time to settle and for the air sack to settle too. My broody will sit, no matter what I do, so I can put them in while she comes out for her 'comfort break'

If she really isn't feeding herself, then I would get my kitchen timer, set it to 10 mins, and lift her off the nest. Make sure you have LOTS of VERY nutritious goodies for her: scrambled egg with a nice mealworm topping, chick crumb...anything you can think of that will keep her going. This method also means that she gets used to being handled, so the babies are a bit less scared of you later on. But when that timer goes off, you drop everything and let her get back on the nest!!!

Hope this helps you

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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An addition to Fuffy's instructions - you don't need to mark the eggs if there is NO chance someone will be adding to them. The point of marking the eggs is so that you can remove any that don't belong.

You may find your broody leaves her nest on her own once she isn't being harassed out of it. She may not be leaving the one she is currently in because she has to work so hard to hold on to it. I agree with Fuffy about moving her immediately. Give her a chance to settle in to her new quarters before you add the real eggs. I didn't provide a specific nest within my broody's private quarters. There were/are shavings throughout. She picked her own spot in there - and did move it around a bit. With a dog crate, you may need to line the lower edge with cardboard or something solid as the chicks will be able to slip out and you don't want that happening. (It also helps to keep the bedding in place.) I switched out the hatching eggs for the dummies during the day without any problem. As long as your broody is settled on her nest, it shouldn't be a problem - although she may peck at you.

Good luck!!!

 

[Niss]

I'm back! My other cochin is broody now

I think she just needed a break from the boys, she's plucked bare over an area about the size of my palm. I gave her 6 eggs and she stole a 7th. For now I'm leaving her in the nest box.

BTW, I'm still following, and I've loved all the pics, esp yours BarnGoddess