Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[workinnanie]

When I have moved mine, I move them to a small cage after I have made a nest area in the cage for her. Once she has hatched all of the eggs I usually moved her to another bigger secured area untill all of the babies are big enough to follow her safely. These are banties and the reason I moved them in the first place was this hen would take off free ranging before the last of the batch was strong enough to follow her. She did not abandon the eggs ever but I suppose all hens have their own personalities. Another thing I did was make a temporary cage around her existing nest. That worked well also.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

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I've had good luck and bad with shipped eggs. Depends on a lot of things including how old the eggs are, how far they travelled, the means (i.e. did they fly), and how they were handled, etc. You can tell pretty early on, however, what is good and what isn't with candling so you can dispose of the ones that didn't make the trip well and just concentrate on the ones that do develop.

Do you mean candling before you put them under the hen or in a week of putting them under the hen? just for future reference

With the Silkie eggs, I could easy see which ones were developing by day 6 day. Wait a couple of extra days and candle again just in case. I would candle the eggs under the broody when she got of the nest.

 

[Arielle]

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Winter is setting in quickly here and this is no the time of year for chicks. SO I check for chicks several times a day, and when they are fluffed up, I take them and put them in a brooder all ready for them.

THe brooder is in the bathroom with heat lamp, food and waterer; and an older chick to mother them. (Really cute to see month old pullets act like hens.) Hen stays with the remaining eggs, and when no more hatch she returns to the flock. THis has been my limited experience with 2 broodies.

I also have hawks that grab adult hens--chicks would be free food. The young hawks at this time of year are fending for themselves so go for easy prey until their skill improve.

 

[Arielle]

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The average is about 50%, and that includes many at 0% all the way to 1 person who posted hatch rate of 100%. MANY factors go into a good hatch. Feeding of hens and fertility of roosters, to care of eggs before setting, conditions during shipping and how well the eggs were packed. THe generally quoted number is 50% for all the posts I've seen. But each shipment is unique. I worry that a worker shook the eggs as hard as he could just because--no damage to box. I know shipped eggs may not hatch. BUt I can always hope they do !!!!!!

Good packaging is half your battle--sounds like yours benefited from "very well wrapped". No broken, cracked or weeping eggs. You'll know in 21 days.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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You'll probably need to put her someplace where she can be locked up and make sure to take most of ther nesting material, as far as her continueing to sit some will and some won't so i can't say for sure. If you can wait till all the eggs hatch then move them it would probably be better. But after about 36 hrs she is going to want to take those already hatched off the nest for food and water.

 

[Vanessabuffsnsilkies]

Here's the 6 little cuties!

 

[effie]

I was gonne move her this afternoon and 5 more were pipped so I am gonna give her some time and move her tonight --she will stay on the little ones to keep them warm and in doing so maybe the remaining eggs too.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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very good idea!

 

[Miss Lydia]

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Absolutely adorable... Congrats

 

[effie]

Move was totally successville !!!

We moved the eggs first and then the babies----9 little ones and all but one of teh 5 remaining eggs had pipped. I may have a 100 percent hatch. YAY!!!!! She went right over and situated herself over babies and eggs like nothing happened. Food and water for everyone in there. I will get pics in the morning.