Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Niss]

We've never hatched any eggs or had a hen go broody, but we've got one now, I'm reading this thread to decide what we need to do, but thought I'd post our situation and see if anyone has feedback:

Last Friday night, I went out to close in our chickens, and thought I heard a noise outside the coop. Walking around with the flashlight though, I couldn't see anything and the noise stopped, so I decided the noise must've come from one of the hens moving around inside.

The next morning, one of our young hens is outside the coop when we go out to let them out and feed them. She seems worried and concerned, but we assumed it was just because she'd had a rough night (it had rained pretty hard that night too...). So we were thankful that she'd made it through the night and figured that was the end of that story...

Later that afternoon, we went outside and noticed she wasn't with the flock. We walked all around the property and she was nowhere to be found. We were pretty confused by that, but hoped maybe she'd show up in the evening to roost... she didn't. In fact, she didn't re-appear until this morning (that was Saturday, this is Thursday... so we'd assumed she was gone for good even if she had started off broody somewhere in the woods something had probably gotten her - or so we thought) when she heard the others coming out of the coop and feeding. After a bit of an "Easter Egg Hunt" based on the area we'd seen her come from to get food, we did find her nest with 13 eggs in it and 2 that look like they'd been kicked out or accidentally fell out. She is very well hidden and we actually went back to look after she disappeared again today and even knowing where she was it was hard to see her until we were standing right above her.


We're a bit concerned about predators where she is at, also she's a little too close to a nearby road for comfort, so we're planning to move her. We'd also like to add some eggs, but are unsure if it is too late to do that? Obviously the eggs she's been sitting on this whole time would hatch sooner than anything we added, so that may cause problems. But what if we completely switched out her eggs? We're not all that excited about hatching out 13 BO chicks, but there is still something sentimental about her hatching some of her own eggs I guess.

[1]If we switched out all of her eggs after she's been sitting for almost a week would she still hold out for the full 21 days? [2]If we did some of her own eggs and some others would the gap in hatching times cause problems?

We're planning to move some branches and similar brush to what she's hiding in right now into the brooder so we can move her after dark tonight. That way we'll know her and the chicks are safe and we can make sure she has access to food/water. In the meantime, we're still trying to figure out what to do with the eggs...

Welcome to the wonderful world of broodies! So glad she's sitting and not digesting!!! I would move her too, it may break her brood, but I would try anyway, as I worry about nasty critters sniffing her out even though she's imposable to see. Do it tonight, after dark. Have the new spot ready. If you have a helper one person can grab her and the other can scoop up the whole nest to relocate to the brooder. A contained place keeps other hens out of her nest and may help convince her to settle back in, If other birds can enter your brooder be sure to mark the eggs.
As to eggs--1. Yes, if she stays broody when moved she will sit as long as it takes. 2. Yes, a hatch with that big of a stagger won't work--she'll have to take the first set out to eat and drink and learn how to be chickens before the new eggs hatch--also watch the total number to be sure all are covered. I don't have a bo, so I don't know what the upper limits are, but you may do better with fewer eggs. If you stick with the ones she has in the nest you could try candling to remove duds now...I'm personally an aweful candler though!

 

[HHandbasket]

Our broody is sitting on a clutch of eggs that are of different ages. She got in the habit of "stealing" eggs from the other hens. We only wanted her to hatch 2, and today is day 21 for those first 2... lo and behold, those 2 are hatched! But the rest are about 4-5 days behind the first 2 that hatched (she's still sitting on 4 more unhatched eggs). Should I candle them, or what should I do? Inquiring minds want to know...

 

[michaelinnc84]

Is she still sitting on the other eggs? If so give her the extra 5 days before doing anything. If they don't hatch in 6 days I would candle and make sure they didn't make it and then discard.

Our broody is sitting on a clutch of eggs that are of different ages. She got in the habit of "stealing" eggs from the other hens. We only wanted her to hatch 2, and today is day 21 for those first 2... lo and behold, those 2 are hatched! But the rest are about 4-5 days behind the first 2 that hatched (she's still sitting on 4 more unhatched eggs). Should I candle them, or what should I do? Inquiring minds want to know...

 

[Miss Lydia]

Is she still sitting on the other eggs? If so give her the extra 5 days before doing anything. If they don't hatch in 6 days I would candle and make sure they didn't make it and then discard.

The only problem you may encounter is she may give up on the other eggs before they hatch to take care of the first 2 hatchlings. she'll probably stay until they are 36to48 hrs old then she'll want to take them outside. Maybe it would be best to candle when chicks are 24 hrs old then you can decide what is best for the remaining eggs. Congrats on the 2 new Chicks. and of course don't forget the pics..

 

[artsyrobin]

OK, dilemma, lacy, my other ee broody needs to be moved, looks like her one egg is getting close to hatching- normally i put them in the spare bathroom- but her sister lea is in there with her chick- what would you guys do? section off an area in the bathroom? lacy refused to settle into the temporary broody pen.... any ideas?

 

[stonykill]

well "mama" is going broody again. I can tell from the way she is acting, sometime today or tomorrow she will sit on her eggs. Now if I only knew where they were

. That girl is going to give me a heart attack

 

[artsyrobin]

can you confine her now, before she disappears? and give her some eggs?

 

[stonykill]

can you confine her now, before she disappears? and give her some eggs?

not a chance. She is free range and lives in a tree when she isn't broody. She usually is safe, in a shed or other building when broody. Hopefully that is the case again this time. But I'll NEVER catch her.

 

[Miss Lydia]

OK, dilemma, lacy, my other ee broody needs to be moved, looks like her one egg is getting close to hatching- normally i put them in the spare bathroom- but her sister lea is in there with her chick- what would you guys do? section off an area in the bathroom? lacy refused to settle into the temporary broody pen.... any ideas?

Looks like sectioning off part of the bathroom will be the choice if she wasn't happy in the temp pen. At this stage you do want to upset her much.

 

[stonykill]

not a chance. She is free range and lives in a tree when she isn't broody. She usually is safe, in a shed or other building when broody. Hopefully that is the case again this time. But I'll NEVER catch her.

ok, heart attack averted. She is nesting somewhere in the tin shed she had her last 2 broods in. Now to find the nest sometime soon, and slip her eggs that didn't freeze.