Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

Oh! So adorable! Love the chick pic - thanks for sharing!

Hello Broodies,
I was on here a month ago when my Buff Orpington went "broody". Well, she wasn't truely broody because she didn't stay on the fertile eggs I got for her. I brought them into the house and put them in the incubator and guess what....all 5 of those Easter Egger chicks hatched for me like popcorn!

Here is a picture of them (@ 2 weeks old) enjoying some of our nice California weather this afternoon.
Can you guess the name of the white chick in front? (Hint: She has the wings of an _ _ _ _ _!) The one in the back dressed in his tuxedo we call "Popper". We haven't named the 3 black triplets standing in the middle.


Oh, and I wanted to mention that Buffy is BROODY big time now!

She hasn't left her nest (except once a day) for 6 days or nights. This time I put some fertile Trader Joe eggs under her.

It cost only $2.79 and I won't feel bad if none hatch. It would be so cool if some did, though!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Be sure to let us know if they do, and them are so cuties Congrats on the hatch!!

Hello Broodies,
I was on here a month ago when my Buff Orpington went "broody". Well, she wasn't truely broody because she didn't stay on the fertile eggs I got for her. I brought them into the house and put them in the incubator and guess what....all 5 of those Easter Egger chicks hatched for me like popcorn!

Here is a picture of them (@ 2 weeks old) enjoying some of our nice California weather this afternoon.
Can you guess the name of the white chick in front? (Hint: She has the wings of an _ _ _ _ _!) The one in the back dressed in his tuxedo we call "Popper". We haven't named the 3 black triplets standing in the middle.


Oh, and I wanted to mention that Buffy is BROODY big time now!

She hasn't left her nest (except once a day) for 6 days or nights. This time I put some fertile Trader Joe eggs under her.

It cost only $2.79 and I won't feel bad if none hatch. It would be so cool if some did, though!

 

[Mahonri]

Since you all have one of the most active threads on BYC can you all help me?

The Easter Hatch has a cutest chic pics contest.

Will you all go vote for the one you think is cutest-----> HERE?

 

[thailand]

The last of my 3 broody hens hatched no live chicks. She was still sitting very happily up until today - day 30!. I've taken the eggs away, done an eggtopsy and none these were fertile. Out of a total of 15 eggs/3 broodies, 3 died prior to hatching, and all the rest weren't fertile.

As she is still very broody, and she is in excellent health, I've given her one (likely) fertile egg to sit on. I've also moved her and her nestbox to a quiet, and much cooler room on her own. I did this late afternoon, and she took to the move very well and immediately sat on her sole egg. So hoping for a chick this time around....and I'll be watching her very closely to make sure her health stays good. She'll be getting protein-packed snacks every day!

Encouragement needed please

 

[Miss Lydia]

The last of my 3 broody hens hatched no live chicks. She was still sitting very happily up until today - day 30!. I've taken the eggs away, done an eggtopsy and none these were fertile. Out of a total of 15 eggs/3 broodies, 3 died prior to hatching, and all the rest weren't fertile.

As she is still very broody, and she is in excellent health, I've given her one (likely) fertile egg to sit on. I've also moved her and her nestbox to a quiet, and much cooler room on her own. I did this late afternoon, and she took to the move very well and immediately sat on her sole egg. So hoping for a chick this time around....and I'll be watching her very closely to make sure her health stays good. She'll be getting protein-packed snacks every day!

Encouragement needed please

Sorry for no chicks but I will say go for it, I had a hen last year sitting on non fretile eggs, my fault and when day 21 came and went I just slipped bantam eggs under her i knew where fertile and she sat another 21 days with out a problem, so just do like you said make sure she gets good food and snacks and fresh water and she should be good to go.!! let us know.

 

[Fuffy]

Good luck!

Quote:

 

[Fuffy]

We lost an egg today

I found the shell with about 1/3 of the fat end eaten off just outside the door of the broody house. There was a little yolk left in it. At 6 days it would have had something to see if it was fertile, wouldn't it?

The gooey bits were in the broody house just outside the nest but just inside the door. Hermione had been out for a few mealworms from a dish immediately outside the broody house.

The only thing I can think is that maybe the egg got cracked when she moved, so she ate it. She's never done it before, though!

But if there had been a predator...rat, crow, magpie, I would have heard something! Also it would have taken some time to eat it.

Have been watching all afternoon...Hermione seems quite happy and is looking after her eggies. One of the blue ones was poking out a little while ago and when I came back she had tucked it in nicely

 

[countrygirl911]

HI EVERYONE WELL ONE BROODY HEN HAS BEEN ON THE NEST NOW FOR 24 DAYS AND NOTHING CAN I SNEEK BABY CHICKS UNDER HER TONIGHT IF SO I WILL GO TO FEED STORE AND BUY SOME. MY SECOND BROODY WILL BE ON NEST FOR 21 DAYS SATURDAY BUT SINCE NONE HATCHED UNDER 1ST BROODY GOOD CHANCE THAT THE EGGS UNDER SECOND BROODY WILL NOT HATCH EITHER CAN I GO AHEAD AND PLACE A FEW CHICKS UNDER HER TO.

 

[bobbieschicks]

HI EVERYONE WELL ONE BROODY HEN HAS BEEN ON THE NEST NOW FOR 24 DAYS AND NOTHING CAN I SNEEK BABY CHICKS UNDER HER TONIGHT IF SO I WILL GO TO FEED STORE AND BUY SOME. MY SECOND BROODY WILL BE ON NEST FOR 21 DAYS SATURDAY BUT SINCE NONE HATCHED UNDER 1ST BROODY GOOD CHANCE THAT THE EGGS UNDER SECOND BROODY WILL NOT HATCH EITHER CAN I GO AHEAD AND PLACE A FEW CHICKS UNDER HER TO.

Just make sure the chicks are between 1-3 days old. Otherwise you may have a big problem with the chicks not accepting the broody and broody rejecting the chicks. I've never tried it yet but I would recommend close supervision at first.

 

[bobbieschicks]

We lost an egg today

I found the shell with about 1/3 of the fat end eaten off just outside the door of the broody house. There was a little yolk left in it. At 6 days it would have had something to see if it was fertile, wouldn't it?

The gooey bits were in the broody house just outside the nest but just inside the door. Hermione had been out for a few mealworms from a dish immediately outside the broody house.

The only thing I can think is that maybe the egg got cracked when she moved, so she ate it. She's never done it before, though!

But if there had been a predator...rat, crow, magpie, I would have heard something! Also it would have taken some time to eat it.

Have been watching all afternoon...Hermione seems quite happy and is looking after her eggies. One of the blue ones was poking out a little while ago and when I came back she had tucked it in nicely

Sorry about the egg. Sounds like she's doing good now.