Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Miss Lydia]

I opened the pop door for Issabelle today to see if she would come out, yep she did screaming like a banshe and while she was running around doing her thing I candled both eggs. they are full but didn't see any movement. Today is hatch day so I'll let her go till day 25 and hopefully they will hatch. I always feel so bad for broody when she sits for so long then nothing. so depending on what happens between now and day 25 I may give her more eggs if no chicks hatch.

 

[bayvistafarm]

I opened the pop door for Issabelle today to see if she would come out, yep she did screaming like a banshe and while she was running around doing her thing I candled both eggs. they are full but didn't see any movement. Today is hatch day so I'll let her go till day 25 and hopefully they will hatch. I always feel so bad for broody when she sits for so long then nothing. so depending on what happens between now and day 25 I may give her more eggs if no chicks hatch.

You reminded me about something I saw yesterday. I was in the barn, and the black broodie must have come out for something to eat, and all of a sudden, there was a banshe scream from someone... all I saw was the one turkey hen running like a road runner out of the horse barn, with black broodie hanging onto her tailfeather, being dragged a good length, lol.

 

[sparrker]

I have a broody Delaware that started sitting last Thursday(4/26). She was on 6 eggs that I marked, two days later there was a broken one on the ground and about 10 eggs under her. I removed two left her with 8. Today I checked under her and, oh dear, there were about a dozen with another broken one. After I find the broken eggs I check under the hen and it is a sticky mess. The hen and eggs. Will the eggs still hatch? I will mark them with a pencil. And I do move her into a new nest so I can clean the eggy mess out of the other box. I guess I'll have to check her many times during the day. She is not mean at all

 

[Tripp16]

I have a broody Delaware that started sitting last Thursday(4/26). She was on 6 eggs that I marked, two days later there was a broken one on the ground and about 10 eggs under her. I removed two left her with 8. Today I checked under her and, oh dear, there were about a dozen with another broken one. After I find the broken eggs I check under the hen and it is a sticky mess. The hen and eggs. Will the eggs still hatch? I will mark them with a pencil. And I do move her into a new nest so I can clean the eggy mess out of the other box. I guess I'll have to check her many times during the day. She is not mean at all

It sounds like she is crushing the eggs. Or pushing them out either accidently or purposely. If she is really broody she shouldnt be laying eggs so it sounds like someone is laying either on top of her or going in her nest and possibly could be the chicken who is crushing the eggs.

I would clean her up and take all the eggs except what you want her to have. And if you have other hens laying in the box it would be best to see if you can move her, if not just mark the eggs that you leave under her and everyday take the newly laid eggs out.. She sounds like a submissive broody.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You reminded me about something I saw yesterday. I was in the barn, and the black broodie must have come out for something to eat, and all of a sudden, there was a banshe scream from someone... all I saw was the one turkey hen running like a road runner out of the horse barn, with black broodie hanging onto her tailfeather, being dragged a good length, lol.

Isn't it FUN?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I think I told ya'll about Issa having 3 eggs and one went missing well i think i figured out what probably happened, today when i let her out i was cleaning out the coop and went to see if she was back in her nest box, well she wasn't but one of my muscovies was in her side of the little coop. She wasn't on the eggs YET but I bet she either stepped on the egg and then Issabelle ate it or the duck ate it. These are tiny bantam eggs and big foot duck.

 

[Tripp16]

This is such a sad story....

My Grandfather called me this afternoon and said he was mowing hay in his back pasture when all of a sudden feathers went everywhere!

It turns out he hit a poor momma turkey. She was sitting on 14 eggs.

I asked if the mother hen died and he said she wasnt dead but she had a broken wing and a hurt leg. I was going to get the eggs but his friend got there before I did and took them home and put them in his incubator.

My Grandfather felt really bad about it. I could tell by the way his voice was. Its just really sad and I dont mean to bring anyone down just thought I would share in honor of how devoted this Turkey hen was! She sacrificed herself for her eggs!

 

[This_chicks_place]

There was an egg outside the nest, that was cold, so I thought it was laid by the other hen. When I cracked it open to see if it were fertile, there was a good formed poult in there, likely due to hatch May 6th, as I set 11 turkey eggs and 9 guinea eggs in the incubator, and only the one turkey egg was fertile. I took it out to the broodie turkey, and now I fear THAT was the egg I cracked open.

I just cracked open a chicken egg that was on day 24, Mama pushed it out from under her and it was very cold. I candled it and saw no movement so I thought it was a failed chick...I was wrong

 

[boysnoise210]

Hi, everyone! I'm normally just a lurker, but my broody's been hatching right along with you all.

We're on day 18, due to hatch Friday, and I'm getting excited! Bertha has 11 eggs under her; I candled 3 on day 15, and all were doing great. I've seen a couple of posts on BYC about hens who got confused and left the nest for a while, and I guess I just need a little hand-holding and reassurance, or harsh reality if that's what my situation calls for. Ya see, my nest boxes are up high, so I tried to move my Bertha to a box on the ground yesterday. She moved right in with her eggs and was sitting on them when I closed the coop last night, but this afternoon at 4:30 she was back in her old nest on new eggs, and the eggs she'd been sitting on were pretty cold (it was 88 and muggy today). Should I candle them this close to the hatch date, or just wait and see? Also, I didn't want to separate her from the flock, but the nest is so high I can't imagine it would be safe for the chicks. I have a rabbit hutch adjacent to the coop that isn't yet inhabited but would allow plenty of room. Should I lock her in it with her eggs?

I'm SUCH a newbie, sorry if my questions have been covered elsewhere. Thanks for reading!



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[myby]

Sorry to hear that.