Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bobbieschicks]

  the Sumatra coop, the coop with 3 broody's in it has it's 1st wet just hatched chick.  . 

Yeah! Congrats Stony!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Waiting for it to be a little darker before I go out and move the broodies and put them on the shipped eggs. Hoping everyone stays tight tomorrow in their new sitting quarters. And that no one knocks the nests over.

If it doesn't work I'm not sure I want to try and find any more shipped eggs for these two. I might just go local or try to hatch our own.

I've seen the roosters on some of the pullets, but I don't know how that translates in terms of fertilized eggs or not.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Well operation broody move and egg switch has been accomplished. Hopefully they will still be sitting tight tomorrow morning when I peek in on them.

I gave them each a dark and light blue splash Marian egg plus one of my Orpington eggs. So three for both girls. We shall see if anything develops.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Good luck Bobbie!

 

[Johnn]

Well operation broody move and egg switch has been accomplished. Hopefully they will still be sitting tight tomorrow morning when I peek in on them.
I gave them each a dark and light blue splash Marian egg plus one of my Orpington eggs. So three for both girls. We shall see if anything develops.

Good luck!

 

[Aris]

I am so unlucky with this year broody hens

, I checked today my two girls since tomorrow it's hatching day and found those three chicks and three smashed chicks as if the were killed while they where trying to get out of the egg, three more eggs remaining in the nest.From what I have noticed the shell of the eggs the last months is too thin and some of my hens have started to eat eggs , could be lack of calcium ? What can I do in that case ?


and with flash


and that's the 2nd broody


She has 4-5 days left ,I will be off for the three following days so when I am back I will have another surprise.

Reviewing the problems I have :
1)The chicks hatch a day earlier, is it because of the heat?
2)The shell of the eggs is too thin with result the chicks are smashed from the hen as they hatch and some hens eat the eggs, could it be lack of calcium ? What I can do ? Should I go to a veterinarian and ask for help?

Thanks in advance for any answers I will be off until Tuesday so I may not be able to response

 

[bobbieschicks]

Well my sure fire moving method didn't work this time!

This is what I found this morning. YEAH Smokey!

Boo Topsy!

Looks like I'll have to go back to the wired off area with the landscape curtain - or at least a landscape curtain divider.
I guess Topsy didn't feel safe enough with Smokey nearby glaring at her. I did move the eggs up to the nestbox with Topsy for now.
I'll try to work on the "fix" today but with thunderstorms coming I'm not sure I'll get to it until Saturday.

Oh well - chickens, never a dull moment.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I am so unlucky with this year broody hens

, I checked today my two girls since tomorrow it's hatching day and found those three chicks and three smashed chicks as if the were killed while they where trying to get out of the egg, three more eggs remaining in the nest.From what I have noticed the shell of the eggs the last months is too thin and some of my hens have started to eat eggs , could be lack of calcium ? What can I do in that case ?


and with flash


and that's the 2nd broody


She has 4-5 days left ,I will be off for the three following days so when I am back I will have another surprise.

Reviewing the problems I have :
1)The chicks hatch a day earlier, is it because of the heat?
2)The shell of the eggs is too thin with result the chicks are smashed from the hen as they hatch and some hens eat the eggs, could it be lack of calcium ? What I can do ? Should I go to a veterinarian and ask for help?

Thanks in advance for any answers I will be off until Tuesday so I may not be able to response

Congrats on the babies and broodies!

I've noticed that my broodies will have early hatches no matter the weather. But the heat can make them hatch early and cold can cause delays in hatching - especially with a new broody who doesn't have experience with temperature and humidity control.

As far as thin shells - that's usually a calcium issue - so giving them access to oyster shell or crushed egg shells will help. I wouldn't choose to set any eggs that have thin shells in the future. Of course if the broody laid the eggs and started sitting on them, I would just leave them alone and let her hatch what she hatches. She could also be laying thinner shells if she's an older hen rather then a younger pullet.

Eating the eggs is another story - I'm not sure what goes on there - sometimes it seems the broody is eating them because they were defective. If that's the case I guess she doesn't just want to push them out of the nest? Of course if your eggs are smooshing open and she's sitting there seeing an open egg - it could just be a crime of opportunity as in she didn't intend to open the egg, but since it's open she eats it. You could feed her more scrambled or hard boiled eggs to help her get her fill of protein or give her some tuna or good cat food as a treat.

Hope things go better for you.

 

[farmer boy]

finally my hen has gone broody day 5 gonna candle the eggs to see because a hen kicked her out of the nest and layed a egg in there so i gotta see what is fertilized .. there were 3 at first and now there are 10 lol so i am gonna throw away any none fertilized eggs

 

[stonykill]

Congrats on the babies and broodies!

I've noticed that my broodies will have early hatches no matter the weather. But the heat can make them hatch early and cold can cause delays in hatching - especially with a new broody who doesn't have experience with temperature and humidity control.

As far as thin shells - that's usually a calcium issue - so giving them access to oyster shell or crushed egg shells will help. I wouldn't choose to set any eggs that have thin shells in the future. Of course if the broody laid the eggs and started sitting on them, I would just leave them alone and let her hatch what she hatches. She could also be laying thinner shells if she's an older hen rather then a younger pullet.

Eating the eggs is another story - I'm not sure what goes on there - sometimes it seems the broody is eating them because they were defective. If that's the case I guess she doesn't just want to push them out of the nest? Of course if your eggs are smooshing open and she's sitting there seeing an open egg - it could just be a crime of opportunity as in she didn't intend to open the egg, but since it's open she eats it. You could feed her more scrambled or hard boiled eggs to help her get her fill of protein or give her some tuna or good cat food as a treat.

Hope things go better for you.

thin shells can also be genetics. I have a few RIR's that no matter how much calcium they have, the egg shells are thin. I know of others with the same problem with their reds. I am still able to hatch the eggs, but the shells are thin.