Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[stonykill]

Mama Red out and about with her 8 fuzzy butts showing them everything chicken!

 

[Johnn]

Well, the thing is that we have a duck egg that needs someone to hatch it. So, I'm hoping that the wyandotte will settle for laying on that egg a little more. I think the chicks stay under the hen on the right, the Brahma. She gets all puffed up if I am there looking for too long.

have you candled the duck egg to make sure it's fertile?

 

[Johnn]

One of these hens are sooo on my to get list, they are deffo the next breed in my flock!! they are meant to make great broodies and mothers!

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Stonykil- Love it! I can't wait to get picks like that with my Summer!

 

[Johnn]

Mama Red out and about with her 8 fuzzy butts showing them everything chicken!

They are soo cute!! i love watching the mothers show them everything your hen looks like a really good mother!

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Johnn- What breed is she?

 

[Johnn]

Johnn- What breed is she?

She is a Goldtop, Light sussex X silkie, they are a auto sex breed aswell

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

She is a Goldtop, Light sussex X silkie, they are a auto sex breed aswell

Nice. I will have to keep an eye out for any like her in the future. Very pretty.

 

[fshinggrl]

Advice wanted: I have two broodies, the original (#2) who laid on the eggs for 19 days and the followup (#3) who laid on them for a day before #2 decided she wasn't done with them yet (they had been cold when I found them with #2 wanting back in coop). Confused yet? So, 4 chicks hatched (one died) so we have 3 chicks here and 3 more chicken eggs that were developed when I candled them on day 19 and one developed duck egg. I know the duck egg takes an extra week. My plan was to let #2 hatch the chicken eggs and then when she was with chicks, give #3 the duck egg. I have to move them tonight (presumably) to a safer spot so they're not in with the rest of the chickens. I think that is how the one died. They both are possessive of eggs and chicks. I am trying to figure out who to leave and who to set up with the babies. I do not think anymore eggs are going to hatch since for 1.5 days no more have hatched. I expected 3 more because there was development in 3 more of them (plus the duck egg). I do not want to move eggs with the chicks.

If I leave all the eggs with one, can I transfer chicks IF they hatch? Should I try to hold off a day in moving the chicks to see if more hatch? What are the chances that more will hatch? I do not see any pipping with the other eggs when the two hens were jockeying for eggs & positions.

What do I do? I'm loving that the hens are taking care of 'everything.' The chicks are SO cute!

sidenote: I assume other chickens killed the fourth one because I found it in the middle of the common area squashed. Would you move the chicks or let them share this nest box indefiniately?

 

[Johnn]

Nice.

I will have to keep an eye out for any like her in the future. Very pretty.

Im going to hatch some in the incy then pick girls i want to keep and give them to the orp to bring up next year (well thats if shes broody, but i don't see why she wont be because shes loved being a mother this year)