Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[TheRookie]

Question... Im sure it has been answered before but this is a very extensive thread.
On average, when do broodies usually kick their kids out? Specifically during summer/fall.. Trying to figure out a timeframe for when Ill need to move everyone around.
Thanks, Lenore

 

[Johnn]

My chicks are now 6 weeks old today and are still with mama!

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

I remember somewhere it said 6-8 weeks average. I don't have experience with that yet though.

 

[Kagu]

Question -

So I've had a broody hen, and shes been sitting on eggs, I tried candling (is it possible to use a flashlight?) but I don't see anything, her eggs MAY have died halfway through, but I'm not sure. Any tips on candling

 

[yo burrill]

I used a mini mag light for quite a while to candle. How long has she been setting? By 7 days you should be able to see veining in the eggs if they are light colored. by 14 you should see the chick swimming around.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Question... Im sure it has been answered before but this is a very extensive thread.
On average, when do broodies usually kick their kids out? Specifically during summer/fall.. Trying to figure out a timeframe for when Ill need to move everyone around. 
Thanks, Lenore

My two broodies have generally moved away from their chicks during the day by 4 weeks and started roosting separate from them again by 5 weeks. They begin the moving away process from day 3 on until they leave the chicks alone completely in the 5th week.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Question -

So I've had a broody hen, and shes been sitting on eggs, I tried candling (is it possible to use a flashlight?) but I don't see anything, her eggs MAY have died halfway through, but I'm not sure. Any tips on candling

By "I don't see anything" are you saying you can see into the egg and there appears to be no growth or that the eggs are too dark to see thru? If they are very dark eggs you may just have to leave them until they either hatch or don't hatch as its difficult even with a high powered flashlight to candle very dark eggs. But if you are saying you don't see growth, then make sure you wait and cradle about the 7th day after she starts sitting in order to have a big enough development to spot it clearly.

Yes to using a flashlight but it has to be very bright and the area very dark.

 

[aoxa]

Question... Im sure it has been answered before but this is a very extensive thread.
On average, when do broodies usually kick their kids out? Specifically during summer/fall.. Trying to figure out a timeframe for when Ill need to move everyone around. 
Thanks, Lenore

This year I've had quite a few broodies..

1st - 6 weeks (almost to the exact day!)
2nd - Never did - babies kicked themselves out. I would say around 8 weeks.
3rd & 4th - Around 5-6 weeks (dual custody moms)
5th & 6th - One of the mothers started laying again and roosting at night and they will be 4 weeks old tomorrow. The other mom is going strong (they share dual custody)
6th - Still mothering. They are 3 weeks old Friday

I would say six weeks would be average. They can definitely do it before, or after. It all depends on your hen's individual personality.

Oh and Janet is broody again!

 

[aoxa]

By "I don't see anything" are you saying you can see into the egg and there appears to be no growth or that the eggs are too dark to see thru? If they are very dark eggs you may just have to leave them until they either hatch or don't hatch as its difficult even with a high powered flashlight to candle very dark eggs. But if you are saying you don't see growth, then make sure you wait and cradle about the 7th day after she starts sitting in order to have a big enough development to spot it clearly.
Yes to using a flashlight but it has to be very bright and the area very dark.

x2

Unless really blatantly clear, I leave them be. The mother does remove any bad eggs.

 

[bobbieschicks]

x2
Unless really blatantly clear, I leave them be. The mother does remove any bad eggs.

xs2

And when she kicks out the egg or stops sitting on it - or especially if she crushes it open - DO NOT PUT IT BACK UNDER HER OR UNDER A DIFFERENT BROODY - just my opinion of course, but I found out the hard way that a crushed egg becomes a rotten egg under a broody and then must be peeled off her feathers while she is still trying to hatch the other noncrushed eggs. And they stink something awful. Also putting it in the bator may sound like a good idea - but if you have other eggs in there hatching think twice as there was a reason that momma kicked it out.

Realize also that she may temporarily get off an egg or move it to the side when the weather is extremely hot - so don't assume she's abandoned it. You will know when she abandons the egg - she will move it completely away from her and not touch it again or she will distance herself as much as possible from it - sometimes she will even eat it. Observe any eggs that have been moved out and leave them alone or mark them so you know which ones they are and don't be tempted to push them back under the momma - she's regulating her hatch.

This past time the temps outside and in the coop were 103F-109F and Smokey & Topsy both would occassionally push their eggs out or stand over the eggs instead of squat down low - I was worried, but apparently that is just the way they regulate the temps. Trust the broody - I've had to learn to let go of my desire to "help" them and just trust their abilities until they give me a reason not to trust them.