Putting eggs or chicks under broody

[ryanhodapp]

I am keeping track too. my broody hen is a day overdue to hatch. I moved her to the basement tonight. I am as nervous as when I was pregnant my first time.
I going to subscribe and see how Piggy makes out.
Mine is in dog cage too with door closed. I have to let her out every night so she can go poo.

 

[Mrs. Mucket]

Had a surprise tonite. I haven't removed any eggs from Piggy's nest in the last couple of days. Tonite we went out to switch her to the crate with 6 fertile eggs. She had accumulated 13 eggs under her!! Half are banty eggs, half standard RIR. All probably infertile. Anyway now she has 6 fertile eggs and we have 6 locked down in the incubator.

Hunkered down on the nest

Her stash

 

[Judy]

You could do it either way. In your situation I'd put eggs under her so she has the experience of feeling and hearing them hatch. I'm thinking this is more likely to trigger the mama hormones, but I don't know that. I've had broodies hatch eggs and I've given a broody feed store chicks, but she was of a good broody breed. Worked wither way. The only disaster I've had is trying to move her and her eggs while she was setting. She freaked out and would not return to the eggs, new nest or old. From what others have said, they are more honed in on the nest than the eggs, even though in my case she wouldn't go back to setting.

Good luck with your broody.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Great pics... looks like she is really up for this! Can't wait to se the new little fuzzies!

 

[Mrs. Mucket]

Well today is Day 24 for those eggs...and no sign of peeps from Piggy's nest. She just sits there patiently. I keep standing there listening for peeps and cheeps.

Is there still time to hatch? Or should I do something? I have incubator chicks 2-, 3-, and 4-days old-- I could slip her a couple. Or I could give her a new clutch of fertile eggs from the other side of the coop and she could set for another three weeks.

Ryanhodapp, how did your broody do?

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Why don't you try to see if the eggs under her are alive... I've never done it but I understand that if you put the egg in 100 degree water, they will wiggle/move if they are still alive? It's easy and worth a try. If nothing wiggles then I would probably swap them out tonight with your live incubator babies. Don't think I would let her set for another 3 weeks... I think it takes a lot out of them... I have done that and probably won't ever do it again.

 

[dolly85]

I just read through everything and I'm excited to hear if the babies made it! Best of luck.
I would probably check under her to make sure the eggs are okay... I once had a hen who was overdue and so I finally lifted her off and there was a bad egg that had exploded. YUCK!!!!!! What a mess that was to clean up.

 

[aveca]

So cute, boy she takes it serious doesnt she LOL! look at the look on her face.

If I have a broody on duty, I make a little collection for her out of the breeding pen setting them in a paper carton in the back room tilting them a couple times a day..then when I have enough , I already have them marked in pencil on the ends where they dont get rubbed off as easy the hen they came out of and date I picked them up..when I take them out there..I set one in front of her, she looks at it, and like a backhoe, she reaches her head out and pulls in underneath her..slowly I give her all of them that way..I just sit them out a couple inches in front of her..never fails..they always dissappear...I mark them because after about 8 days I go out with the brinsea candler..and have a look and pull any eggs from hens that arnt fertile ..those arnt marked..she vacumes up every egg she is within reach of including stray hens from other pen that find thier way in there cause it looks like a cozy spot..she even had one of those wooden example eggs that I had put in there for the young hens vacumed under there..I do look for stray eggs every day, just a peek..she doesnt mind...

I LOVE the broodies..they do a better job at this and I dont have to worry about temp spikes ect...

 

[Mrs. Mucket]

I'm so sad ): Last night I put a chick under my broody. This morning the chick was dead, about a foot away from the mama near the food dish. It could have gotten chilled, but it had some blood on its beak. I have lost a chick and three turkey poults before for reasons beyond my control, but I feel responsible for this one. I know I need to get past it.

Today is day 25 and Piggy still has a clutch of eggs under her. I guess I will try to break her broodiness this time and let her try to hatch again sometime.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

I'm so so sorry. I wish this would have worked out better for you. I'm sorry my advice didn't work for you.