Silverudd’s Blue Hen Brooding Despite Heat

[Araucana Nest]

This pretty lady hen has been very hard at work hatching a large nest of communal Silverudd’s Blue eggs. Over 30 eggs but only 8 chicks total hatched and 2 died upon hatching. It was probably over 100 degrees iin her coop and we had TS Elsa and every other storm come through these past four weeks. She was very disciplined and kept at it. This morning she abandoned the nest with no other chicks hatching and a very foul smell. So the 6 are her only peeps to raise and they span in age from a couple of days today, to one week. .

 

[Emelyn]

This pretty lady hen has been very hard at work hatching a large nest of communal Silverudd’s Blue eggs. Over 30 eggs but only 8 chicks total hatched and 2 died upon hatching. It was probably over 100 degrees iin her coop and we had TS Elsa and every other storm come through these past four weeks. She was very disciplined and kept at it. This morning she abandoned the nest with no other chicks hatching and a very foul smell. So the 6 are her only peeps to raise and they span in age from a couple of days today, to one week. .

My chicken successfully hatched and raised 3/4 of my Cayuga duck's own made hatching eggs

 

[Araucana Nest]

This is Mars He’s the daddy

My chicken successfully hatched and raised 3/4 of my Cayuga duck's own made hatching eggs

Wow. That’s very cool

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

Congratualations on your beautiful new chicken family!

In case you dont know for the future, 30 eggs is at least twice the number a large fowl hen can usually sucessfully incubate. It would have been impossible for her to keep 30 eggs fully covered, & equally important it would have been impossible for her to regularly rotate and turn the eggs to ensure the embryos developed properly.

And the foul smell was from rotting eggs and/or dead decaying chicks. Very good that she abandoned the nest before one exploded. Thst happened to one of my first broodies years ago, before i understood the importance of candling and discarding non-developing eggs. Believe me, i ALways candle ever since that happened. It was horrible. The exploded rotten egg got all over the poor broody's underside & contaminated the other eggs too. In the future, if you candle and remove non-viable eggs, your broody will have a much higher hatch rate. Again, have fun enjoying your broody and her chicks!

 

[Araucana Nest]

Congratualations on your beautiful new chicken family!

In case you dont know for the future, 30 eggs is at least twice the number a large fowl hen can usually sucessfully incubate. It would have been impossible for her to keep 30 eggs fully covered, & equally important it would have been impossible for her to regularly rotate and turn the eggs to ensure the embryos developed properly.

And the foul smell was from rotting eggs and/or dead decaying chicks. Very good that she abandoned the nest before one exploded. Thst happened to one of my first broodies years ago, before i understood the importance of candling and discarding non-developing eggs. Believe me, i ALways candle ever since that happened. It was horrible. The exploded rotten egg got all over the poor broody's underside & contaminated the other eggs too. In the future, if you candle and remove non-viable eggs, your broody will have a much higher hatch rate. Again, have fun enjoying your broody and her chicks!

Thank you and thank you also for the information. She discarded 10 early and I had removed a few since it was her first hatch. The foul smell was from a dead baby.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I had realized you might already know all i said, but said it anyway just in case. Because an exploded rotten egg under a poor upset broody hen is definitely to be avoided!!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

This is Mars He’s the daddy View attachment 2760066

Wow. That’s very cool

Very handsome!