Simulated Natural Nest Incubation~Experiment #1 So it begins....

[Beekissed]

And yet, it still shows your creativity and sense of humor. Every time I see your broody I smile!

Thank you!

I have to grin when I see it too!

Those beady little eyes and that big, lumpy body does it for me.

 

[x4livin]

About 10 or so years ago, my husband came in with a bucket of varying size eggs in them. He had brush hogged a field and noticed them on the ground. He said he thought they were turkey and quail. I stuck them on mildly crinkled newspaper and put a clear white heat lamp over them. I used no thermometer, no spare humidity. We used wood heater for heat maybe 4 foot from them. They were at the edge of a poorly sealed sliding back trailer house door. I just felt to see that they were warm. I didn't intentionally turn them or candle them. I don't remember how long it took(seems like a week for the turkeys and maybe 8 or 9 days for the quail) but 7 of 13 turkey eggs hatched and all 3 quails hatched. I had kept the quails separate and remember that we kept them separate in a in a shoe box near the light. We handled those frequently because they were so tiny that they fascinated the kids. The quails lived only a few days and pecked each others feet. My husband wanted to "burn" their beaks with a hot pocket knife blade because he said we were supposed to to keep them from pecking each other. I refused. I kept the turkeys in the aquarium and didn't know not to keep them on newspaper. They pooped on the paper and got it water wet walking through the saucer of water. Some died. Some spraddle legged and I didn't know how to fix it. Three lived to adolescence and he built a cage for them. He lapped the chicken wire over a frame over and over. He didn't put wire across the bottom. The first night we put them out, a raccoon dug in and killed all three. Many lessons there. As a kid, my grandparents had a huge several hundred egg, incubator. the only thing I remembered for sure was to feed the chicks crushed dry oats. I have begun to keep chickens in the last couple of years, after research and more trial and error, we incubate and raise chicks(chickens and ducks only) successfully. Our biggest issues have been varmints. There's no substitute for experience.

 

[Beekissed]

Isn't that funny! I've heard similar stories where folks didn't do anything right but still got a good hatch and others where they did everything right and had very poor hatches. I'm amazed when I hear such tales!

 

[The Chickeneer]

Just wanted to mention something here......maybe some one already said it or you're already doing it, but, a broody hen leaves the nest from 1 to 3 hours each day to eat/ drink etc. I think it might be a good idea to have cooling periods for the eggs. After all, hens have the best hatch rates. A lot of people have tried this with their incubators with very good success.

Most people don't do this because they haven't heard of it, or because they have to turn the incubator off, time it, then turn it back on, which can be a hassle and time consuming. But since you are doing this experiment, I think you should try it. Just a thought...And good luck with the hatch, I will be following the thread for the results

 

[Beekissed]

Thank you!! Fred had already mentioned it to me and so I've been doing it now and again to "air out" the nest.

 

[ChicksandWeeds]

i think it varies - but don't ask me how they decide....2 of my hens i was afraid they would starve because they just never left the nest, ok, almost never ...i took them off the nest to poop and eat on some days ...then others ....i was like...your eggs are getting cold mama ...what's up ...twice a day they went out foraging, dust bathing ...till day 18 ....

 

[ChocolateMouse]

My broody left her nest for 1/2 hour every day in low 60's upper 50's. Not sure if that means anything, though, since only six even developed (shipped eggs).

 

[jakal92]

I have watched the hens cover up the top of the nest before they leave for a break. Some of my chickens do that, but almost all of my ducks and geese do it. It seems to keep the eggs warmer longer when I check them, and also makes it harder for me or predators to find the eggs.

 

[ajhaig]

Perhaps you already know this or someone has mentioned it, but the sound in the utube of a broody hen may be caused by being upset by the person petting her...it may not be the sound you want communicated to her babies!

I love your project and postings!
Arlie

 

[bdfive]

Sure happy I stumbled across this thread. Have read it all, am facinated and will be following progress. Doubt I'll try to hatch my peafowl eggs this way but who knows, LOL!!!