Trying again with my broody hen.

[KyCoop]

Well Ruth is broody again. After our loss of her babies last year I was reluctant to give it another go. My plan was to let her sit a couple of weeks then go buy some chicks. My thought was those chicks would be stronger and already on feed and water and she could just jump into motherhood with health, fluffy chicks. But, I went to gather eggs and she was sitting a perfect clutch of 5 eggs so I marked them and let her sit.
Ruth will be 5 yrs old this year and her (and my) heart was broken when we lost the babies. I wanted to give her one more chance.
Last time they hatched during a hurricane and these are due on June 13th so hopefully get though the hatch before any bad bad weather.
Is there anything I can do to try and insure a better outcome? Do I go lift her up every 30 mins on hatch day?? She suffocated the last batch.

 

[cavemanrich]

She suffocated the last batch.

Was that a result/coincidence to the hurricane??
How is the nesting set up?? Is there sufficient room?


WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Perris]

Is there anything I can do to try and insure a better outcome?

Just leave her alone to get on with it. Sit on your hands. Interfering almost never helps and often harms.

She suffocated the last batch

What makes you think this?

 

[KyCoop]

The babies were stacked on top of each other and kind of down in a a hole of pine shavings.
She is in a large nest box 13 x 18. I put in extra shavings for cushinging as she tends to sit "hard" and has broken eggs before.
I do think last time the weather had a lot to do with it. She has in the past sat in a water logged nest box (monsun rains) with an (1) egg balanced on top of her legs. She will do whatever it takes to protect the eggs.

 

[Perris]

The babies were stacked on top of each other and kind of down in a a hole of pine shavings.

I would think they suffered from overheating rather than suffocation in that case. Anyway, it sounds like Ruth deserves another chance to have chicks. I hope the weather is better for you all this time.

Please don't disturb her during the hatch. In artificial incubation the three days up to and including the hatch are called 'lockdown', because the egg turners are off, the lid closed, with an aim to maintain the right temperature and humidity for hatching. A broody hen does that by sitting on them. If you lift her you upset it.

 

[KyCoop]

That makes sense. I see incubator people talk about lockdown.
I'm going to candle the eggs tomorrow night just to make sure she is not sitting on a bad one and then I will leave her to it. Giving words of encouragement and support of course. She is an older hen and brooding is so hard on her body. I just want some live babies for her.