Trying out a broody Hen. How many eggs?

[rascal66]

Thats amazing, what a photo! Was that a 100% hatch? What breeds are the chicks?

It started as 12 fertile eggs. 10 hatched, the other two eggs were early quiters.theother chicks were added from my incubation hatch! So now she has 15 babies to look after

And the breeds are just barnyard mixes

 

[rascal66]

Yes! The babies did hatch. I only had one chick on day 21 so I was a bit worried but the following day there were 5 chicks. Not bad for shipped eggs. I usually get 2 or 3 if I am lucky here in England. In ten years I have had one 100% hatch with white leghorn eggs from eBay. I think this hatch is spread over 48 hours, so one chick is well behind the oldest and isn't walking as confidently yet. Mum is very good at brooding the weaker chick.

What eggs have you set under the broody?

I have never set 2 broody hens next to each other, I would keep them in separate nest boxes, A friend up the road says his just keep stealing eggs when one gets of to eat and drink.
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Wow such wonderful pictures!!! So precious! Glad to hear that the eggs hatched for you. Still gotta try some shipped eggs some time. If I could get them local, I would but I don't see or know of anyone who does the breeds I want..

The eggs I set were just barn yard mixed eggs from my own flock plenty of easter eggers and all sorts of variety.

 

[LONDON HENS]

So my first time broody got of the nest on day 21 (Sunday) and went and did her normal routine, I thought oh dear... all eggs unhatched. I left her because you never know..

Day 24 today, and shes walked out with three chicks (3 out of 4)!!! Speechless.

 

[Kdlevesque]

Oh wow! It looks like a sparked an old post ha ha! My baby chicks hatched last Wednesday and we got seven out of the nine eggs which I think is a pretty good rate. I am loving every minute of it! The mom hens are so used to me that they let me interact with them and their babies. I was worried about hatching with a Broody hen because of the fact that I would not be able to bond with the babies but that has not been the case. There is nothing better than watching your mama hen take care of her babies. Because my two girls have always been together they did not like being separated so they decided to get out of the nest boxes and make one big spot in the middle of the coop. Now the babies just go from one to the other and I don’t think they even know. I can sit and watch them for hours! The bad thing is, my children have had no school work done in the last three days!

 

[Maiahr]

Apologies for jumping out of topic... I have my very first ever broody hen and I am still missing a lot of information about it. I have read several Broody Hen 101 articles and I cannot find answers to my questions. I Managed to make a new and comfortable nest for her, bought 12 fertile eggs and put under her and placed another dozen in the incubator the same day. I am planning to candle the eggs on day 10 and remove the infertile from under the hen and put fertile from the incubator. If I have more fertile, I am planning to have the hen raise all the chicks together - hatched from her and from the incubator. Now, question 1. Is it true that it takes one day less for eggs to hatch under a broody hen than in an incubator? 2. My hen does not get up for a daily walk, so I take her out of the nesting box. How long should she be out and around before I put her back in the nest? 3. Do I need to spray the eggs under the hen with water on day 18 - similar to lockdown in an incubator?
Thank you

 

[LONDON HENS]

Apologies for jumping out of topic... I have my very first ever broody hen and I am still missing a lot of information about it. I have read several Broody Hen 101 articles and I cannot find answers to my questions. I Managed to make a new and comfortable nest for her, bought 12 fertile eggs and put under her and placed another dozen in the incubator the same day. I am planning to candle the eggs on day 10 and remove the infertile from under the hen and put fertile from the incubator. If I have more fertile, I am planning to have the hen raise all the chicks together - hatched from her and from the incubator. Now, question 1. Is it true that it takes one day less for eggs to hatch under a broody hen than in an incubator? 2. My hen does not get up for a daily walk, so I take her out of the nesting box. How long should she be out and around before I put her back in the nest? 3. Do I need to spray the eggs under the hen with water on day 18 - similar to lockdown in an incubator?
Thank you

Hello Maiahr, Welcome to the club!
Q1. It can sometimes take a day less under a broody for a number of reasons, but every hen is different and every set of eggs are different too. I have just had a broody, above, hatch eggs on day 23 and 24. The hen will want to probably stay on the nest well into day 22 to keep her chicks warm. The chicks dont need to feed for the first 24-48 hours after hatch as they are still feeding of the yolk they absorbed before hatch. I would get your chicks under here as soon as possible. I would also make sure there is an egg under her that you know wont hatch that will maybe keep her on the nest for a bit longer to give you time with the incubated eggs. Put the chicks in at night.
Q2. Again every hen is different. My 10yr old broody was off the nest for nearly 30 minutes each day and hatched 5 eggs from 8 so anything under that, the broody knows best.
Q3. I definitely wouldn't spray anything on the eggs. Let the chicken do everything. They wouldn't be sprayed in the wild...
Good luck!