Two BO Broodies, others trying to lay in their clutch...

[Wayne]

Multiple Questions, but first let me ask : Is this the proper forum , it seems that most all questions here have to do with incubator hatching.
with that said, I'll ask my questions anyhow...

4 hole nester, 2up and 2down....one broodies up top and the other on the 1st level

when the eggs hatch will the chicks be able to get back to the nest ? or is there a possibility that mama hen will relocate..?

both clutches are huge 13/15 eggs each, there are so many eggs that the hen's can't cover them all, when I catch them I have been removing the extra hens.....but that seems to be a losing battle.

This is a new experience for an old man, but hens have raised their own for many a year so I thought if they wanted to brood, so be it...

Do I need to do anything to help, or just ignore them and let them do it own their own ?

Thanks for you input,

wayne

 

[Ridgerunner]

This forum is fine for this question. It is where I would put it.

when the eggs hatch will the chicks be able to get back to the nest ? or is there a possibility that mama hen will relocate..?

Mine keeps them on the floor at night. I've seen posts on here that the hen will sometimes try to get back in a nest with them. I think this is a lot like many other things chicken. They are individuals and you really can't predict exactly what they will do. I personally would just leave it up to Mama and see what she wants to do. It may become a problem, but I would think Mama will most likely handle it. I have seen hens get chicks down from a ten foot high hay loft, so unless your nest boxes are really high, I would not worry too much about Mama being able to get them to the ground. If you leave them alone, it is amazing what a Mama hen can do.

both clutches are huge 13/15 eggs each, there are so many eggs that the hen's can't cover them all, when I catch them I have been removing the extra hens.....but that seems to be a losing battle.

The best way to do this is to mark all the eggs you want her to hatch and start them all at the same time. Then, once a day, check under the broody to remove any new unmarked eggs. Those are still good to eat. It may be that other hens are laying in the nest or the broody may be collecting eggs from other nests. I don't know how they do it, but I have seen an egg that was moved from the floor to a nest and I did not do it. Two bad thingscan happen when you don't remove the eggs. One, it takes 21 days from start of incubation for eggs to hatch. If eggs are added after incubation starts, then the broody will take the first chicks that hatch off the nest when they need food and water and the unhatched eggs die. The other thing may be happening to you. If the hen gets so many eggs she cannot keep all of them warm, the eggs that cool off will die. But when she is turning the eggs, the dead ones get moved back under her and others get pushed out to cool and die. It is very possible you will not get a good hatch with these broodies, but some eggs will probably hatch. Some people fence off their broodies so other eggs can't be added to the nests.

There are several things you could do at this point. As a minimum I'd suggest marking the eggs and removing any new ones daily. Some people will give dire warnings of disaster if you use them, but sharpies have always worked for me. I don't know how long the hens have been broody or if they started at the same time. You could try candling the eggs and remove any that are not developing to get the number down to where she can cover them. That's probably all I would do.

Good luck.

 

[Wayne]

Thanks ridgerunner, your reply is encouraging. I'm looking for a sharpie as I write this...Is it ok to take the broodie off the nest or just wait until she goes out to eat, etc..

wayne