What's your average % of broody hatched eggs?

[lazy gardener]

My experiences in the last few years:

Dominique hatched 6/8. Raised all successfully. She was given her own broody area, and b/c she was at the bottom of the pecking order, I trained her and her chicks to a tractor during the day, and a broody area in the coop at night. Heavy hawk predation that year.

This summer, I had 2 broodies.

I gave 12 eggs to Broody #1. She ate one egg (early quitter) and there was 1 un-fertile egg. The remaining 10 eggs hatched, and are now 8 weeks old.

I gave 14 eggs to Broody #2. Then, against my better judgement, I gave her an extra egg the morning after she started the original 14. The following morning, she ate one egg. I removed one un-fertile and one early quitter on day 8. she hatched 100% of the remaining eggs. These chicks are now 3.5 weeks old.

To maximize your hatch rate, as well as the success of the chicks reaching adulthood:

Put the flock on good quality feed and multivits prior to collecting hatching eggs.

Give the broody a private area to set on her eggs and for the first few days with her babies.

Make sure you have plenty of space in coop and run for a brood of chicks. This requires more than the minimum recommended space of 4 s.f. in coop and 10 s.f. in run/bird. A broody hen will claim a lot of space and defend it against the rest of the flock.

These hatching numbers are not a lot different than my incubator numbers. Perhaps off by 5 - 10% when looking at the eggs that "make it to lock down."

 

[lazy gardener]

I still have heavy hawk predation. No doubt that if the flock was not contained, there would be no babies left.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You guys with 100% is why I'm asking questions! Congratulations!

@oldhenlikesdogs - The pen is pretty much predator-proof. Sparrow size birds can get in, but the bottom 2 feet is 1/2" mesh so chicks can't get out and the top is covered. It's 10' x 5' and has a raised plastic dog house for a nest. Maybe a mouse or rat, or snake could make its way in. Three sides are covered with shade cloth so that discourages things too. I counted 7 eggs on day 17 and never saw Gretchen get off the nest again before the chicks hatched on day 20. When she finally got off to feed & water the chicks, I saw 2 eggs kicked to the side but she was still sitting on 2 so I left everything alone. I figured the other was kicked off and buried but when she gave up on the eggs and I cleaned the nest, there was no 7th egg. Yes - last year she and the other broody got 10 eggs each, from 3 days of lay. So I thought maybe less would be better and all exactly the same lay day. So I collected 7 eggs all laid the same day and put them under her. I guess I'm wondering why 2 died just short of pipping. If it's a pretty normal thing or if the hen doesn't know how to turn them properly. Thanks for your help!

You said a chick disappeared as well? Hens will sometimes eat eggs but I've never seen one eat a chick. I have had chicks wander and get chilled stuck somewhere. I've even had chicks get stuck to mom's feathers repeatedly. It can be hard to see dead chicks sometimes.

If one particular hen is having troubles than it may be the hen, and I probably wouldn't use her to hatch again.

I'm not real familiar with why some die right before hatch. Could be it was too weak to get out and suffocated. As mentioned by @lazy gardener , nutrition in parent stock can affect viability of eggs and developing chicks. I recommend a higher protein fresh ration, but I don't know if that's the answer for sure.

In my experiences it's not normal for chicks to die so close to hatching.

 

[Perris]

To maximize your hatch rate, as well as the success of the chicks reaching adulthood:

Put the flock on good quality feed and multivits prior to collecting hatching eggs.

Give the broody a private area to set on her eggs and for the first few days with her babies.

Make sure you have plenty of space in coop and run for a brood of chicks. This requires more than the minimum recommended space of 4 s.f. in coop and 10 s.f. in run/bird. A broody hen will claim a lot of space and defend it against the rest of the flock.

Many thanks for this advice @lazy gardener ; with my first hatch due in 3 days, the third piece of advice is very timely!

 

[Rysktal]

Great thread.

I've only had the experience of one broody hatching eggs so far. My dominant hen kicked another broody off her nest and took over it half way through, lol. She was sitting on 13 eggs and when it came closer to hatching she rolled a bunch out and sat on 8.

Of the 8...she assisted the first chick' s hatch and then promptly abandoned him. I found him cold and pushed up against a wall the morning after he hatched...not dead, he's alive and well, hand raised by me and the kids.

6 days later 4 more hatched that she kept. Then a few days after that another started hatching and I caught her eating it. (I took it away, assisted the hatch and let him die peacefully...)

1 egg disappeared one day and the last egg, that I took away after the chick eating situation was yolky.

Sooooo 5/8 are still alive but she's only raising the 4 that were born around the same time.

It was quite the experience for me...I think she abandoned the first chick because she knew the rest of her eggs were not ready yet, and I wonder if she tried to kill her last chick because her 4 chicks were already super curious and leaving the nest.

I would totally let her have more babies! She seems to know what's she's doing. So is also a pretty hands off mama...she defends her babies fiercly but also encourages them to explore. In the early evening after a long day of chick adventures, she calls them back for a little cuddle in the long grass before bringing them into the coop for bed ♡

 

[lazy gardener]

One more bit of advice: set all eggs on the same day!

 

[wild chick]

Great replies, thank you! @lazy gardener you have provided some insight. The only thing I didn't do is add vitamins. I was just feeding layer pellets with nothing added except a little scratch morning and evening, about a cup for the 12 birds, so I don't think that's over doing it? When the 3 day old chick disappeared it was in my first hatch ever and I let the broody out the day she left the remaining eggs. (all my flock is free range in the day) All I can think of is that it got stuck somewhere and chilled and died, but I never found it. The hen and other chickens gave no indication of a predator and it happened in a 3 hour window. Now I keep the hen and babies in the broody pen (10 x 5 feet), for 5 days before opening the door to the great outdoors. I think incubators would be fun, and for sure the chicks would be more friendly, but I love seeing them raised by a hen and becoming part of the flock is easier. Thanks for your story @Rysktal - I don't feel so alone with my mishaps!