When Should I Give Up?

[MelissaA]

Hello,
I set my first batch of eggs under a first time broody hen on March 21. My hen is 3, the roo is 1 yr (bought him at Christmas and the breeder says she had chicks from him). I thought I heard tapping on Friday, day 19. She seems to be getting more protective each day that passes- and she is now piling up bedding all around her to make the nest more protected. I looked at the eggs last night and didn't see or hear anything. I haven't candled because I am not sure if I would know what I was looking at. At what point should I just take the eggs away and put her back with the rest of the flock?

(she has been a very good sitter, not even getting up to eat or drink- I had to put the food right in front of her- she would get up only to go the the bathroom every 3 or 4 days).

Thanks!
Melissa

 

[rancher hicks]

You didn't "have" to do anything. Sorry to sound so harsh but I don't know why anyone thinks they need to meddle. I have yet to read about anyone finding their broody hen dead on a nest of eggs. Leave her be, she knows what "she's" doing. She'll get off when she's ready.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Have you looked under her to see if there aren't chicks under her? They don't always make noise. If it were me, I would give her a couple more days and then I would pick her up and look. Candle any eggs to see if anything was even developing in them. Good luck.

 

[Shifty Joe]

If your worried, go sit in the coop for twenty minutes and be quite. Chicks (even if they are still in the egg) tend to make a bit of noise, so you should hear something. Also, depending on this or that your day count might be different than what the eggs really are. I have a hen the just went broody, yet when I checked on them after a few days it seems she had laid an extra one. Give her till the end of the week, if she's still not off try candling them. If you can't see through it chance are they are good to go.

 

[MelissaA]

Ok thanks!

You are right- I didn't have to do anything, but she had pretty bad diarrhea all around her and was frantic about it a week ago. According to my chicken health book that meant she was dehydrated. The book said to place the food and water there. When I put food and water in front of her she gobbled it right up like she was starving.

I have tried to let her be and let nature take it's course, this is why I didn't try to candle, etc. The first time I did bother her looking at the eggs/ under her was last night. No pipping, movement or noise..... please keep your fingers crossed for us! After all of this I will feel awful for her not hatching anything. She has been so dedicated!

 

[fancbrd4me02]

If the eggs are fertile and were fresh enough, and she didn't get off the nest it is almost a gaurantee that she will hatch something. Nature is much better at these things than we are most of the time. 2 weeks ago I popped some eggs under one of my broodies and I havn't seen the eggs since. I don't dare even try to look! (She bites really hard and it's as if her butt is superglued to that nest!)

 

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

Good luck!!! I'm sure she's going to be a great mom, and behalf of all of us on BYC....POST PICTURES!!!

 

[MelissaA]

Thanks so much everyone! I will keep hoping! I took the eggs that were laid that day by all my girls and put her out in her own little house, so they should be very fresh. I will keep you posted!

 

[babsbag]

If she doesn't hatch any of them for some reason you can always buy her a few from a feed store and slip them in on her at night. They will usually accept them with no problems and be quite proud of themselves for "hatching" out their new babies. Just keep an eye on her and be ready to take them and raise them if she doesn't.

 

[MelissaA]

WELL, I finally candled and found that all the eggs were bad (rotten with nothing I could tell that started)

, along with all eggs under the hen I started 1 1/2 after the first hen. Now I am wondering if my roo, which I bought from a reputable breeder on this site is fertile (all the eggs I set were from several of my hens and the breed said she had chicks from him before I bought him) or my brooding houses are built with one layer of plywood on the bottom and sitting right on the ground- I have a few inches of shaved pine for nesting. Maybe the eggs got too cold on the bottom side? It has been around 35 degrees during the night....

Also, my favorite hen’s eggs were all very porous. Is there a way I can fix that? Can I feed her something to help? She is really the main chicken I want chicks from!

THANKS FOR ANY ADVICE!