Young hen appears to have gone broody first time

[shelleyd2008]

Sorry, it seems you have been forgotten about!

Did you mark the eggs when she got off the nest? If it doesn't matter if they all hatch, that's fine, but you may have a lot of partially developed dead chicks if you didn't! They hatch about 21 days after the hen starts to incubate them, so the way it sounds you may have a few chicks a day for a week or more!! What do you plan on doing with the ones she leaves?

 

[BeakSanctuary]

good point! I didn't ever mark the eggs so I guess after she hatches "some" I will need to candle the others and put them in an incubator,... only way to avoid the consequence you mentioned. I'm still going to be the surprised one if there's any outcome from this, at all. They will likely all be turken chicks.

 

[shelleyd2008]

You could also take the chicks away as she hatches them, although she may not set long enough to hatch them all. It would be easier to let her hatch them, and you would only need the brooder. If they aren't too far apart in age, you might be able to give them back to her.

 

[BeakSanctuary]

Yeah, I have no idea how that will go as I haven't ever had it happen this way, no hatching experience, at all, so if she cares to keep setting, good idea, you're right! Thanks.

 

[BeakSanctuary]

Well, this chapter is now over and little broody is no longer setting. Could be my fault, too. These are the condemning details: nestboxes started off suspended about a foot above the floor on tracks; after first few days, her box fell to land on the straw and she still sat on it; yesterday, I did some work on the suspension system and got her nest back where it started off, and ever since, she has not been setting. With the temperatures low, I could have saved the nest if I'd had an incubator, but didn't and didn't know she wouldn't go back. She acted like she'd forgotten all about the nest most of yesterday, for whatever reasons. Maybe she knew nothing was happening with the eggs. Or else she thinks I ruined things. Could be either thing.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Aw, that's too bad. In the future, if you want to try to get one to go broody, just switch the eggs out with golf balls, or some other fake egg. It would probably be a good idea to have a nest on the floor, and load that one up with balls. That way the hen would hopefully sit in it, so you wouldn't have to move it, or risk it falling. That is one reason why a lot of people (not here, in person) had told me not to let a pullet set. They said most times they won't set all the way, or they aren't good mamas. Mine are all bantams, and everyone set the whole time. Three of them still have their chicks. The chicks are 3-4 months old, and still mama is watching them. Better luck next time. Make sure you mark your eggs for future reference!

 

[maymay8]

Oh bummer. I was interested in seeing hwat happens to 22 eggs under a turkey hen. But if she has the broody calling, she might try again. Let us know if she does. Two of my bantam chicken hens just hatched their first clutch of eggs and we've let nature take its course with the chicks. Minus one scare, they are all doing fine with their mamas and the first chick hatched a week ago and there are two eggs still pipping under one of the hens as I type this.
Best luck next time.
Maggie

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
How many eggs have you put under her ? What breed is she ?

I had 2 hens that went broody this summer and I took the whole nesting box and HER and put them in a 6 ft. cage so she would not be disturbed by the other hens . My 1st. broody , if she ever got off the nest to eat , drink , poop , another hen would jump in her nest . No way would I allow that . I moved her . I marked all her eggs . 21 days later , we had beautiful baby chicks . By the way , I collected 6 fertiled eggs to put under her . After you put them under her , you don't ever have to worry about turning them or anything , she does it all ..... JUST make sure she had fresh food and water daily .

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
OMG NO .... she can not possibily hatch that many eggs .... MAYBE 6 or 8 .

 

[Southernbelle]

Oh that stinks! I'm so sorry! Could've been either one.

My 3rd broody abandoned her nest, I gave all her eggs to the 4th broody, but it was too late. It looks like they all died early in development and got increasingly rotten the longer the 4th broody sat on it. So, I think they got too cold in the time it took me to realize she had quit and moved them to the 4th broody. This time of year the weather is so unforgiving!

The 3rd broody starting laying again and in the last 2 days starting brooding again. I let her sit on the 4 eggs that were in there. I think she abandoned her nest last time because I didn't give her eggs right away and by the time I gave her real eggs, her internal clock told her she was done, so she got up.

Since the 4th broody's eggs were all rotten and she seemed like she wanted to keep going, I gave her a few mutt eggs, but I didn't like the location she had chosen, so I moved her nest and she didn't go back to it, so I lost them too.