*UPDATE* broody hen's eggs should have hatched, now what?

[chickenjones]

Ok so its been over 3 weeks and our hen started out with 11 eggs and now has about 5. I don't know if they are good. We did candle a few and they were good at the time. But still we are at almost 4 weeks. My question is about replacing the eggs with chicks. Can this be done? Could we go in during the night and take the eggs and just give her some chicks? She has worked so hard! I just can't believe none of them hatched! This would be her first clutch though so maybe she needs more practice. I have no idea. We have only had chickens a little over a year and this is the first time we let a broody hen sit. Any advice would be great. Also how long do I wait before taking the eggs from her? I don't want to take them if they would have hatched tomorrow, you know?

Thanks!
ChickenJones

PS she is a golden laced wyandotte if that matters at all

 

[TeamChaos]

So, started with 11 and 5 are left, does that mean 6 hatched? If so, does she have the chicks with her? I'm new to broodies but my ladies have done really well with an all in/ all out method- either sitting on eggs or tending to babies, but not trying to do both for very long. I'd candle those eggs one more time to be sure your dates aren't off (I was off by THREE weeks on one of my broodies, I don't even understand how that could happen!) and if they are duds, go ahead and sneak some babies under her at nite while removing the eggs.

 

[Mahonri]

Try some chicks on a Friday night when you can watch carefully in the morning.

Good luck. (It's worked for me almost every time... one new broody wouldn't accept them)

 

[chickenjones]

Sorry I wasn't clear. We started with about 11 eggs and there are 5 eggs still left unhatched.

Thanks!

 

[centrarchid]

Give hen 48 hours after first hatch to finish up. Thereafter hen will need to move older chicks to begin feeding / foraging. No need to supplement brood with more chicks. If this is your first time with hen raising chicks, then let her raise them so you can watch and learn.

 

[chickenjones]

Quote:
I am only wanting to add chicks if none of them hatch. So far none of them have hatched.

 

[megshenhut]

So she started with 11 and 6 got broke, only 5 are left and none of them hatched after 4 weeks. Right?? I'd check them, but doubt that any are still going to hatch. If you find that so, I agree with Mahonri, put some purchased chicks under her Friday night after dark, maybe check on them right before you go to bed and make sure they are under her. Then check on them early, early on Saturday morning. If they are under her and she is still sitting on the nest you should be good. If she doesn't want to accept them, you will know right away because she will probably peck at them like they are invading her nest.

 

[centrarchid]

At four weeks, balance of eggs are duds (infertile / not viable). I recommend busting up balance of clutch. Failure to remove bad eggs can result in one busting and degrading hatchability of new eggs. You can swap in new eggs but hen would do better to get rest before committing to another brooding effort. Brooding not as easy as it looks for hen.

 

[chickenjones]

ok, all of the eggs were bad. We threw them out this morning. The last four were really bad. However she has yet to get off the nest since then. Then my DH went to lock the coop and she is sitting on another egg! Isn't it bad for her to continue sitting for this long? What do we do? Plus I am stumped as to why all the eggs were bad.

This is the first time we have let nature run its course with a broody chicken so we don't know what went wrong. What should we do or how do we get her to stop? Or will we have to put chicks under her?

Thanks,
ChickenJones

 

[TheReidHomestead]

Try and find local newborn chicks and slip them under her at night. She should take them if she has been sitting for that long.

If you don't want to do that, try moving her to somewhere different for a few days to break her of her broodiness. Do you have a dog crate you can put her in for a few days? Or a different coop/run? The change of scenery can sometimes break them.