First time hatching eggs from a broody chicken

[myelli]

the hen needs to cover them to incubate them; if she's a big girl, no worries. If she is not and she struggles to keep them all warm, the fertile ones may be the ones that get cold and then die. More is not necessarily better in this case. It's not hedging bets, it's increasing risk of failure.

there are many posts on BYC where people have misread what they saw when candling, and killed the chick(s) as a result. If you are going to leave them all under her anyway, what is the point of candling?

That's true, but 1 or 2 will do for that purpose.

Iluveggers answered that. You may get pink too.

She’s a Bielfelder and she’s pretty big. She’s been sitting on the eggs for 2 weeks now. We did notice 2 more now. Originally there were 11, but now there’s 13!

 

[myelli]

Myelli . Not sure what you are talking about being broody. She will lay about a n egg a day. Then quit laying and go to sitting. Thats called broody. But you want to have the eggs ready when she starts sitting. Fresh eggs not some she has been sitting on or she will hatch them and then go feed them and let the rest die from being cold. And the trouble I have had is to many different breeds in same clutch. If one is say a blond chick and the rest brown she may kill it. They are a little racist at times.

She started stealing others eggs and started sitting on them 2 weeks ago. She also was making all the broody noises. We moved her and the eggs into a smaller coop since the other hens were pecking at her. She wouldn’t leave, eat or drink for the first couple of days. Now she leaves only to eat (very little), drink, poop and dust bathe.

 

[Perris]

She’s a Bielfelder and she’s pretty big. She’s been sitting on the eggs for 2 weeks now. We did notice 2 more now. Originally there were 11, but now there’s 13!

So you are in the home straight; not long now. Pity about the 2 additions; do you have any idea about when they were added? If it was within a couple of days of the start of incubation, there's a possibility they will make it. Otherwise she will have to abandon them, in order to keep those that hatch first alive - they will need to leave the nest to eat and drink by 2 or 3 days after hatching (they are fine for those first days; they get everything they need from the yolk which they absorb in the last two days before hatching and which is what gives them a big soft bottom on hatching).

 

[Perris]

She wouldn’t leave, eat or drink for the first couple of days. Now she leaves only to eat (very little), drink, poop and dust bathe.

When they hatch, don't focus all your attention on the chicks. She will need - and deserves - some tlc after her 3 week stint incubating them. I would give her whatever food she most likes (she will probably want to share it with her chicks but their appetites are miniscule on hatching and for the next day or two, and she will guzzle it down pretty quickly if she's anything like my broodies). We can cross that bridge when you get there.

 

[welderskelter]

The new egggs wont be shiny like the rest and should be pulled out.

 

[Perris]

The new egggs wont be shiny like the rest and should be pulled out.

that's bad advice; some hens lay glossy eggs, some matt, some in between.

 

[Yardmom]

It is common for backyard hens to sit on the eggs from other hens. A hen picking on a chick she hatched, no matter the color, is rare.
Do you have (or can you get) an incubator? It sounds like you will have a staggered hatch. When the hen moves off the nest other eggs can be finished in the incubator. You might be able to give them back to her, but prepared for her to reject them.
The color of eggs the chicks will lay is determined by the genetics they get from the rooster and the hen. Does your Ameraucana lay a true blue egg? Is the rooster from the same source? If your rooster is a true Ameraucana the Ameraucana chick will lay a blue egg. All others will lay a shade of green. The darker the brown of the egg it hatches from the darker the green will likely be.
As far as breeds of the chicks, they will all be Easter Eggers because of their Ameraucana father. (Except the pure Ameraucana)
I will note if your rooster is not a pure Ameraucana (EE) he could have a not blue gene and some of the chicks could then lay brown eggs.

 

[welderskelter]

Hard for a chicken to steal eggs. They dont got thumbs.