How is a clutch laid and when will they start sitting? Looking forward to spring!

[Penny spender]

Looking forward to spring!! Hoping my lady, Speckles, will go broody again this year (she hatched 5 babies from a friend's fertile eggs last year). I now have my own rooster (one of the babies) and would like to raise more chicks this year, hopefully from my own little flock instead of getting eggs from elsewhere.

So....how do I know if she's laying and going to turn broody, or just laying eggs as usual? I collect eggs every day and put them in the refrigerator. After she's gone broody, is it too late to start leaving her the eggs? Can I put all the eggs from a few days under her (only 6 hens)? Will the eggs be OK if they were laid elsewhere and cooled for a few hours or do they immediately have to go under her? Will being laid on different days affect when they hatch?

Im sure all these questions are already answered here on BYC somewhere. lol. Maybe someone can just point me in the right direction? Thanks!

 

[Welshies]

A clutch is only sat on when a hen is satisfied with the amount of eggs laid. If you want her to go broody, don't collect the eggs. She will go broody and you can tell when she sits on the eggs and refuses to get off or puffs up when you approach.

 

[lazy gardener]

Broodiness is a state that is caused by hormone shift. It is not really related to whether there are eggs in the nest or not. I'd continue collecting eggs every day. If she goes broody, you'll know the tell tale signs. You could save eggs on the counter every day. Put the older ones in the fridge, always keeping 1 - 2 weeks worth, or up to 10 eggs (if she's a big gal) on the counter to use if she does go broody. Then, give her all eggs you want to hatch at once, and mark them, don't allow other hens to deposit fresh eggs in her nest.

I'd not let a hen set eggs in the winter b/c of the difficulty of raising chicks in sub zero temps.

 

[Penny spender]

Broodiness is a state that is caused by hormone shift. It is not really related to whether there are eggs in the nest or not. I'd continue collecting eggs every day. If she goes broody, you'll know the tell tale signs. You could save eggs on the counter every day. Put the older ones in the fridge, always keeping 1 - 2 weeks worth, or up to 10 eggs (if she's a big gal) on the counter to use if she does go broody. Then, give her all eggs you want to hatch at once, and mark them, don't allow other hens to deposit fresh eggs in her nest.

I'd not let a hen set eggs in the winter b/c of the difficulty of raising chicks in sub zero temps.

So the eggs sitting on the counter will still be viable for 1-2 weeks?? Really? Thats awesome!

I definitely wont let her sit in winter. Its brutal here! -12F this morning. She hasn't wanted to sit either since she hatched the last one in August (I only got her in May as a ready to lay pullet), I'm thinking her body clock or whatever knows that babies are for spring. lol

 

[Welshies]

Mine hatched in October and it's been hard enough. My hen was triggered to brood by the 15 eggs in the nest. She hatched 10, one got accidentally smothered.
I still have nine but it is cold here. -4°F on average. Till they were feathered they had a heat lamp even with momma to brood them, yet I still had one frostbite half a toe off.

 

[kesrchicky16]

Refrigerated will hinder if not kill their ability to hatch. A hen can only cover so many eggs. I offered a clutch of 10 left on the counter and she rejected 2. Those 2 eggs are growing just fine in my incubator so my guess is she is only big enough to cover 8.

Being laid on different days doesn't matter.what matters is being "heated" on the same day. Gather your clutch into egg cartons tilted up on one side and change the tilt ever 8 hours. Then when you have 10 mark them, put them all under her, and keep other eggs out daily.

Mine is sitting right now but we are still getting above freezing 2 or 3 days a week.

 

[Welshies]

Refrigerated will hinder if not kill their ability to hatch.

Being laid on different days doesn't matter.what matters is being "heated" on the same day

x2.

 

[centrarchid]

What I look for hens watched closely is the following sequence.

1) Hen produces a sound that get roosters interested in showing them nesting sites.

2A) Hen begins prepping selected nest site

2B) Hen solicits rooster to cover / mate with her two to three days prior to first egg of clutch produced.

3) Egg deposition begins. Mating particularly intense after deposition of egg. Otherwise hen spends little time near nest.

4) Repeat egg deposition at roughly 24 hour intervals. Healthy birds slightly less time between eggs. Hen works on nest a little prior to deposition of each egg.

5) When clutch a couple eggs shy of complete, hen no longer solicits rooster to cover her. She spends more time on nest after depositing each egg. She starts to cluck when off nest.

6) Incubation cycle commences with hen staying on nest all night and for all but an hour or so each day. She will role egg around the clock but often will refrain from doing so when she thinks she is being watched. In a free-range setting hen comes off nest for break roughly in middle of day and she is sneaky about it. Confined and things not as predictable.

7) As incubation cycle proceeds hen may change behavior relative to threats. As hatching approaches she becomes more aggressive in defense of clutch.

8) Roughly day 18 hen begins to communicate with developing embryos. Embryos also talk to each other. All this is start of imprinting.

9) Starting about 36 hours before first hatch, hen often stops taken breaks.

10) Hatching starts about 21 days after start of incubation and usually finished 24 to 36 hours later.

11) Nest lead off usually within 36 hours after first chicks hatching. Late lead off not good for survival rate.

 

[rebrascora]

@centrarchid

Wow! You clearly study your broody hens very closely! That is a really interesting list and I will be watching my broodies more closely this spring for some of the less obvious steps you have listed.

 

[centrarchid]

I still do not know what the actual sound is hens use to indicate they are looking for a bo, I can just rule out sight and smell.