Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[chickenlisa]

one of my Giant white Cochin hens has been broody for weeks, and mad at me for taking the eggs (all mixed barnyard ones I don't want hatching) so I got the brilliant idea to give her some eggs I DO want to hatch. I traded what she had for 8 Khaki Campbell duck eggs (because not 1 of the 3 KC gals is broody yet.) I do see a nest full of eggs in their house, but no one sits on them yet....So I'll see if this hen will sit tight on the duck eggs for 28 days...She was locked down pretty tight today still and was pretty concerned when I lifted her up to take the chicken eggs out (I wrote red numbers on the duck eggs so I know which is which...)

Time will tell...I had an Ameraucauna hen hatch out 4 Swedish ducklings last year for me. This one is sitting up in a raised nestbox though...2 feet off the floor. Yikes. I may have to make a ramp with steps up to her nest box.
Lisa

 

[Audio51]

LOL!!!! I can just picture it now......

Seriously though...there is no other possible source of fertile eggs and I know exactly when I put them under her. The run is covered from stem to stern so no chance of any wild banties sneaking in and having his way with them. The eggs were ordered becasue I wanted only Black Copper Marans. I had ordered I am still dumfounded....

 

[stonykill]

looks like I finally get to join the thread for the year. My best Broody "Mama" had to be broken of her broodiness about 3 weeks ago as she was in an unsafe spot. Tonight she is on her favorite nest in the "Sumatra broody shed" at lockup. If she sits all day tomorrow she gets fresh eggs. Mama and I have done this dance many many times. She is at least 6 and I have had her 5 years. She raises 4 broods a year every year. Even at her age when not broody she lays 5 to 6 eggs a week. Good genes in that girl. Good genes.

 

[melissaG]

LOL!!!! I can just picture it now......

Seriously though...there is no other possible source of fertile eggs and I know exactly when I put them under her. The run is covered from stem to stern so no chance of any wild banties sneaking in and having his way with them. The eggs were ordered becasue I wanted only Black Copper Marans. I had ordered I am still dumfounded....

sooo, they all look like Marans and not like her?

guess if that's the case, the chicks got the joke on us! but hey, glad they're happy lil peepers!

 

[Audio51]

Here are some pictures of the chicks.

I think I figured out what happened. This was all gloing on right after my husband had a medical emergency and spent 9 days in the hopsital after emergency surgery so you can understand my lack of focus.

On the 18th I received an order for 9 Black Copper Marans. The seller shipped an extra egg for a total of 10, but the eggs were very light and I was not convince they were BCM. I ordered 10 from another seller who sent 1 extra for a total of 11, but went ahead and placed the light eggs under the broody hen on the 18th while I waited for the new eggs. When the new shipment of nice dark eggs came, I removed the light eggs from under the hen and put them in the incubator. I put the new, dark eggs under the broody hen. My other hens had been laying in the same nest box where the broody was incubating so there were a few infertile eggs in there (again...no roosters so no chance they were fertile). I think I must have only removed 8 of the 10 eggs when I made the swap. I think the 2 that hatched under the hen were part of the original shipment. As you can tell from the picture, at least one is definitley NOT a BC Maran. I'm not sure about the 2 lighter chicks. They could be a variation of shade of Marans. The photos I have seen do have some differences from chick to chick, but most are on the darker side

 

[melissaG]

Here are some pictures of the chicks.



I think I figured out what happened. This was all gloing on right after my husband had a medical emergency and spent 9 days in the hopsital after emergency surgery so you can understand my lack of focus.

On the 18th I received an order for 9 Black Copper Marans. The seller shipped an extra egg for a total of 10, but the eggs were very light and I was not convince they were BCM. I ordered 10 from another seller who sent 1 extra for a total of 11, but went ahead and placed the light eggs under the broody hen on the 18th while I waited for the new eggs. When the new shipment of nice dark eggs came, I removed the light eggs from under the hen and put them in the incubator. I put the new, dark eggs under the broody hen. My other hens had been laying in the same nest box where the broody was incubating so there were a few infertile eggs in there (again...no roosters so no chance they were fertile). I think I must have only removed 8 of the 10 eggs when I made the swap. I think the 2 that hatched under the hen were part of the original shipment. As you can tell from the picture, at least one is definitley NOT a BC Maran. I'm not sure about the 2 lighter chicks. They could be a variation of shade of Marans. The photos I have seen do have some differences from chick to chick, but most are on the darker side

ohmygosh, if I hadn't been sure I wanted marans before.. they are sooo cute!!!!

I can so understand busy getting in the way of .. everything! Seldom stops to let us think

congratulations on a full house of fluffy joy!!!

 

[stonykill]

it's official. "Mama" my best broody Sumatra is broody in a safe spot. In her favorite nest. She got up 1st thing this morning to eat and drink and I gave her a dozen fresh Sumatra eggs.

this is her on one of her 4 broods last year. Same nest. She raised 15 happy healthy Sumatra chocks in this brood last year. She is 6 years old at least this year. She is the best!

 

[Johnn]

it's official. "Mama" my best broody Sumatra is broody in a safe spot. In her favorite nest. She got up 1st thing this morning to eat and drink and I gave her a dozen fresh Sumatra eggs.

this is her on one of her 4 broods last year. Same nest. She raised 15 happy healthy Sumatra chocks in this brood last year. She is 6 years old at least this year. She is the best!

 

[Johnn]

We are forecasted to have snow tonight and through the day tomorrow, so if any eggs roll out from under the hen I will just chuck them. I have the hens names marked on of which hen the eggs off so I know which 3 so far haven't fell out and if they don't fall out I wont have to start fresh again but if they do I will just chuck them all and start again.

 

[stonykill]

We are forecasted to have snow tonight and through the day tomorrow, so if any eggs roll out from under the hen I will just chuck them. I have the hens names marked on of which hen the eggs off so I know which 3 so far haven't fell out and if they don't fall out I wont have to start fresh again but if they do I will just chuck them all and start again.

why? just tuck them back under her