I'm amazed!

kbshorts · #1 08/02/11, 06:08 AM

I just had to share this one. A week or so ago one of my broody hens decided that she wasn't ready to be a mother and abandoned her clutch of 8 eggs in a broody house after about 15 days of setting. I left the eggs in the house and let her rejoin the flock. Last evening my friend brought over a broody to join my flock, he only had her and was not interested in keeping a flock any longer. She was setting on unfertile eggs at his place. I decided to put her in the broody house for a couple of days. When I went to remove the abandoned eggs, I heard peeping. After being abandoned for over a week, 5 of the 8 were hatching. After dark, I slipped her onto the nest and this morning she was settled tight. I have hatched a lot of chicks but this is a first for me,, anyone else ever experience this? Did the chicks survive?

Keith

mammabooh · #2 08/02/11, 06:39 AM

Wow...it must be pretty humid and warm in that broody house! I'll be very interested to hear if they survive. Keep us updated.

WstTxLady · #3 08/02/11, 11:24 PM

If she is setting on them, taking care of them..they should make it just fine. She may just think she has set & they babies are hatching. Some broodies just don't take a move very well but she might.

Serena · #4 08/03/11, 05:29 PM

i had a broody switch nests SUnday and leave her eggs...yesterday I found a peeper in that abandoned nest hatching and candled two more hatching too! I shoved her back on that nest and she is happily hatching her babies now. Its dry as a bone here too.. he had a little stickage on his back, but wasnt shrink wrapped like an incubator baby... AND I swear these eggs are only about 15 days into incubation or less! The turkeys got into the broody pen(dumb turkeys) and ate the first batch they were brooding..... all 30 eggs between 3 hens... they were due to hatch THE NEXT DAY and all were candeled as alive. I was tempted to have turkey for dinner...
Of course I have to watch... if I gather eggs and set them down in the barn and forget them.... I left some for a week.. candeled them before putting them under a hen and they were already growing! Never been under a hen, just sitting out on a table in the barn!

kbshorts · #5 08/04/11, 11:23 AM

The little broody did settle down but sadly, none survived. All managed to break the shell but never made it out. I borrowed a couple of eggs from a game hen's clutch and replaced them. I'm disappointed, I thought that at least a couple would survive. It's so hot and humid here that I think they would hatch in the nest box.

Keith

WstTxLady · #6 08/04/11, 07:57 PM

It is SO hot here in Texas, Im surprised they eggs aren't hatching as soon as they are laid. The lack of humidity is what gets me but apparently it's enough to get successful hatches.