Day 19 and counting....

[Madlentileater]

we have a fist time broody sitting on 8 eggs. She has been very good, sat tight (although they did occassionaly roll out at first as she was sat right next to the sloping ramp thingy)- I worried she wasn't eating but there is a new poo every day in the run, so clearly stuff going in at one end. This is a first time for me too, so what I want to know is, do I just sit tight myself and let her get on with it or is there anything I should watch out for?- will check back later for your wise words!

please?

Snap! We also have a broody on day 19 (given that it's now Saturday). I've been lifting her off the nest every evening for food/drink/poo because she wasn't doing so herself but your hen sounds much more sensible. She may not get up now until after hatching which is fine, just look in on her to check she's OK.

If you want to remove empty egg shells from under the hen during the hatch then do so - if she'll let you! Give her as much corn as she wants afterwards to get her strength back up. If she (or another hen) shows aggression towards the chicks you may have to remove them. If nothing has hatched by day 23 then you may need to turf the poor old hen off and chuck the eggs, though if they haven't exploded you could give them a few more days. We had a broken rotten egg in the nest yesterday, absolutely stank and all the other eggs were covered so I had to do a clean-up. Hope it hasn't spoilt them - not long to wait though.

Er, that's about it. Good luck! (And report back please)!

Thanks! DD2 reported this am that one of the eggs 'seemed to be moving' so it's bated breath here. We are planning to keep them seperate till 6 weeks, then re introduce gradually. Do you think crushed layers pellets Ok for the chicks? I know there are growers pellets, bt not sure how different they are. (Our hens get layers pellets+scraps)

I always buy in chick crumbs and feed those until they are about 6 weeks and then put them on growers pellets. I don't give layers pellets until they are about 18 weeks old. My favourite chicken book says not to give chicks layers pellets - it's all to do with protein levels etc but I don't know what the outcome of doing it would be. I'm sure plenty of chicks grow up eating whatever they can find.

My broody had a broken rotten egg under her last night. Rather stinky and I had to clean up the other eggs too. No pipping or anything yet. She's sat so well for 3 weeks that it will be a real shame if they're all addled.

What a day to hatch on!
DD1 claims she can hear chipping, but I've just been out and can hear nothing.

They've been out again and can see a small crack!!!

I've just opened the broody coop door to check on my hen and she pecked at me, which she hasn't done before even though I lift her off the nest every evening. So perhaps something is happening... I'm leaving her to it now, she has food & water in the other end of the hutch if she's desperate but once they start pipping/hatching the eggs/chicks have a much better chance of survival if they stay warm under the hen.

I hope mine get a move on - I want to know whether I need to build another hen run tomorrow!

just been out and can definitely hear cheeping- but can't see anything! I just wish it wasn't so vile and windy. Still she is well protected.

Looked in on broody about 8pm and there is at least one chick . Nice and fluffy too so probably hatched during the afternoon. I hope some of the others are hatching or hatched but hen is sitting tight so I'll have to wait and see.

Congratulations!-well, we have 2 hatched but she's still not budging. 6 to go. One is visiblky hatching and has broken through the membrane. We tried to tempt her out with some food, but no chance (I hope this doesn't cause a misplaced poo!) will go in search of chick crumbs after work.

At least 3 chicks now (seen peering out from under her wing, but there could be more lurking underneath)!

wahey! 4 chicks v cute and fluffy! 4 still to go. 2 black, one stripey 1 grey and yellow! Have bought some chick crumbs and they are eating them! all very excited in the madlentil household!
oops...sorry for the teenage puncutation

5 chicks. 3 yellow, 1 brown, 1 dark brown or black. One dead chick half-hatched out of it's shell and 2 eggs left but I can't see whether there is any sign of pipping. I'll give her the rest of today on them but she will need to get the first hatched chicks out to eat/drink.

6 chicks!! 3 yellow, 1 brown and 2 black. And she's had them out for food/water but has gone back on the remaining egg - no pip in it yet though.

I'm very pleased with her hatching results though!

OOOh....6! we have 4, 2 black, one greyish and one brown and yellow. She's not sitting on the others at all, now....should we throw them away? 4/8.....good, bad or average?

A 50% hatch rate is quite good. If your broody hen has been off the other eggs for over an hour then they're no longer viable so clear them away and she can get on with looking after her chicks.

Our hen took her chicks outside today!

OK thanks. If I put them in the compost will they break and smell awful? ours are all outside lookin v cute. We may have a cute off with neighbour's puppy!

Not sure about the smell. The exploded egg under my broody was pretty nasty. But I've performed 'autopsies' on unhatched eggs from the incubator and they don't smell.

at chick/puppy cute off.

I was just wondering if I could palm them off on a passing biology teacher...