First hatch with a broody!

[Lazy Gardener]

So sorry that happened. Hopefully, if you have a broody hen in the future, you can give her a private place to hatch her eggs.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Oh no - sorry it turned out that way...

 

[PatriciaPNW]

Ended in tragedy:
. It was a sad week for me.

So sorry. It hurts. I always feel so responsible. I’m always a step behind in protecting and caring for the animals AND nature is harsh - tough combination. My sympathy.

 

[PatriciaPNW]

So sorry that happened. Hopefully, if you have a broody hen in the future, you can give her a private place to hatch her eggs.

I did that and that’s when the rat broke in. Tough to stay ahead of it all.

 

[Beekissed]

Ended in tragedy:

I started with 3 eggs but then egg #3 was a dud and Dazzle ate it. About a week later, Dazzle ate egg #2....which was probably a dud too. The last egg kept growing and started to hatch on day 21. But then, the sad part: The other chickens saw it hatching (Dazzle was off the nest for some reason) and started eating it. They all fought over it and ate it. I was mad at them for two days...but now I understand and "forgive" them. I'm super sad just talking about it and hope I will be successful next year. It was a sad week for me.

You might try moving your broody away from the flock next time? Never a good idea to keep those two groups together without a way for her to protect her nest.

Did you see this event, the chick hatching and the other chickens eating it or did she leave the nest because it had died in the shell and they merely cleaned it up?

 

[Mini Horses]

Sorry to hear. Next year you will get it to work

 

[Hinotori]

Im sorry.

I have a little self enclosed coop just for broodies. I don't usually need it with silkies because of their group think but it's great if I hatch large amounts for broodies. It's all 1/2 inch hardware clothed. Even the dirt on the bottom floor is to prevent rats. Currently two old biddies live in there away from pesky roosters.

I only allowed the large fowl hen to have chicks in with the other large fowl because she was 2nd in the pecking order. She has not lost that spot for good reason. Usually broody large fowl are separated.

 

[Beekissed]

I separate all my broodies from the flock so I won't have to worry about a staggered hatch due to other chickens laying in the broody's nest. It also saves her from having to sit on other eggs when she comes back from getting a drink or food because another bird is on her clutch. Then the other bird gets off the clutch and there sit the eggs, left uncovered and cold, as the poor broody is sitting on other eggs.

When chickens go off in the brush to brood a clutch, they don't have to deal with these issues, so the hatch rates are often better in a nest separated from the flock. Giving a broody her own private place can help insure better hatch rates and safety of the family until they are prepared to rejoin the flock.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Thank you everyone.

@Beekissed, the egg was hatching, and I think she got of to take a drink? Not sure. The others found it while eating a snack in the coop (I with they were in the run!) and ate it. *Sigh* well, maybe next time.