[fifixx]

i just checked the broody hen who is sitting on 4 eggs due in about 5 days.  I found an eggshell in her water and a squashed, dead chick which was not fully grown by her near a huge poo! 

Would she have known it wasn't OK and deliberately just squashed the egg or can they hatch prematurely?

she's a buff orpington, so not the brightest hen in the henhouse! 

[chrismahon]

How old is your Buff Orpington Fifixx? They don't hatch early but they do start calling to the mother. Our Buff Orpington paniced and ate the chicks. In fact now I recall correctly the 6th of 10 was broken open and a bald chick was lying dead under her. The rest had been eaten and only 4 eggs remained. Perhaps she heard the cheeping and attacked the egg as I suspect ours did now thinking about it?

Broodies should be two years old minimum for a reliable hatch. Ours was 12 months old and, as you say, not the brightest in the henhouse.

[in the hills]

My father hatched some eggs under a broody last year. As they were hatching she seemed to attack them and pecked some but not others to death. She also moved her nest about three times ,in a few days, towards the end of the hatching period. The eggs did seem to hatch slowly over a long period. Not sure what went wrong. Perhaps she could sense something was wrong with some of the chicks or maybe conditions were too dry and they stuck in their shells. She was a good mum to the remaining three chicks.

I suppose a broody hen can be unpredictable.

[Brijjy]

Out of all my variety of chooks the only ones that make reliable broodies are 2 pekin x silkies and a pekin x black araucana. A cochin did try to sit but got off the eggs after a fortnight for no particular reason. The orpingtons really are too dim-witted to sit. I'm sure other people have had success with theirs but mine are very thick 

[fifixx]

I'm glad it's not just me who thinks the Orpingtons are a tad dopey!  In their defence, we have a Choc Orpington cockerel and he is great - always on the ball as to where all his girlies are.

I opened the pen yesterday and she got off the eggs for a big poo and then trotted off for some food, water and went back to the henhouse and settled on the newly laid eggs - honestly!  Had to bring her back to her broody house and her 3 eggs

She is 2, we'll just have to wait and see now!

[chrismahon]

Orpingtons and other heavy breeds are prone to leg damage from sitting and can be crippled by it. You need to be sure she gets up a couple of times a day and walks round Fifixx, even if it means lifting her off. They do forget where the eggs are and have to look and can sit on the wrong ones. Best if they don't get that opportunity are are put in a run on their own. She will need to be isolated with her chicks when they hatch anyway.

[fifixx]

One chick today!  Daren't look for any others, just keeping my fingers crossed.  I'm a bit worried about leaving her water dish in near the chicks - can they jump yet?

[in the hills]

Yes! Well sort of.

I would only put in a shallow drinker. Chicks can drown easily.

I use small water hoppers and put stones in as well.

Better to be safe .......

[jaykay]

Yes, I use dishes with stones or marbles in when there are chicks about.

[Roxy]

I find the bantams and the silkies are more reliable than most of my larger hens.

One of our year old light sussex started sitting in the nest box = no clucking, but as she was sitting there I assumed she was broody.  I put 8 eggs under her.  She did sit well for 21 days, but not a peep out of her, no clucking, or squawking when I went near.

This morning I saw two little faces peeping out from under her.  Discovered 5 chicks in all.  Three eggs not hatched.  Thought they may be a bit late.  Maybe the hen knows better, as by this afternoon, she had moved to the other side of the pen and left the three eggs.  I have put them under her again, just in case.

[fifixx]

2 chicks now, one egg left.  Gave her a dish of hardboiled egg, eggshell and mixed grains - chicks joined in at the feast!

[fifixx]

2 chicks and she has abandoned the 3rd egg all day - shall I take it out now?  They are very cute....

[in the hills]

They are sweeties. 

Yes, take it away. She knows best. 

[Mammyshaz]

They are very cute. Two outa three ain't bad