Breaking a Broody Hen

[gww]

Mine will stay with or with out eggs and will sometimes move to the next egg laid.

[The15thMember]

Solitary confinement seems to have worked.  My sister put this chicken in one of our rabbit tractors, which are empty currently, for several days, and this morning when she let her out, the hen went right to a nest box, but then she got back off of it, and she hasn't been back on it since. 

[gww]

Now lets hope she is laying again.  Mine are mostly starting molting and I am down to very few eggs a day.

[Kathyp]

Mine are mostly starting molting and I am down to very few eggs a day.

Have several doing the same and one of the 7 month old hens decided to get broody.  Man, can she screech!  Don't know how it goes where you are by our egg laying will start dropping off a lot over the next month as the days get short.

[Ben Framed]

I figured this topic would be as good a place as any to ask a chicken question. It has been years since I have incubated eggs and I have completely forgotten at what temperature to set the incubator. What temperature do you set your incubator on? Thanks!

Phillip

[The15thMember]

I'm pretty sure our incubator is preset to 100F. 

[Michael Bush]

Pretty sure I always had 101 F as the target which means it varies between 100 and 102 F or so.

[BeeMaster2]

My incubator came with it set to 99.5 and a 21 day count down. Judy kept saying that we didn?t need water in it because she thought that 21 percent humidity was good. I thought it was 50 percent. I looked it up and it should bee 50 percent until the last three days, when you turn off the egg turner, and then you add water in the second water tray to raise it to 75 percent.
Hope this helps.
Jim Altmiller

[Michael Bush]

When I was hatching a lot I was in Western Nebraska where the humidity is very low.  Humidity was always my problem.  I suppose my incubator was crude by today's standards.  It was a Montgomery Ward incubator probably from the 1930's.  It has a tray of water in it to raise the humidity and I had to double the that (using jar lids).  I think 50% is the goal and agree that 75% at the end is good.  Otherwise they seem to get stuck to the shell and have trouble getting out of the shell.

[Ben Framed]

When I was hatching a lot I was in Western Nebraska where the humidity is very low.  Humidity was always my problem.  I suppose my incubator was crude by today's standards.  It was a Montgomery Ward incubator probably from the 1930's.  It has a tray of water in it to raise the humidity and I had to double the that (using jar lids).  I think 50% is the goal and agree that 75% at the end is good.  Otherwise they seem to get stuck to the shell and have trouble getting out of the shell.

I had the same problem with a Sears and Roebuck incubator (round, made of metal). The way I over came this problem was; When I would rotate the eggs twice daily, using a spray bottle filled with water, I would lightly mist the eggs. That did the trick!

Phillip

[Michael Bush]

>I would lightly mist the eggs. That did the trick!

I would be afraid that might activate bacteria on the surface.

[Kathyp]

I would be afraid that might activate bacteria on the surface.

The humidity in the incubators is high.  The newer incubators have a water reservoir that keeps it that way. 

If you ever put your hand under a broody hen they are pretty warm and damp so I guess it's OK. 

[Ben Framed]

The light mist coat of water was clear and clean. The eggs were very warm from incubation and a portion of the misted water, (I suppose), was absorbed into the egg. What was not absorbed was transformed into humidity when the heating top was put back into place.  (Stands to reason)
In nature the needed moisture for eggs is given off from the setting hen, (Again I suppose).
Regardless, my hatching problems due to sticking to the shell was resolved, while my successful hatching of a high percentage of healthy chicks was the result.

Phillip

[Ben Framed]

If you ever put your hand under a broody hen they are pretty warm and damp so I guess it's OK.

Thanks Kathy.
Worked for me time and again. The old Sears and Roebuck is many years gone. I have a styrofoam little giant now. I am wondering if they do a better job of keeping the eggs moist than the old types that Michael and I used in years gone by?

Does anyone here use the modern Little Giant type incubators? If so what are your experiences?

Phillip

[Michael Bush]

>The light mist coat of water was clear and clean.

Do I need to point out where eggs come from?  The bacterial problem is already on the egg but not active when dry.

[Ben Framed]

Do I need to point out where eggs come from?  The bacterial problem is already on the egg but not active when dry.

Nor do you need to point out what sometimes can get on the shell of the egg from the hens foot as she leaves the nest periodically and returns to sit.  . I do not know if the egg shell itself has a natural built in filtering system, or a natural antibacterial property, I am not a scientist, but I have reported what I did to eliminate the sticking shell problem and the results of improved hatching of (healthy) chicks while eliminating those sticking problems that you described and I have also experienced as well, (due to lack of proper incubating moisture in the incubator),  from my personal experience.

Phillip

[Michael Bush]

I'm not arguing that apparently it worked for you.  I'm just saying my concern.  A dry egg has few problems with bacteria.  A wet one does.  That's why refrigerating eggs that are for sale is illegal in Europe.  They are trying to avoid the condensation from getting the egg wet and causing the bacteria to activate.  It's also illegal to wash eggs that are for sale. 

[Kathyp]

A dry egg has few problems with bacteria.

That's probably true, but if the egg sits under the hen it is not dry.  Is hen sweat naturally anti-bacterial?   

[Michael Bush]

Chickens can't sweat.  Same with pigs, dogs etc.  There is some transpiration of moisture from their skin (like any animal) but no sweat.

[Kathyp]

There is some transpiration of moisture from their skin (like any animal) but no sweat.

Lol.  OK.  Is hen moisture anti-microbial?  If you shove your hand under a broody hen it's pretty damp under there