I have a rogue broody hen with hidden net, that I can't find.

[aurimilky]

I have got a broody hen hiding a nest of eggs some where on my farm or near by in countryside.

The first morning I woke up to one of my hens walking past my window, she was making loud noises, it made me jump out of bed, as she was supposed to be in the chicken house with the other chickens. Then once the night time came, I counted them and one was missing again.

Next day I could not find her and my family taught that the fox mite have had her, then day after that I found her in a field trying to get out, she was running up and down trying to work out how to get back over a sheep netting fence. So last night I worked out a plan to find the hidden nest.

I would use a hay in cat box to put the eggs and my broody hen and bring she in the house where it a lot warmer.

I worked out from my last broody hen, that they tend to eat, drink and do other stuff, in the morning, then run back to the nest as fast as they can. So I got up early to today, to catch her eating the food and then I was planning to follow her back to the hidden nest, when she when to run back to their nest. But today the weather is bad and very cold. It's a icy day and all the water buckets have solid blocks of ice, so she was not out eating today.
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So where my questions

1. As the weather is bad will the eggs hatch ?
2. If they out hatch and are dead, then how long will she hit on them until she gives up hatching them ?
3. Any tips in finding she or the net of eggs or both ?
4. Will she be find on the nest in the cold weather ?

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I was planning to hatch more chicks out in around May time, when the weather is better. but one of my hens beat me to it.

 

[RWise]

Can they hatch, yes, depends
If they hatch and die she will show up sooner, if they dont hatch some hens will set more than a month, depends,,,
Watch for her to show, and follow her, thats what I do.
Chickens handle cold weather better than hot weather.
I have had several winter hatches under a broody, it seems odd at first watching the chicks out in the snow. They will run under moma when chilled. Worst thing is predators!

 

[aurimilky]

Can they hatch, yes, depends
If they hatch and die she will show up sooner, if they dont hatch some hens will set more than a month, depends,,,
Watch for her to show, and follow her, thats what I do.
Chickens handle cold weather better than hot weather.
I have had several winter hatches under a broody, it seems odd at first watching the chicks out in the snow. They will run under moma when chilled. Worst thing is predators!

Okay I'll have to follow next time it see her to the nest. My family has 5 cats well + 2 cats from the other farm, so my family's farm has 7 cats on the site.

 

[aurimilky]

Good news, I found my missing hen with 20 eggs.

 

[happyhens1972]

Woohoo!

I would now move your broody and her clutch into a small crate or box so that she can sit in peace, quiet and safety. She is very unlikely to be able to hatch 20 eggs as there are few chickens that will successfully cover that number so she will shuffle them around and possibly chill them too much as each egg spends a stint on the outside.... so maybe candle them and keep 8 to 12 of the most vigorous and viable eggs, depending on her size. I did have one of my red sex link girls hatch 16 once, but she did it in a deep litter floored barn, in good spring temperatures, so I think the warmth from the composting deep litter and the good ambient temperatures helped her succeed with such a big clutch.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[aurimilky]

Woohoo!

I would now move your broody and her clutch into a small crate or box so that she can sit in peace, quiet and safety. She is very unlikely to be able to hatch 20 eggs as there are few chickens that will successfully cover that number so she will shuffle them around and possibly chill them too much as each egg spends a stint on the outside.... so maybe candle them and keep 8 to 12 of the most vigorous and viable eggs, depending on her size. I did have one of my red sex link girls hatch 16 once, but she did it in a deep litter floored barn, in good spring temperatures, so I think the warmth from the composting deep litter and the good ambient temperatures helped her succeed with such a big clutch.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Well I've moved her in to a big plastic clear box with hay for the eggs and saw dust in the rest of the box. She now gone back to sitting on them. I'll candle her eggs to night. For the last to days the UK has had snow, well it was melted where I live and most of it has gone and for the two day of the snow fall, she sat on the she neat with out getting off.

 

[theoldchick]

20 eggs! What a batch to hatch! Good luck!

 

[aurimilky]

20 eggs! What a batch to hatch! Good luck!

thanks