Everything that went wrong with my first hatch

[jessejeanne]

Hi there,

I'd like to share my experience with my first hatch ever.

We got chickens two times before, but those were hybrid chickens and they died after 3-4 years. After that, we decided to not keep chickens anymore, but when we found an Omlet Chicken coop, we finally were ready for chickens again, and so we bought 4 Barnevelder chickens and 2 Belgian Malines (both very strong breeds) in September last year.

I was thrilled and excited when one of our Barnevelders got broody! But many things went wrong, because I did not have any knowledge about broody hens and she wasn't even 1 year old.

Our broody turns out to be a perfect and excellent momma. Very determined to hatch the eggs to the point that she refused to eat and drink the first week; i tried my best and eventually she started to eat and drink. I didn't know that it's actually okay to take some eggs away when there are too many of them; only after two weeks I found out that it's completely okay to take eggs out when there are too many, but this caused the problem that the embryo's weren't the same age. And lately, I figured out too late that she wasn't sitting on the remaining eggs long enough anymore.
I also didn't know that it's okay to move her as long as she wouldn't complain, and she just moved all the bedding which caused the eggs to be on plastic instead of bedding.

So, four major things went wrong and from 8 eggs, we only had 3 babies hatched because of my lack of knowledge:
1. She wouldn't eat the first week
2. She had too many eggs
3. The eggs weren't the same age
4. The bedding wasn't good

For me, it was a very stressful and hard period since I tried everything to save the remaining eggs, yet they all died...
The oldest baby chick also got eaten by a crow, which just added more grief.

I will never do it the same way as I did back then, and even though it still hurts to think about everything that went wrong, I know I learned a lot and that it doesn't have to end the same next time.

Just wanted to share!
Feel free to comment whatever your thoughts are.

PS i didn't know broody hens aren't always aggressive, mine was very kind and is now one of my favorites

 

[Shadrach]

Hi there,

I'd like to share my experience with my first hatch ever.

We got chickens two times before, but those were hybrid chickens and they died after 3-4 years. After that, we decided to not keep chickens anymore, but when we found an Omlet Chicken coop, we finally were ready for chickens again, and so we bought 4 Barnevelder chickens and 2 Belgian Malines (both very strong breeds) in September last year.

I was thrilled and excited when one of our Barnevelders got broody! But many things went wrong, because I did not have any knowledge about broody hens and she wasn't even 1 year old.

Our broody turns out to be a perfect and excellent momma. Very determined to hatch the eggs to the point that she refused to eat and drink the first week; i tried my best and eventually she started to eat and drink. I didn't know that it's actually okay to take some eggs away when there are too many of them; only after two weeks I found out that it's completely okay to take eggs out when there are too many, but this caused the problem that the embryo's weren't the same age. And lately, I figured out too late that she wasn't sitting on the remaining eggs long enough anymore.
I also didn't know that it's okay to move her as long as she wouldn't complain, and she just moved all the bedding which caused the eggs to be on plastic instead of bedding.

So, four major things went wrong and from 8 eggs, we only had 3 babies hatched because of my lack of knowledge:
1. She wouldn't eat the first week
2. She had too many eggs
3. The eggs weren't the same age
4. The bedding wasn't good

For me, it was a very stressful and hard period since I tried everything to save the remaining eggs, yet they all died...
The oldest baby chick also got eaten by a crow, which just added more grief.

I will never do it the same way as I did back then, and even though it still hurts to think about everything that went wrong, I know I learned a lot and that it doesn't have to end the same next time.

Just wanted to share!
Feel free to comment whatever your thoughts are.

PS i didn't know broody hens aren't always aggressive, mine was very kind and is now one of my favorites

There are some articles here on BYC about natural hatching. Perhaps none of them dealt with the problems you encountered?
It is a learning experience but the good news is if your hen has gone broody once, the probability is she will again and you'll be better prepared to make the right choices should that time come.

 

[jessejeanne]

There are some articles here on BYC about natural hatching. Perhaps none of them dealt with the problems you encountered?
It is a learning experience but the good news is if your hen has gone broody once, the probability is she will again and you'll be better prepared to make the right choices should that time come.

True, i did read them a lot and I searched a lot on the internet, however it still didn't give the answers I needed. But as you said; now I'm better prepared for the next time!

 

[theoldchick]

We all learn by mistakes. Who knew knowledge was so painful? Sorry for your losses.

 

[chelseachook]

Oh no . Take this as a learning experience. I mark the broody's original eggs with a pencil and then remove the unmarked eggs daily. This would have been the main issue here - it is likely the other eggs would have hatched, but it isn't in a hen's nature to stay on the nest long after her first babies have hatched. When you say your first chickens were hybrids, what other species were they crossed with?

 

[jessejeanne]

We all learn by mistakes. Who knew knowledge was so painful? Sorry for your losses.

Thank you I learned a lot but it was indeed still very painful.

 

[jessejeanne]

Oh no . Take this as a learning experience. I mark the broody's original eggs with a pencil and then remove the unmarked eggs daily. This would have been the main issue here - it is likely the other eggs would have hatched, but it isn't in a hen's nature to stay on the nest long after her first babies have hatched. When you say your first chickens were hybrids, what other species were they crossed with?

Thank you Yeah, I did know that too late sadly... but now I know. we had no idea which breed our chickens were; the first were a gift and the second ones were rescued and probably just basic laying hens I think.

 

[chelseachook]

Thank you Yeah, I did know that too late sadly... but now I know. we had no idea which breed our chickens were; the first were a gift and the second ones were rescued and probably just basic laying hens I think.

I wish you all the best with your future hatches. I've made many of your mistakes before with my broody duck, so don't feel to bad about this hatch - you tried your best with the information you had at the time. Your chickens are lucky to have such a caring and thoughtful owner.

 

[jessejeanne]

I wish you all the best with your future hatches. I've made many of your mistakes before with my broody duck, so don't feel to bad about this hatch - you tried your best with the information you had at the time. Your chickens are lucky to have such a caring and thoughtful owner.

Ahw, thank you so much for the kind reply; it has been such a though week for me and these comments really make my day!

 

[Shadrach]

True, i did read them a lot and I searched a lot on the internet, however it still didn't give the answers I needed. But as you said; now I'm better prepared for the next time!

If you made a list of all the pieces of information you felt were lacking in what you read here on BYC and other places then I, or another, could try to cover them in the next article writen about natural hatching.