Broody Hen Thread!

i had a similar problem with hen fighting over nest boxes, macaroon would sit and then another hen would come and peck her until she got off. mac had her babys and they all hatched!! but, sadly a weasel got in at night and killed them and mac was so destressed! they were 1 month
 
Apologies for not reading1514 pages of this thread.
Got Black Jersey Giants: 7 hens, 1 rooster.
I want to get chicks but am not sure how to accomplish.
There was 9 eggs today (2.5 days worth of laying). If I leave will they be sat on or should I take and refrigerate for consumption.
 
I want to get chicks but am not sure how to accomplish.
There was 9 eggs today (2.5 days worth of laying). If I leave will they be sat on or should I take and refrigerate for consumption.
A hen won't sit and hatch eggs unless she's broody.
Or you can use an incubator.
All eggs should be gathered daily don't refrigerate if you want to hatch.
 
thanks for your input. I was hoping for a natural hatch. Are the eggs likely still safe to consume?
Of course they are still safe…. I have read many threads on egg safe to eat & over the last 2 years personally experimented on how long our eggs can sit on the shelf before eating. So far my longest? Just shy of 4 months. In the fridge? Over 4 months easily.

So, go forth and have fun.
As for the natural hatching… broody hen is mandatory. There is also a semi-debated limit on how long eggs can wait to be “sat on” to start developing to eventually hatch. From my recollection— about 4-5 days before it’s too late to start the cycle.

YMMV and good luck.
 
Apologies for not reading1514 pages of this thread.
Got Black Jersey Giants: 7 hens, 1 rooster.
I want to get chicks but am not sure how to accomplish.
There was 9 eggs today (2.5 days worth of laying). If I leave will they be sat on or should I take and refrigerate for consumption.
I would recommend that you collect the eggs and put one dummy egg in the nest per day until there's about ten dummy eggs in the nest. Hens are induced to brood by the presence of eggs. Numerous people argue with me on this and say it's just hormonal This is true but it takes something to start the production of hormones. I recommend you collect the eggs because Jersey Giants are big and clumsy and with seven hens the eggs are bond to get broken. The use of an incubator would probably work better in getting chicks from this breed.
 
we are in the second 'broody' episode from one of our buff orpingtons....sigh....we don't have a rooster, so there is no chance for the eggs to hatch, but she doesn't know that! We collect the eggs during the day so she is just sitting on litter. I remove her from the nest as many time as I can, but who knows how long it will take to break her. the first time she went broody, it took 6 weeks!

my favorite part is when I open the nest box door and she puffs up and makes the horrible shrieking sound at me.
lau.gif


I'll try to get a pic of her all puffed up tomorrow!
If a feed store like tractor supply has any baby chicks for sale etc some and put under her.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom