How long can a broody hen get off her eggs?

Date sort Score sort
Actually, the Brooding Cage is an old rabbit cage shaped like an "L" lying on it's side. The one end is about 4 feet tall. Imagine this: it's about 8'x3'x3' with that one end about a foot taller. I have covered the back with tin, and it is all a small mesh, maybe 1"x1" mesh. I have put 2 doors in it, as it originally had only one and that made the end hard to access. Any cage with a little leg room for the hen should be fine, as long as it's small enough mesh that chicks can't get out. It's all on a metal stand that keeps it about 3 feet off of the ground. Oh, and it's covered with tin, as well. I put an ice drawer fro a freezer in it, but Gamey went for a milk crate nest, this time. I moved the whole crate in and she was happy. Yesterday was the day for her to teach them to eat. Only the 3 Bantams and 1 of the 11 standards was able to get out, so I eased them all out and let her take them to the feed tray. The dust flew while she taught them how to scratch and eat. It's hilarious to watch her teach eating skills. She scratches and actually sends chicks flying when they get in the way. I can only watch a few minutes as I'm afraid that she'll kill a chick. I need to leave her alone, as she never has) knock on wood!).

This clutch was a turning point for us. She actually let me pet her on the nest, and just threatened me and supervised as I got the chicks out as they couldn't make the hop out of the crate. She watched closely, but never attacked me. She has always been the most aggressive of all of my hens, and will only allow the Alpha Roo *my avatar pic) to breed with her. She stomps stuffings out of any other Roo that attempts it. I think that she has figured out that we're on the same side, so far as chicks are concerned, and did her old "scratch my chest routine" after they were all eating. She loves to have her craw and chest rubbed. Funniest thing. Yeah, chickens are stupid. She walks up to me and pokes her chest out for a rubbin' like my Dachshund rolls onto her back for a belly rub.
 
TW1Kell said:
Actually, the Brooding Cage is an old rabbit cage shaped like an "L" lying on it's side. The one end is about 4 feet tall. Imagine this: it's about 8'x3'x3' with that one end about a foot taller. I have covered the back with tin, and it is all a small mesh, maybe 1"x1" mesh. I have put 2 doors in it, as it originally had only one and that made the end hard to access. Any cage with a little leg room for the hen should be fine, as long as it's small enough mesh that chicks can't get out. It's all on a metal stand that keeps it about 3 feet off of the ground. Oh, and it's covered with tin, as well. I put an ice drawer fro a freezer in it, but Gamey went for a milk crate nest, this time. I moved the whole crate in and she was happy. Yesterday was the day for her to teach them to eat. Only the 3 Bantams and 1 of the 11 standards was able to get out, so I eased them all out and let her take them to the feed tray. The dust flew while she taught them how to scratch and eat. It's hilarious to watch her teach eating skills. She scratches and actually sends chicks flying when they get in the way. I can only watch a few minutes as I'm afraid that she'll kill a chick. I need to leave her alone, as she never has) knock on wood!).

This clutch was a turning point for us. She actually let me pet her on the nest, and just threatened me and supervised as I got the chicks out as they couldn't make the hop out of the crate. She watched closely, but never attacked me. She has always been the most aggressive of all of my hens, and will only allow the Alpha Roo *my avatar pic) to breed with her. She stomps stuffings out of any other Roo that attempts it. I think that she has figured out that we're on the same side, so far as chicks are concerned, and did her old "scratch my chest routine" after they were all eating. She loves to have her craw and chest rubbed. Funniest thing. Yeah, chickens are stupid. She walks up to me and pokes her chest out for a rubbin' like my Dachshund rolls onto her back for a belly rub.
Click to expand...
WOW ! What a nice setup. The mesh I had not thought of. I have the rabbit cages so I can manage to use those. Very nice descripton of the brooder.
You know the story you wrote about the hen, rooster and the chicks that should be in a book.

I feel priveleged to be part of mother nature's bird life. How else could I see all of this, and experience howthis species of bird lives.



Dottie has hatched 2 so far and on DAy 25 there is a hole in an egg and I hear chirping. Good that I did not move her last nite, had no idea that another egg was going to hatch. I am so glad that Dottie is charge of this whole thing. I would never want an incubator, way too much responsiblity.

Next the brooder INSTEAD of the rubbermaid dishpan on the tower of clothes.
Thank you.
 
Thank you, I've been told that my life would be a great story, but Forrest Gump, Big Fish, and Second Hand Lions have already been written and made into movies. HAHA!

Anyway, Gamey will set on the eggs a few days after the hatching, then about day 3-4 she will abandon the not hatched (she had 1 this time, is all) and start teaching the chicks to eat and drink. Today, ( Monday was hatching day) she let me actually pick a chick up when it hopped onto my hand. They run all over the brooding coop and seem to be having a ball. The 1 that she let my pet is a special treat for me: it appears to be a Silver Sebright with a golden face. I have a pair of Goldens and a Silver hen in a tractor, and it does appear that I have a mix from them. Gorgeous lil chick, and teeny! I wait to see how they all turn out. She makes no difference between Bantams and Standards, and I am hoping that all turns out fine, in that regard.

As for when to abandon the "bad eggs"? I always wait until Gamey leaves them alone, then I toss them out, the next day. She often gets a lil picky if I mess with things before she does that abandoning thing, but she doesn't pay any attention to it, if I wait until she gives up on them. I assume that she can feel or hear if there's anybody alive in there. Again, she knows much more than I, so I defer to the expert. She leaves feed, water, housing, and security to me, I let her have her part. ;)
 
TW1Kell said:
Tell him that the hens will stock up on eggs until they have enough to set. Ya'all need to leave them alone until one of your hens goes broody. Pick one nest and leave the eggs alone for a week or so. If one of the hens is going to go broody, she'll select that nest. I have done that with my broody hens...I have a hen on 17 eggs, right now, that I did that with. After she went broody, I moved her to her special cage, nest box and all, but she has been doing this for me for a few years, now. I can even pet her while she's brooding or has chicks under her. She's a game hen and mean as a snake, but has figured out that she and I are on the same side: I had to put 2 chicks back in with her once, and she hasn't lost the trust from that action.

A broody hen will care for her eggs, every day until she's ready to set. She knows more about this than ALL of US combined! Let them do their job, and you just feed, water, and protect her. It all works out real cool. Chickens are much more sensible/intelligent than many humans want to allow them credit for.
Click to expand...

So we just leave her alone. But I don't know if its one or three layings eggs also. How will I kno when to put her by herself?
 
When she ruffles up and starts covering eggs in the nest, and squawks and pecks at you when you reach to pet her, she's setting on the eggs and has gone broody. I have a hen that I can move her and her whole nest to a large broody pen that I have. I pick up the whole nesting box, straw, eggs, hen and all. Not all hens will allow you to do that. I'm lucky, that way. Gamey let's me move her, pet her, even allows me to try to pet the chicks when they're just a few days old, now.
 

Similar threads

Pearlescent
Is my Turkey hen broody?
2
Replies
15
Views
244
Pearlescent
Pearlescent
sandy sea
Turkey hen is sitting on her nest with eggs, but
Replies
4
Views
459
R2elk
R2elk
W
    • Like
Turkey hen playing dead?
Replies
1
Views
252
Molpet
Molpet
Coops Dad
    • Love
    • Like
Thought I Lost A Hen... But, No!
2 3
Replies
24
Views
2K
tlcmurphy
tlcmurphy
G
    • Like
Broody Turkey Hen Questions
Replies
2
Views
569
GarrettW
G

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom