Broody Hen Thread!

[rooboo]

Nchls,
I welcome any comments that anyone would like to make, but I would appreciate it if you would not post in the middle of the context of my posts. It makes it unclear to other readers and posters as to who wrote what. So, if you would like to post a comment, please do, but please don't stick remarks in the middle of my posts.
Thank you,
Rob

 

[PD-Riverman]

i just stumbled on this info with the answer to my question (which was, can I let my broody sit for 2 cycles). Thanks for the info--I didn't think that would be healthy for her. But have another question... my broody just completed a 25 day sit with no hatchlings This is her first time and she REALLY wants to sit. How long should I wait before I get more fertile eggs under her? Wait a week or a month or longer?

I would Not set her again----I would break her(if you need help on how to do this---ask) let her get back to normal----she will go broody again. What you feel happened to cause her to not hatch?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Nchls,
I welcome any comments that anyone would like to make, but I would appreciate it if you would not post in the middle of the context of my posts. It makes it unclear to other readers and posters as to who wrote what. So, if you would like to post a comment, please do, but please don't stick remarks in the middle of my posts.
Thank you,
Rob

Also when you want to reply back to some of Nchls remarks----you can not quote the remarks without coping/pasting when its done that way.

 

[katatonic123]

You could also buy a couple of chicks from the store and let her raise them without her actually having to sit again.

i just stumbled on this info with the answer to my question (which was, can I let my broody sit for 2 cycles). Thanks for the info--I didn't think that would be healthy for her.  But have another question... my broody just completed a 25 day sit with no hatchlings  This is her first time and she REALLY wants to sit.  How long should I wait before I get more fertile eggs under her?  Wait a week or a month or longer?

 

[mymilliefleur]

Quote:
Agreed, and X2 on the last question. You might be able to graft chicks on to her, if you were interested in doing that.

 

[csaylorchickens]

Just throwing this out there...
I have 4 faverolle hens...they are 1 year and 3 months old...I have had to use my broody breaker 4 times!!! Holy goodness mother of pearl!

So if you want broodiness I recommend the faverolle breed...just saying lol

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

Here is Miss Ramin - 14 more days to go. Eating & drinking good, growls when you are near her container. She should do her first poop any day now, need to move her food & water over, so she can do it in the corner away from everything. Am glad I brought her in when I did, we have had so much rain this last week. Don't think she would have done well in the broody coop, still had a fear of snakes getting in there, even though I blocked every place I could find that they could get in.

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

She is nesting on the floor of the coop she pulled all the shavings to a corner under the ramp to the nesting boxes. The fertile eggs are marked but she has at least a dozen unfertile eggs under her too. She carried the eggs from the nesting boxes down to her nest which I didn't know chickens could do. She is the dominate hen if that makes a difference.

That is why she needs to be moved to her own broody house, pen, cage. Their little brain is in Broody Mode, and they will take any egg they can find, to set on. And if she gets up for any reason, to eat, stretch her legs or take a poop. One of the other hens could come in, just to lay an egg, and if Broody Mama comes back, there will be a major uproar for that nest. If you leave her there until the eggs hatch, you could end up with dead chicks, from the other hens attacking them.

This is my Broody Mama's 3rd hatch in 3 years, none of the other eggs were hers the last two hatches. Our 4 roosters that we have, she hatched, and 1 hen. This year, 2 of the eggs are hers, 2 belong to the hen she hatched 3 years ago. and 2 are from 1 of our 6 Easter Eggers. I hope that 4 out of the 6 hatch. Also remember to remove any torpedo eggs, the embryo can not move around in a torpedo eggs, and will either die in the egg. If it does hatch, it could be deformed, because it could not turn in the egg.

Mine went broody on Sunday April 10th, waited 2 days, just to make sure she was truly broody. Bought a storage container, filled it with shavings, and went out after dark and moved her first, then the eggs 2 x 2, set them in front of her, and she tucked them underneath her. As she was tucking the front eggs, I was sliding the other eggs under her. She is happily sitting in my kitchen in her container, gets fresh water daily, and I refill her food when needed, but only at night.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Here is Miss Ramin - 14 more days to go. Eating & drinking good, growls when you are near her container. She should do her first poop any day now, need to move her food & water over, so she can do it in the corner away from everything. Am glad I brought her in when I did, we have had so much rain this last week. Don't think she would have done well in the broody coop, still had a fear of snakes getting in there, even though I blocked every place I could find that they could get in.

Does she get in and out this tote to use the bathroom/stretch her legs??? Having her food and water next to her is a No-No in my opinion. She will poop in her nest with a set-up like this----broody poop is not like normal poop if you haven't experienced that yet. A ideal broody pen will have a place for her to get off the nest to stretch her legs, dust bath, food and water far enough away that she has to get off the eggs to get to it---then she want poop all over everything. I use totes like this but I cut a big hole in one end so the hen can walk in and out and the chicks can get in and out after they are hatched. Good Luck

 

[nchls school]

Nchls,
I welcome any comments that anyone would like to make, but I would appreciate it if you would not post in the middle of the context of my posts. It makes it unclear to other readers and posters as to who wrote what. So, if you would like to post a comment, please do, but please don't stick remarks in the middle of my posts.
Thank you,
Rob

I will refrain from doing so in the future. My apologies.