Broody Hen Thread!

[microchick]

When were your chicks hatched? Usually the hen will leave the nest on her own 24-48 hours after the first chick is hatched in order to take care of the needs of her new babies. If you have a staggered hatch (eggs added to the original clutch after the initial eggs are set) then there is a good chance that the hen will leave the nest before all the eggs are hatched--if or if not the eggs are viable. If that happens, you have the option of candling the eggs and putting them in an incubator to finish hatching and then returning them to the hen and her little ones. If you do that, best to try the reintroduction at night and observed them for signs of rejection.

 

[sbeth]

They hatched yesterday morning. I checked the eggs earlier and there is no sign that they're going to hatch. Should I take the eggs?

 

[fisherlady]

They hatched yesterday morning. I checked the eggs earlier and there is no sign that they're going to hatch. Should I take the eggs?

I would pull them in the morning...that would be 48hrs past original hatch. Mama hen will probably want to get out and about to start them eating in the morning.
Candle the last eggs and see if there is movement. If there is you can incubate them if you want and hopefully graft them back to the broody if they hatch. Staggered hatches are always a high risk for either the early hatchers or the late ones, but someone loses.

 

[sbeth]

Oh my! Your flock is gorgeous! Thank you so much for the help! This is our hen and her babies that just hatched

 

[megdarling]

Oh my! Your flock is gorgeous! Thank you so much for the help! This is our hen and her babies that just hatched

awwwww that warms my heart. Congratulations they are beautiful.

 

[fisherlady]

Thanks, you have some real cuties there! She will be a happy mama!

 

[AshleyI]

Cross posted in hopes of fast response: I have a cochin that went broody so I purchased three chicks and put them with her last night. This morning I check on them and they are all well but Twigs is still acting broody and refuses to leave the nest. Anytime a chick ventures out she aggressively pecks at it to the point of distressed chirping and causing it to fall from the nesting box. Is she rejecting them? Should I remove them from her? I am concerned about them being denied access to food and water. TIA.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Cross posted in hopes of fast response: I have a cochin that went broody so I purchased three chicks and put them with her last night. This morning I check on them and they are all well but Twigs is still acting broody and refuses to leave the nest. Anytime a chick ventures out she aggressively pecks at it to the point of distressed chirping and causing it to fall from the nesting box. Is she rejecting them? Should I remove them from her? I am concerned about them being denied access to food and water. TIA.

Yes, she will probably kill them. Some hens after setting for a few weeks will accept/adopt chicks--- A lot want. She knows they are not hers----I would suggest you Go get them now and brood them in a heated brooder. Good Luck

 

[microchick]

X2

 

[thunderbird]

My blue Andalusian hen likes to sit in a little collapsed cardboard box that's on the coop. She goes in therror every day for about an hour.
Examples

Sometimes she lays an egg under there sometimea she doesnt.
When I see her in there I put a few eggs in front of her and she tucks them under her like a broody would every time,however she's not acting like a typical broody.
Could this be a beginning sign of broodyness or is she just weird