Broody Hen Thread!

[SeaHen]

Yikes, my 4 lady geese (3 Sebastopols, 1 Toulouse) have been setting on empty nests all spring! I took all the eggs away as they were laid but they are all determined to hatch something! I would love to let them but we are seriously overrun with waterfowl This morning I found a chicken egg under one.. I have 2 broody hens at the moment - one in my long line of Cochin X girls and my year-old Speckled Sussex. I gave the Sussex 2 EE eggs and the Cochin 8 Silkie eggs from my neighbor. I also have 9 mixed eggs in the incubator and a half dozen Silkie eggs due to be delivered tomorrow! My family is going to kill me!

 

[Perris]

I was worried she wasn't high enough on the pecking order

My most recent broody is next to bottom of 6 hens, and she has not risen through the process, but her in-flock-raised chicks (2 hatched of 3 set, the 3rd didn't make it past week 1 of incubation) are doing just fine, 12 days old today. The top hen has pecked them occasionally and lightly at a food bowl to teach them their place, but by and large the broody leads them off out of the way when the flock or another broody and her 5 week olds come near. She puffs herself up like a basketball and growls (which is quite funny to watch), but withdraws taking the chicks with her before any nastiness starts, and it works fine. Neither roo has shown any aggression to the chicks BTW, and both seem protective. She takes them to roost in the nest in one of the coops 2 hours before anyone else goes, and there seem to be no problems at night. The other broody usually takes hers off to the other coop, but they have shared the same one a couple of times. This is the third broody I've had raise a clutch within the flock, and it has worked out fine every time so far, so I'd advise try it, even with a low ranking broody.

 

[trudyg]

I've been very pleased with Bertha raising the chicks. They will be 5 weeks this Thursday and are doing great. Judging from the small poops in the poop sand, they are up sleeping in the sand and mom is on the roost pole. Now I'm wishing another would go broody!

 

[aart]

I hope somebody sees this...Thanks in advance!

I'd not move her now, it's risky that she won't accept the move and abandon the nest.
I move broodies before I give them fresh fertile eggs.

How many other birds are in the blue coop now?
Are the other birds laying in the broody nest or bothering her?

 

[Ghosty]

The hens were still dusting when a few chicks were ready for a warm up, so Mindy stepped in for the assist...

View attachment 1788113
She ended up with 4 of them, they cuddled up for about 15 minutes.
View attachment 1788119
View attachment 1788120

Omg! What a beautiful, precious pup! Oh, the chicks too, lol.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

I'd not move her now, it's risky that she won't accept the move and abandon the nest.
I move broodies before I give them fresh fertile eggs.

How many other birds are in the blue coop now?
Are the other birds laying in the broody nest or bothering her?

I have 6 other laying hens and 1 rooster that live in the Blue Coop. 6 chicks, 2 being roosters, live in the Red
Coop and will very soon be fully integrated.

Only my two Barred rock hens seem to be laying in the nesting box when my Buff Orp broody gets up for her breaks. I think her buff orp sis may be too but I’m not sure. They never seem to disturb her while ON the nest, and I plan to lock the door during hatching and let the hens lay in the Red Coop.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

My most recent broody is next to bottom of 6 hens, and she has not risen through the process, but her in-flock-raised chicks (2 hatched of 3 set, the 3rd didn't make it past week 1 of incubation) are doing just fine, 12 days old today. The top hen has pecked them occasionally and lightly at a food bowl to teach them their place, but by and large the broody leads them off out of the way when the flock or another broody and her 5 week olds come near. She puffs herself up like a basketball and growls (which is quite funny to watch), but withdraws taking the chicks with her before any nastiness starts, and it works fine. Neither roo has shown any aggression to the chicks BTW, and both seem protective. She takes them to roost in the nest in one of the coops 2 hours before anyone else goes, and there seem to be no problems at night. The other broody usually takes hers off to the other coop, but they have shared the same one a couple of times. This is the third broody I've had raise a clutch within the flock, and it has worked out fine every time so far, so I'd advise try it, even with a low ranking broody.

Thanks! I think I’ll let her raise them how she wants them then; in the Blue Coop. She isn’t the highest in the pecking order but she’s definitely not the lowest, either, so I think she’ll be ok. If not, they were just eggs from my own flock and costed nothing, and I can always try again since she’s so broody!

 

[aart]

I have 6 other laying hens and 1 rooster that live in the Blue Coop. 6 chicks, 2 being roosters, live in the Red
Coop and will very soon be fully integrated.

Sounds pretty crowded....but we've been there before.

 

[Perris]

If not, they were just eggs from my own flock and costed nothing

that was exactly the situation with me; I did not plan on increasing the flock, but don't want to break broodies either; so giving a broody a few eggs lets her live as she wishes, and I can always sell/give away/eat the results (in theory anyway!)

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Sounds pretty crowded....but we've been there before.

I'll be getting rid of 2 of the chicks or my current rooster (due to his aggression and numerous minor attacks) and I'll probably give away of all these new chicks once they're grown, since I just want the experience of broody raising them. So, I'll have just enough coop space (according to the 4 sq ft per bird) once I do all that in time for Winter. I have PLENTY of run space for many more chickens, so I can have more in Summer, but I'll keep it to my coop limit in Winter. I'll also be covering the run this year so they can go outside more. (Blue Coop fits 8 and Red Coop fits 4)

If space is a big problem during hatching, I'll be locking out the laying hens from the Blue Coop and letting them free range all day and let them lay in the Red Coop.