Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

Okay, so I came home to find my hen had hatched out one of her eggs. She ended up leaving the other 3 eggs and took her baby out to forage for food. The baby was able to get down from the coop no problems. The other adults in the flock were curious, but the mom did a good job protecting her baby. I candeled the other 3 eggs and they were definately not developed right, and all obviously died during the incubation process. I came outside after dark, and I heard the baby going crazy. Apparently mom went back into the raised coop, and the baby couldn't make it back in. So I grabbed the little one and put her in with my week old chicks. Was this a bad move? The chicks seem like they are getting along together, and the day old is starting to eat and drink. I have a better way of ensuring that the baby is fed now without the adults knocking over the little feeders and such, too. I tried to move the mom into my grow out pen, but she went crazy. I am just playing it by ear and hoping for the best.

It sounds like you need to create a 'safe box' or broody nest area at ground level.... if coop access is the only problem then just make the hen a comfy location at ground level in the run for her to go at night. You can use a medium animal carrier or build a small box out of scrap wood.

Coop access and night time nesting are frustrating with broodies but to me it is a trade off for the reward of having hens raise the little ones.

Some chicks learn a ramp within a few days, but it usually means the human has to be pro-active at helping them the first few days, they rarely figure it out without at least some amount of drama, and some broodies don't know what to do. Giving them an alternative safe spot at ground level in the run can help.

I would hate to separate a broody from her chick if that is the only problem....

 

[VAchickies]

Hello again. Thank you all for your concern. After reading all of these helpful comments my mom and I have done some research. The egg we have is probably not a swan. We compared it to one of our Cochin/Orpington mix's egg and it was smaller than it. It is probably a mallard duck egg! Valerie will only have to sit on it for 28 days. We candled it this morning and we saw veining. I know what kind of duck food we need and we have everything to teach Hank/Daisy how to swim. Thanks so much!

 

[fisherlady]

Hello again. Thank you all for your concern. After reading all of these helpful comments my mom and I have done some research. The egg we have is probably not a swan. We compared it to one of our Cochin/Orpington mix's egg and it was smaller than it. It is probably a mallard duck egg! Valerie will only have to sit on it for 28 days. We candled it this morning and we saw veining. I know what kind of duck food we need and we have everything to teach Hank/Daisy how to swim. Thanks so much!

Glad it is not a swan egg after all...

 

[judykarlson]

hi there! We are a proud owner of 4 hens and one rooster. One of my hens is in her second broody. She laid one egg so far, and i marked it. Gave her extra food and water.


We have a rooster from her. Out of about 10 eggs, we only got him. He is now about 7 mths old. The original rooster we had we gave away...he was just way too mean.

I will report more on my hen as time goes on for her. Countin the days for hatchin!

Live in Texas. Proud owner of three dogs, four hens, one rooster and a Koi Pond full of third generation gold fish.

 

[1001Cochins]

Hi,
I had a broody start sitting on eggs on Monday, but then yesterday night she got off and slept on the roost. She was still making broody noises and clucking her head off this morning so I stuck her back in the nest and she sat back down on the eggs again. She is an 11 month old Buff Orpington, who has only laid for about a month. Her mother was an amazing broody, so I was surprised when she got off. What should I do? Should I try to break her off her broodiness or should I let her sit it out. I was just in the process of buying some hatching eggs for her (our flock is mixed, so I wanted some pure breed chicks), when she got off the nest. Will she get off again? I have had at least 4 broody hens every year and none have ever done this before.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Hello again. Thank you all for your concern. After reading all of these helpful comments my mom and I have done some research. The egg we have is probably not a swan. We compared it to one of our Cochin/Orpington mix's egg and it was smaller than it. It is probably a mallard duck egg! Valerie will only have to sit on it for 28 days. We candled it this morning and we saw veining. I know what kind of duck food we need and we have everything to teach Hank/Daisy how to swim. Thanks so much!

I wish Hank or Daisy the best of luck...and I too am glad it is not a Swan...much better chance for success (and a lot less unhappy wildlife officials).
LofMc

 

[irene48k]

Hi, I'm new here. I have two hens that had gone broody. Their both white leghorns, raised together since they were a day old. Will they fight over their chicks in the hen house or live together peacefully. Or should I separate them to their own coop.

 

[chickbrad24]

Hi, I'm new here. I have two hens that had gone broody. Their both white leghorns, raised together since they were a day old. Will they fight over their chicks in the hen house or live together peacefully. Or should I separate them to their own coop.

Welcome to BYC

irene48k. You are one lucky mama hen it is very rare for 1 White Leghorn to go broody but 2. I am sure they will be fine as long as they have their own space right now I have 3 broodies in my coop all 3 of them are close together and doing very well.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Hi, I'm new here. I have two hens that had gone broody. Their both white leghorns, raised together since they were a day old. Will they fight over their chicks in the hen house or live together peacefully. Or should I separate them to their own coop.

It totally depends...if co-broody is harmonious, it usually occurs with hens that have been raised together and are bonded.

But keep in mind it can be like siblings in a family...they can be the best of friends and the worst of enemies.

Brooding hormones change a lot of things, and stealing eggs or pushing the less dominant hen off the nest are common occurrences.

If you have a small flock, and the environment seems good, try it. But watch very closely, be prepared some eggs might get broken...often just as the chicks were about to hatch...so keep a Plan B (and sometimes C).

LofMc

 

[chickbrad24]

It totally depends...if co-broody is harmonious, it usually occurs with hens that have been raised together and are bonded.

But keep in mind it can be like siblings in a family...they can be the best of friends and the worst of enemies.

Brooding hormones change a lot of things, and stealing eggs or pushing the less dominant hen off the nest are common occurrences.

If you have a small flock, and the environment seems good, try it. But watch very closely, be prepared some eggs might get broken...often just as the chicks were about to hatch...so keep a Plan B (and sometimes C).

LofMc

Can more dominate hens push lesser hens off the nest as well ? My 3 broodies so far have been harmonious buts that's because my nest boxes are totes. They are right next to each other but they are out of sight out of mind to each other.