Broody Hen Thread!

[TXchickenchick]

I am seriously wanting some Turkens! I love the way they look. And the fact that they are broody just makes me want them more!!!

They are just amazing. And my Blanca ( the lovely lady in my avatar) is sweeter than any lap puppy. If ypu get some you will absolutely love them!

 

[conquest1984]

Hi All,

Just a question for you all.... i recently thought I had lost one of my hens or she had gone broody somewhere in the backyard, which she did as i found her sitting on 11 eggs. I don't want to disturb her at all, but i was wondering whether she will be ok sitting on her eggs outside? its currently the middle of winter here and we have had some bad nights with rain. I would like to think that nature will takes its course and if she is too uncomfortable will leave the eggs?

 

[n3kms]

I know i don't know as much as a lot of people, but there is no way I would swap out the broody hen's eggs for some that will hatch earlier. I think you would be much better off keeping things as is. Once the bator eggs hatch, keep them in a brooder until her eggs do and you should have no trouble slipping them under her. If you take those eggs and she has already had her babies out running around for a couple of days before they hatch, she very well may reject them. Why set yourself up to have to brood yourself when you have a perfect natural brooder. Also, if I am having to keep chicks in a brooder, I say the more the merrier. What if you only have 2 and one dies? Besides, 7 are no more trouble than 2 at that age.

When I did that I had ordered some shipped eggs and my Broody had gotten off the ones she had been sitting on and gotten back on the wrong nest several times, I never thought the two she was sitting on would hatch. She had started sitting just after I had started the eggs in the incubator. So at lock down I put some of the incubator eggs under her so I could see how she would do with them before I gave her all the chicks. Once they hatched, low and behold the two she was sitting on were still alive so I put them in the incubator. And just like you said one died and since I had one lonely chick I tried to add it and was unsuccessful.

 

[lauranickerson]

Wow!

Are you setting eggs under any or all of them?

Yes! They've all got a nice clutch of eggs under them. My cousin wanted some chickens so I said I'd hatch some mixes for her.

 

[Blooie]

<plop> Looks like I'm back for another round, folks! For those of you who remember Agatha, the 8 month old EE who went broody last October and hatched one egg out of the 15 shipped eggs we got for her, I have some news. Agatha is broody again! Yep, and this time no shipped eggs. Seems Scout is about to become a daddy! Whoda thunk, huh? I put 9 eggs under her on Monday night, so last night marked day one. I doubt very seriously if I'm going to attempt any candling....there's a reason we call her "Attila the Hen" when she's broody. So now it's the waiting game.

 

[fisherlady]

Looks like I'm back for another round, folks! For those of you who remember Agatha, the 8 month old EE who went broody last October and hatched one egg out of the 15 shipped eggs we got for her, I have some news. Agatha is broody again! Yep, and this time no shipped eggs. Seems Scout is about to become a daddy! Whoda thunk, huh? I put 9 eggs under her on Monday night, so last night marked day one. I doubt very seriously if I'm going to attempt any candling....there's a reason we call her "Attila the Hen" when she's broody. So now it's the waiting game.

Welcome back!! Glad to hear your girl is back in business and scout is the daddy!

 

[chickenlickin8]

It's day 19 for my broody eggs and bator eggs are in lockdown. I heard a peep coming from the bator this morning. No pips yet. Can't wait

 

[wahnsdlr]

I have a silkie who went broody a couple of weeks ago, so I got a few fertile eggs from a friend and she's been sitting on them for about a week and a half.
I have three more dominant full size hens, who have continued to lay in the same nest by either by standing over her or kicking her off the nest while they lay.
Well, yesterday, one of my other hens decided to become broody and stay on the nest. The poor silkie is just sitting in the adjacent nesting box with no eggs. What should I do? Should I give the fertile ones back to the silkie, should I just let the chickens work it out themselves? Should I divide the eggs between the two of them? Any advice is appreciated.
Also, this is my first experience of broody hens sitting on eggs and the hens are about a year old.
Thanks!

 

[TiaRC]

I have a silkie who went broody a couple of weeks ago, so I got a few fertile eggs from a friend and she's been sitting on them for about a week and a half.
I have three more dominant full size hens, who have continued to lay in the same nest by either by standing over her or kicking her off the nest while they lay.
Well, yesterday, one of my other hens decided to become broody and stay on the nest. The poor silkie is just sitting in the adjacent nesting box with no eggs. What should I do? Should I give the fertile ones back to the silkie, should I just let the chickens work it out themselves? Should I divide the eggs between the two of them? Any advice is appreciated.
Also, this is my first experience of broody hens sitting on eggs and the hens are about a year old.
Thanks!

I would move the hen that just went broody and give the nest of all the eggs back to the Silkie. Her cycle is almost done and has worked hard for those babies. If you give her new eggs she may give up or get too weak trying for another month. The new broody hen most likely won't react well to chick hatching so soon anyway. So I protest to give the Silkie the nest with her eggs and move the new hen to a nest and give her new eggs.

 

[MelissaZeno]

My one year old Dominique has spent almost a week in a nest box and she has had 3 disruptions, I see her outside today and I don't know is she is still broody. I've tried moving her twice and she kept going back to the nest she chose. The other hens won't stay out of the nest and smashed some eggs soiling the rest of her eggs. I also don't want to buy eggs if she won't be staying on them or if I can't move her. She is one of my stubborn hens but she's sweet at pie. She used to be the top hen till the rooster matured.