Broody Hen Thread!

[aart]

I was hoping you all could answer a question for me. My broody is due to hatch out her eggs on the 23rd. She has not been getting off the nest at all so today I lifted her off the nest and put her outside. The eggs were covered in wet feathers and what looks like dirt. I really don't think it is poop because she hasn't gone in her pen. The straw underneath the eggs was wet. I have no idea how it got like this as it was fresh as soon as she decided to sit. I cleaned it out and placed fresh in the nest. Are the eggs ruined? I won't be able to candle them until tonight. I don't have back up eggs for her right now. Any help would be appreciated.

Examine the hen and the eggs carefully as soon as you can, put clean dry bedding in the nest.
One of the eggs may have broken? I assume no rain or waterer leaks could be the cause?
If the eggs are not viable, maybe put some fake egg under her for now and you might be able to get day old chicks to try and graft to her or begin to break her of her broodiness.

My oldest hen is broody and at this point I am willing to try anything to get her to stop. Advice please.

I've had great luck with this setup, I added a nipple bottle waterer just after pic was taken:

My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop and I would feed her some watered down crumble a couple times a day.

I let her out a couple times a day and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

Examine the hen and the eggs carefully as soon as you can, put clean dry bedding in the nest. One of the eggs may have broken? I assume no rain or waterer leaks could be the cause? If the eggs are not viable, maybe put some fake egg under her for now and you might be able to get day old chicks to try and graft to her or begin to break her of her broodiness. I've had great luck with this setup, I added a nipple bottle waterer just after pic was taken: My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop and I would feed her some watered down crumble a couple times a day. I let her out a couple times a day and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two.

I have kept her waterer out and no leaks from above. I am truly baffled as to how it got wet. I will candle the eggs tonight. Grr I feel like I am running out of time because I would like to order the chicks today if the eggs are not viable, but guess I need to wait until tonight to see. Ugh!

 

[fisherlady]

When do Broodys loose interest in there chicks

There is no defined time frame for broodies raising their chicks.... many factors can influence the time.... on average though you can expect anything from 4 weeks to 10 weeks. I have found one of my hens is closer to the 4 or 5 week mark during hot weather hatches but stays with the chicks until 7 or 8 weeks when she hatches in the winter. I have other hens who will stay with their chicks until 8 weeks if they are the only hen who hatched at that particular time but if they hatched with a second hen they will often start weaning their own chicks at about 4 weeks and basically 'give them' to the other hen to finish raising.

 

[fisherlady]

I have kept her waterer out and no leaks from above. I am truly baffled as to how it got wet. I will candle the eggs tonight. Grr I feel like I am running out of time because I would like to order the chicks today if the eggs are not viable, but guess I need to wait until tonight to see. Ugh!

I have had eggs break in the nest and the result is a generally damp feeling in the bedding of the nest....the hen cleans the majority of mess and all of the shell, all that is left is the wet bedding from the egg white.

 

[Blooie]

Can't you get her a little chick or two?

This late in the season there isn't anything available locally. Not a single feed store still carries chicks. I suppose I could order more, but with my luck she'd stop the day the chicks get here.

 

[crazychicken5]

My sex-link is still very broody! We're on day 3 and she still wouldn't get off the nest to eat or drink, so I coaxed her off for just a few minutes before she went back to her nest! Should I move her out of the coop into her own cage, or let her hatch in there with the flock? This is my first broody so I've heard "move her to her own cage, the other birds will kill them!" and "just leave her be, she'll abandon them if you move it!"
Thanks!

I tried to let mine hatch in the hen house, and the other chickens broke two of her eggs. when i moved her she didn't abandon them. I think if she is truly broody she won't mind. so my advice would be move her. good luck

 

[elisabeth44]

What do I do if my broody is not accepted back into her original flock?

 

[torilovessmiles]

I tried to let mine hatch in the hen house, and the other chickens broke two of her eggs. when i moved her she didn't abandon them. I think if she is truly broody she won't mind. so my advice would be move her. good luck

Thank you
I think I will move her before they hatch because I just realized that my coop is not very chick-friendly. It's high off the ground and I feel that little ones may fall off the ramp before they have wings.
So, when should I re-introduce her to the flock after the chicks hatch? I thought about making a broody run next to the main one, separated by a door that could open to the main chicken run. Would she bring them back to the nest she hatched them in, or try and roost with the adult chickens in the normal coop?
Sorry for all the questions, I've never had a broody hen before! Thanks!!

 

[donavonef]

If I may join in. I have Japanese bantams. I'm trying to get my black molted Japanese bantam to go broody. She has laid 8 eggs so far. She started laying this clutch 2 weeks ago but hasn't laid an egg in the past 6 days. She usually is laying one every other day. Is the eggs that she's laid still good for her hatching? And since she hasn't laid in a few days, what's the chances of her going broody?

 

[crazychicken5]

I put my broody in a dog kennel inside the mane run, the other chickens could see the chicks and knew they were there but could not get in to hurt them or bother them. the chicks mom kept them plenty warm and it was big enough for them to run around in. I have a pretty solid one, but i thought about putting a tarp over it a couple times. that could work, or if you have a rabbit hutch or something like that would be awesome.