Broody Hen Thread!

[the poppster]

You may be surprised at how she behaves once she's got chicks to protect....my White Cochin has become a monster mom...she swells up to about twice her size and holds her wings out to her sides then runs at anything coming close to her chicks all the time growling...if I put a hand close to her she pecks me and screams...and I mean she trying to draw blood!!! So your hen might surprise more then just you!!! She may not take it from those bullies.

 

[Cory W]

Mom hatched them in nest box not sure if it was to tight for her and babies a squished them. Going to add on to my coop for next batch. Give her an area all to her self with plenty of space.

 

[Cory W]

She went crazy when I pulled out the expired chicks. She was scrathing around looking for them so i put a few eggs under her so she wouldnt abandon the chicks. She seems to be ok now. I dont know if she will stay on those eggs or not until they hatch.
Any input is appreciated.
My first time with a brood

 

[PD-Riverman]

My broody is at the bottom of the pecking order. Will she still keep them away?

Time will tell, BUT I do not like her having to fight/keep the others away, see the hatched chicks get stepped on while she is defending them and they are trying to hide under her, see other hens peck the chick in the head and it flips/flops and dies, having to worry if she gets into another box when she comes back from eating because another hen is in her nest laying a egg that I have to check and remove daily so I do not create a staggered hatch.

All these above things and more have been posted here many times from upset people that keep their broodies with the other chickens.


I look at it like this---if I buy a used car and it has no spare I get one, If I am going to build something I get me a saw and a hammer and nails, If I am going to allow a broody to hatch eggs I will get a broody pen to move her too. I move my broodies to the hatching pens where they have food and water waiting, have room to get off the nest to get to the food/water, poop, stretch their legs and dust bath if they want. I check on them and add more food and water when needed, when she hatches----there is no fighting, the chicks are not pecked or can not walk through the wire to get outside. She takes care of them peacefully. When I need that broody pen or in a couple weeks she and the chicks are moved to a bigger private pen till they are weaned from her body heat----she then goes back to her original pen---the chicks are kept seperated till they get about full size. Works good for me.

 

[katatonic123]

You may be surprised at how she behaves once she's got chicks to protect....my White Cochin has become a monster mom...she swells up to about twice her size and holds her wings out to her sides then runs at anything coming close to her chicks all the time growling...if I put a hand close to her she pecks me and screams...and I mean she trying to draw blood!!! So your hen might surprise more then just you!!! She may not take it from those bullies.

That is a perfect description of my Japanese bantam hen. She is henzilla when she's broody. Her "baby" is 14 weeks and I've seen her chase off my 22 week olds if they get too close.

 

[fisherlady]

She went crazy when I pulled out the expired chicks. She was scrathing around looking for them so i put a few eggs under her so she wouldnt abandon the chicks. She seems to be ok now. I dont know if she will stay on those eggs or not until they hatch.
Any input is appreciated.
My first time with a brood

You put new eggs under her? when are they due? If they are due within the next day then it may be ok, but she has already hatched chicks she will be taking care of and leaving the nest with in another day or two... she will not sit another 3 weeks to hatch more, and she shouldn't be asked to.
you should be able to simply remove all the eggs and let her concentrate on the hatched chicks

 

[Cory W]

I was hoping she wouldnt sit on them for another three weeks i wasnt planning on having more chicks until spring. So ill take the eggs out tomorrow I just wasnt sure if shed spend time looking for the eggs she was on that I took out and forget about the chicks

 

[Cory W]

There were a few eggs that someone had laid in her box that were around 10 days newer while she was outside and I forgot to mark them so I through them out then momma went crazy so I put two more back in

 

[sharol]

There were a few eggs that someone had laid in her box that were around 10 days newer while she was outside and I forgot to mark them so I through them out then momma went crazy so I put two more back in

I try not to fiddle with the eggs unless they aren't developing by day 7-10. I sneak in and candle them when she is off the nest, and I remove any clear ones. They are pretty obvious. I also smell them if I get a chance closer to hatch to be sure they aren't rotten (that can happen, and if they explode -- well, you don't want to know).

Chickens can't count, so as soon as all the eggs are gone, she will assume they all hatched and go take care of the living chicks (or so is my experience).

 

[PD-Riverman]

so I through them out then momma went crazy so I put two more back in

Treat her like a 2year old child-----do it while she is not looking or for the chicken--under the cover of darkness-----should be no problem them!