Broody Hen Thread!

[ChickenGrass]

That's really a wide open question, I personally would never try to make a hen go broody. Some breeds are very susceptible to broodiness and others almost never will. If you try to force nature, there's likely nothing good going to come from it. If you could get a hen to go broody, you may think that everything is going great until day 19, and then she decides to abandon the eggs, or a multitude of other scenarios. I'm the broody here, I pretty much don't allow any unauthorized hatching. LOL More of my problems are trying to keep them from going broody. I have 2 hens that are actually sisters and I have to constantly put them in the broody breaker, a couple weeks ago I posted a picture of one of them sitting on the feed barrel trying to hatch that. She's STILL at it. I would be happy to sell either one of those to someone who wants a broody. Right now I have about 4 or 5 hens out of 50 layers that want to be broody. The 2 sisters I believe to be legbar by australorp crosses. So breed does play a big role in who wants to be broody. I have some silkies and a few other bantams I let go broody, and they have done very well. Not sure why, but it seems like most all bantams have that tendency, even when I was young I can remember having bantams that we used to hatch everything from pheasants to ducks and geese, and even a few chickens now and then.

I agree
I would never force a hen go broody
And anyway this trick probably dosent work
And when you think of it,
It seems kinda cruel

 

[ChickenGrass]

I have a broody hen due on 8 eggs tomorrow

 

[rooboo]

I agree
I would never force a hen go broody
And anyway this trick probably dosent work
And when you think of it,
It seems kinda cruel

Yeah, I start feeling guilty when I don't let the broody ones do what nature intended.

 

[nchls school]

@irishsilkie
This was just posted yesterday...

Quote:
Originally Posted by fisherlady

You can't make a hen go broody! X2. You can encourage a hen who is already hormonally predisposed to it to maybe sit, X2. but it is a very iffy proposition. Depends on the breed.
You have to wait until she has decided to sit before getting her eggs, For the most part I leave the eggs as they are laid. In the last year 100% of the hens have gone broody.and I don't usually recommend special or expensive hatching eggs for a first time broody. X2.

Hatching eggs begin to loose viability after 7 days, many wouldn't use them past 10 days and I would only use them at 10-14 days if they were my own eggs and I knew they had been carefully handled.

Broody hens don't tolerate contact with other flockmates or people, they puff up and screech when someone gets near them... they park themselves on a nest and stay there around the clock except for a short daily break to eat, drink and relieve themselves (broody poo is huge and horrible smelling!) X2.
They will often pluck their chest also... I have never had a broody chicken do this in the 40 years I have had chickens.


Our flock
(101 photos)

 

[4hBrahmas]

So far so good on the duck eggs after we separated her

8 more days on this sweetie

 

[Macis Papa]

I've had 2 over the years that plucked their chest. Both were Black Australorps,not related to each other. One was ten or twelve years ago and the other one is sitting on seven eggs right now.

 

[thebulg]

Hey all, we have a hen who adamantly sought out an isolated laying spot about a month ago (we tried to get her back in the coop, then tried to just make the spot she was in comfortable, and she moved 3 times until we left it alone). I mark the eggs she lays and take them out about every 6 day, so she has between 6 and 12 eggs all the time. 2 days ago she got on the eggs at 4pm and stayed on until after dark, so i assume she stayed on all night. The next day it DOWNPOURED and she left her nest for the entire day. She was out by 645am. She didn't get on it that night. Today she got on for almost 3 hours, and then off for i dont know how long, and she is back on and in for the night.

Question one: are the eggs bad? The ones she sat on for the night? Question 2: is she trying to gobroody? Can it just take her a few days to ease in and figure it out? She would be the first in our flock to ever do it. I could put some eggs from the other girls under her to replace the ones that might be bad. I'm confused by her!

 

[Winter1]

Two hens sharing a nest? Or the weird comb? Yes, but really not normal for a hen to be sitting on top of the other. Silkies!

And my rooster try's to sit with them!!!!!

 

[Winter1]

And I also need help breaking their broodiness. Now they are both broody and I'm getting ZERO eggs. And I guess both of them being broody has made my frizzled polish has stopped laying too.

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

What types of hens tend to go broody? I'd love a brood. I just did my first incubator hatch and boo hiss! It was awful. The hens I have act broody if they lay on a nest with other eggs but they are off it as soon as they hear the rooster call them for treats.