Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

My first broody(s) hatched #1 of 6 today. Sisters have been sharing the eggs since day 2. Two more of their sisters are sitting on 4 eggs now as well. My poor silkie rooster is lonely.

Congrats! The rooster will be happy soon enough, I know our silkie roo was happy as can be when the last broody came off the nest with her babies and he had a 'job' to do again...roosters can be great babysitters! Not every rooster is great with chicks, but an amazing number of them are actually pretty good dads.

 

[fisherlady]

Two chicks. A squirrel got in at night and scared all my broodies off their nest. 12 eggs were hatching at the time. These two made it; the rest all DIS.

Sorry to hear about the squirrel trouble but the 2 you got are adorable!

 

[WildHens]

Congrats! The rooster will be happy soon enough, I know our silkie roo was happy as can be when the last broody came off the nest with her babies and he had a 'job' to do again...roosters can be great babysitters! Not every rooster is great with chicks, but an amazing number of them are actually pretty good dads.

Yep, I keep my Silkie boy in with his hen whether she's sitting, raising or neither..he is almost as attentive to the babies as she is and nothing, not even the dogs or cats will walk near their pen or he flips. And if that doesn't scare them, he calms right down, walks over and stands quietly beside the fence until they get close enough and then he pecks them as hard as he can thru the fence..
I do have a few boys I'd never trust around babies..but he's definitely not one of them ♡♡

Him n mama teaching the new babies how much fun meal worms can be ♡

 

[frenchiegirl21]

Hello all! I FINALLY have a broody hen that is truly committed to hatching eggs!

Her name is Olivia and she is a buff orpington cross. She has her own little hutch with food, water, and a nest box. She is sitting on 18 of my silkie and frizzle cochin bantam eggs! Today is only day 3, but I am already super excited! I've never been able to use a broody to hatch eggs. Every time I've tried, the hen gives up halfway through.

 

[WildHens]

Hello all! I FINALLY have a broody hen that is truly committed to hatching eggs! e

Her name is Olivia and she is a buff orpington cross. She has her own little hutch with food, water, and a nest box. She is sitting on 18 of my silkie and frizzle cochin bantam eggs! Today is only day 3, but I am already super excited! I've never been able to use a broody to hatch eggs. Every time I've tried, the hen gives up halfway through.

YAY!!! Congrats ♡♡
It's quite the journey, no less nerve wracking than hatching in a bator tho.. but a hen with chicks is my favorite site ever on the farm ♡♡

 

[harrellkd]

My poor first time broody sat on her eggs the entire time. They should have hatched Saturday and didn't. The chicks in the incubator did though. She is still sitting on the remaining two eggs and I have been debating on giving her a few chicks. I want her to have babies, I just don't want to risk the lives of perfectly healthy chicks. Thoughts?

 

[WildHens]

My poor first time broody sat on her eggs the entire time.  They should have hatched Saturday and didn't.  The chicks in the incubator did though.  She is still sitting on the remaining two eggs and I have been debating on giving her a few chicks.  I want her to have babies, I just don't want to risk the lives of perfectly healthy chicks.  Thoughts?

Have u candled the eggs under her to see if they are still alive?
If so, and they're dead, u can always slip a couple incubator chicks under her at night and remove the DIS eggs.

ETA: If you're not comfortable putting the babies under her at night, after u know the eggs under her are no good, and she's the type that will let u under her, just do a swap out while you can watch her.. just don't sit the chicks down in front of her, put them up under her..

 

[harrellkd]

Have u candled the eggs under her to see if they are still alive?
If so, and they're dead, u can always slip a couple incubator chicks under her at night and remove the DIS eggs.

Yes. They did not make it. I'm just so afraid of her killing the chicks. Does you have any experience with this? What are the odds that she will accept them?

 

[WildHens]

Yes.  They did not make it.  I'm just so afraid of her killing the chicks.  Does you have any experience with this? What are the odds that she will accept them? 

I've never had a broody reject chicks..what breed is she?
I've even had hens that were smaller, and could only cover 2 or 3 eggs, but once they hatched those, I slipped another 3 or 4 chicks in with her and she takes great care of them..
It really all depends on the hen tho..if she's a good broody, she will accept the swap out with no problems

 

[Firefighter315]

I put 5 chicks under my first time broody hen under the same circumstances as you and she took right to them. I did it at night she pecked me a few times as I was removing the eggs and placing the chicks but she covered them right up and has been very protective ever since. I followed Mrs. K's advice it worked like a charm.