Broody Hen Thread!

[jaide]

Yep, I use magic marker also.

Also from personal experience I can attest to the fact that you sometimes have to physically pick the hen up and get her off the nest to eat, drink, and poo.  I was beginning to suspect that the hen, a first time broody, wasn't leaving the nest to do her business. After two days I pushed her off the nest to discover that she had indeed relieved herself on the eggs and then it looked like she had rolled them around in it until it was caked and dried on like concrete. I did my best to get as much yuck off the eggs as possible but even then I knew it was going to be a problem. Sure enough 3 eggs never hatched and had chicks dead in the shell. A forth chick died at 3 weeks from failure to thrive. I can only point to the soiling of the eggs as the cause behind the chick death.

From now on I will physically make the hen get off the nest the 2nd day after she begins brooding and every day after that. Hens, especially new broodies have no time sense at all. All they want to do is sit on those eggs. Yes it is extra work for the owner but if it gives me viable chicks I'll do it gladly. 

I tried to move my broody from her nest this summer she wasn't having it. She use to be so sweet but I tried to move her and she bit me repeatedly. Now I only move my broody hens at night.

 

[microchick]

Yep, they can pinch you, that is for sure, but you are probably at least 20 times bigger than she is, so you have to be the one in charge.

Moving nest and broody to a new location is done better at night but there are others here who will agree that sometimes you have to physically move the hen off the nest for a break even if she isn't being nice about the intrusion.

 

[MayhemMarr]

I have a young broody her first time and she has four eggs. But only one as far as I can tell it's developing. If I remove the did eggs will it upset her and cause her to abandon the good egg? Or should I just leave them all be

 

[fisherlady]

I have a young broody her first time and she has four eggs. But only one as far as I can tell it's developing. If I remove the did eggs will it upset her and cause her to abandon the good egg? Or should I just leave them all be

You can pull them, I doubt she will care. If she seems upset you can replace them with a fresh egg or two which can be swapped out in a few days.

 

[nchls school]

I have a young broody her first time and she has four eggs. But only one as far as I can tell it's developing. If I remove the did eggs will it upset her and cause her to abandon the good egg? Or should I just leave them all be

Leave the eggs or replace with dummy eggs (or fresh ones). When there is just a single egg to hatch the chick could be crushed by the hen's weight when it first hatches. Other eggs in the nest will hold the weight up and off the newly hatched chick until it is stronger.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Hey guys I have a friend whose hen is hatching for the first time. 2 out of like 12 chicks hatched and the others don't seem to be making much progress. The mom seems to be pecking at the shells of a few who have pipped. Is this normal?

 

[slordaz]

I've only had one successfully brood, due to the leghorn issue, she kept stealing everyones eggs cause she wasn't successfully brooding, so won't be much help on that one.

Does anyone have any experience in cold climates: I have several trying to brood and we got 4-6 weeks before Idaho winter is in full swing. We keep taking the eggs and they keep finding a new place to hide the nest. Wondering if should let them do their thing or not?

 

[darcysh]

My black leghorn went broody 20 days ago and last Thursday she hoped of the nest for about 2 hours but has sat on the nest every day since. On Saturday I candled the eggs and there was definitely a chicken inside. Would the chicks died in the egg since the mother was off that long?

 

[microchick]

I had a hen go broody in Feb of last year after being broken of the same affliction in December. Our Feb started out warm with 50+ degree weather for about a week and then back to midwest normal, meaning cold enough to hide the brass monkeys. No problem really with the exception of it really beating up on the hen's overall conditioning. She is a very determined broody. Second time around I hand fed her treats in between her regular daily trips off the nest and she did much better.So I don't know whether to blame the cold weather for her de-conditioning or her. The chicks did great. We did run a heat lamp for them in the broody pen.

 

[Isaac 0]

Just curious if these are signs that my Easter egger will become broody.when she is laying she wont let anybody near her she makes a screeching sound.Also once she is done laying she lays in it for another hour and once i put golf balls around her and she lifted up and pushed all of the golf balls under her.I'm hoping she becomes broody although she inst a broody breed.