Broody Hen Thread!

[Tiana's chickens]

Mother and daughter hen are broody together. I'm super excited!! XD

 

[fisherlady]

@Tiana's chickens They are a beautiful pair. Good luck with the brood!

 

[BW56]

10 eggs two plus weeks and no takers. Only one still lays with the ten but leaves.

 

[Tiana's chickens]

@Tiana's chickens They are a beautiful pair. Good luck with the brood!

Thank you

 

[jolenep]

I read that you separate them from the rest.

 

[aart]

Haven't been on this thread in ages, but it sure helped last time I let one set.

Had 2 pullets go broody last fall, SMH, easily broken and 1 went again recently.
Perfect timing! So I moved her to the isolation area(separated by wire wall in coop) and gave her some eggs after she settled in(took a couple days).
This will be fun, but may complicate integration of a later incubation I have planned.
She's sitting on 7 BCMxCCL eggs(sexlinked OE's!!)...only 7 days in, will candle on day 10.<fingerscrossed>

 

[fisherlady]

@aart
Good luck, she should do great with that set up.

 

[Joanmcm]

This year one hen went broody and she was limited to 12 eggs. 6 were in there for a day or two when she first appeared to quit for a day, her sister hens filled up the nest then she began sitting. After 28 days (yes 28) a sister hen who visited from time to time decided to steal her nest. Or so I thought. Both hens were sitting very close together, practically eye to eye clucking.
Yesterday four chicks hatched (two died, two lived). I tried to remove the interloper but the original hen got upset, and appeared to be telling the interloper 'get back on the eggs'. The interloper did just that and the original broody gathered up the live chicks. (The dead chicks were removed.)

This morning, one more chick is under original broody (making 3) and interloper continues to sit on eggs. Both softly clucking. Chick food and water was left by the hens but at this point, apparently they know what they are doing and have worked a system out.

Has anyone heard of this? I searched posts but did not see anything similar.

This original post was mine. After several hatchings, apparently my chickens like an 'auntie' hen to help with the sitting and especially raising chicks. The Auntie often stay with the chicks after Mom weans them. One would have a chick tucked under each wing at night until they were almost as big as her. One hen is an amazing auntie. Her own eggs never hatch and she will sit forever. I do not know why. She is very dedicated. I will tuck a baby under her from an overloaded hen and she will take care of it and help Mom out with the others as well. That is the only way to break her broodiness. She is a bit weird and gets picked on but is the best auntie.

 

[aart]

@aart
Good luck, she should do great with that set up.

Thanks!
Only 4 of 7 eggs developing.
7 days to go.
Have noticed she is off the nest twice a day in the last few days,
in concurrence with the once daily 'cool down' after 10 days I've read about,
eating-drinking-pooping and even up on the roost board once or twice.
Glad she's staying sustained and 'getting in shape' for 'lock-down'.
I'm itching to candle again, but won't.
Have eggs in the incubator too, due for a day 10 candling in a few days,
that will have to satisfy my embryo viewing inklings.

 

[WVduckchick]

Thanks!
Only 4 of 7 eggs developing.
7 days to go.
Have noticed she is off the nest twice a day in the last few days,
in concurrence with the once daily 'cool down' after 10 days I've read about,
eating-drinking-pooping and even up on the roost board once or twice.
Glad she's staying sustained and 'getting in shape' for 'lock-down'.
I'm itching to candle again, but won't.
Have eggs in the incubator too, due for a day 10 candling in a few days,
that will have to satisfy my embryo viewing inklings.

I have one on a few eggs due in 5 or 6 days too, and also eggs in the incubators.
21 Marans and Lav Orps due this weekend, 15 call duck eggs due in about 3 weeks. 40 random bantam eggs due in a couple weeks, more eggs coming this week (cream legbars and royal palm turkeys) and more hens acting broody every day!

And...I bought another incubator today.

May I have my white jacket now??