Broody Hen :-)

[howlingrose46]

My broody silkie is still in the house in the nesting box. The rest of the flock is in and out of the house all day and they all go I. To roost at night. So far no one seems to be bothering her. This is my first broody so what do I do? Should I separate her before the eggs hatch ( she only has two ). Or after or leave her there. Worried the others might hurt the chicks I have a second house. But we just put 15 peeps in there. That was planned before she went broody. Any suggestions ?

 

[gimmie birdies]

when a broody chooses a spot that is her spot, some times it is not good to move her. put an x on the eggs she sat on and that you want to hatch and let her stay. when other hens lay remove the other eggs to give the eggs she kept a better chance. sometimes other hens will kick her off her nest and she may mistakingly go to another lay box, but put her her back on her eggs if she does this. when the chicks hatch take them inside to a brood box untill all her eggs are hatched. when chicks are young they can be squished, or pecked by other hens or the mom. when the chick is 3 days old eating and healthy I give them back to the hen at night in a separate pen away from other hens. The mom will still have the hormones for a couple of days and accept the babies. if it is under 70 degrees in your area put out a heat lamp. the mom is not enough.

 

[howlingrose46]

Thanks I get such great Info here!!! My broody mama came out and free ranged today for about 15, 20 minutes with the rest of the flock I only let them free range on Saturdays. Guess she wasn't missing that lol. She got some good and needed exercise took a good dust bath hung with her too for a few and went back to the box.

 

[gimmie birdies]

that happens. some times the hen leaves the nest and the owner of the hen thinks "oh no!I gotta get the hen back on the nest!" then chases the hen about. this might make the hen lose her hormones. they know what they are doing.

 

[Betsy57]

My 6 month old Buff Orphington has gone broody already! I'm not happy about that. She has laid only for a month. Slacker.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I had a buff, and thought she stopped laying eggs- then right before winter, I found all her eggs she was hiding. we didn't have a roo at the time but she thought she would hatch them.