Buff Orpington hen brooding

[mt19]

My buff Orpington is brooding, this is my first broody hen and my first experience with a broody hen. She's been sitting on 1 egg for 14 days now. She has only layed one egg and no more, is that normal? And as this is my first experience could you please give an insight to what I should or shouldn't do, and a bit information about what happens when the egg hatches. Like, do I move it just before it starts hatching and put it in a separate box or leave it under my hen, and also what to do with the chick after its born. Does it prefer to stay with its mother, or can I move it because I have 2 hens and a rooster all staying in one coop.
Thank you in advance

 

[Ridgerunner]

There are a lot of different signs that a hen might be broody. I’ve had hens show all of them but it was false. She never did go all the way into full broody mode. The way I tell if a hen is broody enough to be trusted with hatching eggs is that she has to spend two consecutive nights on the nest instead of in her normal rooting place. That test, two consecutive nights, has always worked for me.

If you have a broody hen, you have a few options. You can do nothing. The hen has built up a fat reserve to live on while being broody. That’s why they don’t have to eat and drink a lot. They will lose a lot of weight while broody, but that is pretty much just excess fat stored for that reason. But some hens will remain broody after that reserve is used up. Personally I would never go this route. I either break them or give them eggs or chicks. They are also not laying eggs while they are broody.

Another option is to get fertile eggs for her to hatch. If you want to go this route, we can give you some suggestions on how to find fertile eggs. Or you can get very young chicks for her to raise and give them to her.

Another option is to break her from being broody. I use a cage with a wire floor, just leave her in there with food and water and no nest for a few days. That’s always worked for me. Here’s a thread about breaking a broody that might help.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2176186#p2176186

I don’t know what is going on with your Buff. I assume you have checked under the other hen to see if there are any eggs there. Some broodies won’t allow other hens to lay in their nest, though most are willing to share. It’s possible the Buff is hiding a nest somewhere. If it has just been a day or two, it may just be a cycle she’s going through. It’s also possible something is getting the eggs. If that hen is truly broody, that may have upset the dynamics of their little flock to throw her off laying for a few days. There are just so many different possibilities it’s hard to say.

Good luck.

 

[tennboy1]

I bought six BO pullets today to add to my 2 BO hens already. They make amazing mommys

 

[mt19]

Buff Orpington occasionally comes out the coop, for food and water and also a mud bath. Then goes back inside the coop till the next morning. That's my red Rhode Island with her and my rooster . If anyone knows what breed my rooster is, please let me know. I got him when he was a baby and i can't remember what breed he is..! lol thanks

 

[Den in Penn]

Let the egg stay with the hen she knows what to do. Leaving the mother raise the chick is easiest. Letting the mother and chick stay with the flock is the easy way to integrate the chick into the flock. When I let a broody hatch, that is what I do.

 

[mt19]

Thank you

 

[farmer boy]

i do the same let my hen hatch the egg and raise the chick and my broody hen doesn't like no one she will attack me my dogs my cats other hens but she wont attack the roosters well not the two boss roosters / the biggest ones .. so mine is very protective of her babies ... i have a rooster that is really good with the chicks if their with the hen and he go and get treats for the babies and stay with the babies and the momma its cute and having a broody hen with a chick is so cute to watch them run around and play find treats and stuff and it is better doing it this way because she will teach the chick everything that it needs to know

 

[mt19]

My hen has been really good and calm ever since shes brooding, but she does make a growling sound when i touch her egg. and my rooster is very protective over her too. Thank you

 

[Nana Linda]

I have a Buff Orpington hen that has been brooding for over a week now. Her eggs are NOT fertilized as I do not own a rooster. I remove the egg out from under her if there is one there. I have locked her out of the coop for an hour or so hoping that she'll snap out of her determination to have chicks even though she can't. As soon as I let her back in she's right back into the nesting box. Meanwhile, her sister, isn't laying any eggs while she's in this mood. What's up with that?

 

[Nana Linda]

I forced my hen out of broodiness by removing the egg. I also picked her up twice a day and made her go out to eat and drink. Strange behavior. It's like she's hypnotized when she's brooding. I try to knock that trance out of her. Gently of course. Within a week she will stop brooding