Hello and help with my lovely broody hen - should she be a mommy?

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Quack Shack

Quack Shack

Songster
10 Years
May 21, 2009
328
14
111
Winston-Salem
Hi. I've been enjoying this forum for the past 3 months as I learn my newly aquired pets. So much info and so many great people willing to share sage advice so I took the plunge and joined.

About me? I'm fowl struck with an assortment of the following: RI Reds, OE BB Reds, Austrolops, Shaver Red, EEs, Rouens and White Cresteds. Toss in 2 kids, 2 terriers, 2 cats and mix with love.

My question: I have had a lovely Austrolop hen go broody now for over 2 months. I have to pull her off her nest twice a day so she'll eat. She's losing weight and she's so devoted to her golf ball "eggs" that moving them hasn't deterred her in the least. Locking her out of the coop only gets another hen pecked and yes, she will sit in the nesting box while some other poor hen tries to lay an egg there even without her golf balls. I don't mind the drop in egg production but geez, I'd like my bossy black beauty back with the others. Should I just get some fertilized eggs and let her try? Your thoughts?
 
Sounds like she is determined, so why not give it a shot.

I had a Buff Orpington start the broody thing last week. Since I have a rooster that is also BO, I let her start a clutch to sit on and added a couple other eggs for her to hatch. I have her in a small pen by herself where she can access food and water if she wishes.
 
Thanks for the input. See, didn't even consider that I may need to give her some space. I think if I put her favorite box in the middle of the yard she'd sit there on them so relocation probably won't be an issue. I've connected with a family that has a neighbor with chickens. I don't have a mature roo but they do. I'll see what kind of bartering will get her some eggs. 21 days to finished product, right?
 
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from TN
 
I've been through this a couple of times. The first time was with a sweet Buff Orpington. After nearly two months on the nest we decided she would waste away to nothing if we didn't do something - she was VERY determinedly sitting on an EMPTY nest (and we didn't have a rooster to provide any eggs worth sitting on). Sooo, we brought home three brand new chicks from the feed store - NO luck (and then we had three new chicks to house and nurse). Next we decided on fertilized duck eggs (we REALLY didn't need any more chickens). She seemed delighted to have eggs to sit on and, and after four long weeks, ONE egg finally hatched. She doted on that funny little baby for weeks, but eventually lost interest (once the duckling started quacking) ... and then I had to buy ducks for company for our poor lone confused duckling.

The second hen to go broody was our little white bantam cochin. This time we thought we had fertile eggs thanks to a little rooster in the batch of three chicks from above. (And, I tossed a couple of duck eggs underneath her as well before I realized they had different incubation periods). Anyway, after 3 1/2 weeks we candelled the eggs and discovered the chicken eggs had probably never been fertile (maybe our little rooster was still too young, in spite of appearing to be quite busy). Several days later two ducklings TRIED to hatch, but apparently chickens can't keep duck eggs moist enough and they get stuck to the shell. We tried helping one out, but lost it in the process and decided to let nature take it's course with the other (it was SAAAD). Sooo, after feeling like an utter failure, I went to the feed store and bought two newbie silkie chicks - which, low and behold, this hen DID accept.

I worked a little bit harder introducing the chicks on the second go round. I actually brought the hen (who seemed really depressed at losing the ducklings during hatching) and some spare eggs into a pen in our garage. I put the chicks in a box with a heat lamp right next to the hen. She eventually started doing this 'purring' thing in response to the chicks peeping and then I put them under her AND removed the eggs. I gently protected them with my hand when she did some initial 'curiosity?' pecking and eventually they happily settled under her and she took over. The cool thing was how delighted the 'babies' were to have a momma.

That's my personally experience, for what little it's worth. I've had chickens for only two years, and ducks for one, so I'm VERY new at this (and new to the list too). Guess I'll have to do an introduction and background sometime soon.
 
Oh, that is a sad story but with a happy twist! Having rescued a feed store duck myself only to read online they are social creatures. Back to the feed store again to add 2 more buddies as I just knew no one would want the crested ducklings. I think that's how the whole fowl hobby goes from 3 to 23! They rope us in with their tiny cuteness and then we name them!

I will take your advice and do the switcheroo on her late one night. Course this means I'll have to acquire some babies. You used Silkies, right? Do you think the other hens will accept them? I introduced 12 OEGs and there was quite a bit of pecking until the roos who are now 3 months could tell the other hens to leave their girls alone. My RIs are feisty.
 
You probably need some more experienced expert advice, but my concern with the silkies is that they are so very tiny and delicate at first, I'd be concerned about them being with a full sized hen (but I'm new at this!). The other concern is that when they do grow up, it sounds as if housing them with the full sized hens can sometimes be a problem because they get picked on. I'm trying to figure out new housing options for mine as 'adoptive momma' seems desperate to hang out with the adults again.

I think I've read that the silkies tend not to roost either, which leaves them on the floor at night and more vulnerable.

But gosh, they are lovely, dear, gentle little additions to the flock. I'm sorry I didn't start out with them - though it would have taken a whole lot more eggs to make an omelet.

Help anyone???
 
I have silkies and other bantams in with my large fowl, and let me tell you, them silkie and other bantam roos can hold their own with my biggest baddest wyandotte roo. I am going to attempt to adopt some of the EEs that are hatching here tomorrow to my wyandotte hen who's sitting on no eggs. I also have, in the next pen over, a broody buff orp who is one about day 7.
 

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