I have made an amazing discovery

[Red&Yellow]

Whew, mangled, dunno about hatchery birds - all of our flock are hatchery, and this is the 4th hen to go broody!! Her biddies should hatch Tuesday, hopefully. Now I just have to find out how to break it to my parents........

 

[sunflowerenvy]

that is great to hear but i heard that if a hen get up and eats n other sit there on the eggs the first hen will not go back to the nest.Do you separate the hen that sit on eggs or wait until the eggs hatch, and them move all of them in to a other pen ?

 

[jennh]

Quote:
I don't think it's the hatchery-non-hatchery. I think it's the breed. Some breeds are notoriously broody. Take Cochins, Buff Orps, even Barnevelders. A lot of the bigger breeds frequently go broody. Henrietta BO hatched out some eggs, and Isabelle, my Lt Brahma was broody at the same time. Isabelle "helped" Henrietta raise the chicks. Cutest thing you ever want to see. Cleo, my Black Cochin also hatched out some chicks. Now Henrietta is "helping" her raise hers. Gotta love broody hens. I don't have an incubator, I have always bought chicks, but from now on, I'll get the eggs and let my broodies take over

Jen

 

[mikki717]

My first foray into chickens started with mail order chicks, and a brooder in the garage. I get lots of eggs each day, but no broody.

So this year I bought 2 pullets, BO and BA... and added 2 silky/cochin cross. Can we say "Broody Pen" boys and girls?

 

[jdypat]

I dont know what happened around here, but I know that seldom did I have a hen go broody, even tho I had no eggs from a hatchery, all local hens. But this year just about all of my hens have gone broody.
I, in my cynical self, fear its a sign that the coming winter is going to be really bad and we might need the hens and their bounty.

 

[jennh]

Red&Yellow :

Whew, mangled, dunno about hatchery birds - all of our flock are hatchery, and this is the 4th hen to go broody!! Her biddies should hatch Tuesday, hopefully. Now I just have to find out how to break it to my parents........

Jen​

 

[jennh]

Quote:
I'd say YES to the BO, probably not to the BA.

Jen

 

[kano]

Quote:
I always separate the broody. For me it's the ONLY way. Others are a mess...

 

[jdypat]

occasionally another hen will get in the nest, but when she leaves another gets into it.. never had a problem but one time.. the nest was left alone when the hen got into the wrong nest and the eggs were cold. i figured they were dead..but they hatched.. the outside temperature was 100 at the time.. might have had something to do with it..
ive got too many.. all the girls are wanting to nest...never had that happen before..????