My first broody hen

[Oldhenhens]

I have 4 buff brahma hens. They have been the sweetest girls since they were tiny babies. Lately one has been awful. Always crabby and pecking and on the nest box. I figured she was getting broody and short of removing her entirely from the coop I kept trying to break her but she wasn’t having it. So I caved in and gave her 6 eggs. She situated them all under her and settled on them with her eyes closed in contentment. The next morning I happened to catch her off then nest box and there were 7 eggs. Okay. Maybe I miscounted and gave her that many. The next morning I noticed more eggs! Now she had 11-12! The hussy is stealing eggs! You try and do a girl a favor and she takes advantage of your kindness and robs you blind! I’m competing with Broody Brahma Mama for my eggs!!!! Yesterday I physically took her off the nest and she had 13 eggs under her. She had number 14 tucked up in her wing and it fell out and broke. I thought I frisked her good before removing her but this shoplifter had that egg really hidden. I marked all her eggs with a pencil and today she is holding at her 13 count. I have 12 leghorn eggs due to lockdown this week Thursday and if lucky some fuzzy yellow babies by the weekend. Now I have a broody mama and possibly more chicks in 21 days! My question is should I keep her in the nest box in the coop or move her and the eggs off to the barn in a cage with straw and food and water. Will she and her chicks be okay in the coop with all the crazy antics that go on? She growls at any of the others if they get close but she seems to be pretty relaxed. Thank you!

 

[azygous]

Things happen when a sitting broody is accessible to the other hens. First, what you've already seen, the eggs under the broody mysteriously increase. It's more likely due to the other hens getting in the nest with the broody and laying their eggs there, which the broody quickly commandeers as hers.

The other thing that often happens when a broody is not segregated, is breakage of eggs that have live embryos, which can make your heart hurt.

After the eggs hatch, the real tragedy is when a hen comes along and injures a baby chick or gets into it with the broody, perhaps injuring her. Also, hens come along and eat all the food you've left out for the broody and chicks, and they starve because you mistakenly think the broody and chicks ate the food.

It can be a mess. It's why people who have been through this will make special accommodations for the broody. This way, she's set up to keep her chicks safe, and you don't have to disrupt them with a belated move because you didn't foresee these problems.

However, be aware of the problems that can arise when the broody disappears completely for a few weeks, and then reappears with chicks. She will be a stranger and at risk of conflict as she tries to reintegrate into the flock with her chicks. It's not a good idea to disappear her. Try to find a way to house her safely so she is still in proximity to the flock and they know she hasn't gone anywhere. You want to make it easy for her to introduce and integrate her chicks to the flock. Otherwise, she may not be able to keep them safe if she's trying to defend herself upon coming back.

 

[Oldhenhens]

Things happen when a sitting broody is accessible to the other hens. First, what you've already seen, the eggs under the broody mysteriously increase. It's more likely due to the other hens getting in the nest with the broody and laying their eggs there, which the broody quickly commandeers as hers.

The other thing that often happens when a broody is not segregated, is breakage of eggs that have live embryos, which can make your heart hurt.

After the eggs hatch, the real tragedy is when a hen comes along and injures a baby chick or gets into it with the broody, perhaps injuring her. Also, hens come along and eat all the food you've left out for the broody and chicks, and they starve because you mistakenly think the broody and chicks ate the food.

It can be a mess. It's why people who have been through this will make special accommodations for the broody. This way, she's set up to keep her chicks safe, and you don't have to disrupt them with a belated move because you didn't foresee these problems.

However, be aware of the problems that can arise when the broody disappears completely for a few weeks, and then reappears with chicks. She will be a stranger and at risk of conflict as she tries to reintegrate into the flock with her chicks. It's not a good idea to disappear her. Try to find a way to house her safely so she is still in proximity to the flock and they know she hasn't gone anywhere. You want to make it easy for her to introduce and integrate her chicks to the flock. Otherwise, she may not be able to keep them safe if she's trying to defend herself upon coming back.

Thank you! I have something I think might work. I can put it in the coop and move her and her eggs in it with her own food and water. I took food and water to her today. This is why I didn't want this to happen. Even if the mama hatches and cares for the chicks there are so many obstacles. I so appreciate your comments.

 

[azygous]

Another option you have, as the flock manager, is to break the broody and remove her eggs. Since you already have eggs incubating, this may be an acceptable loss. I'm not recommending this, just presenting it as an option to simplify your life and save this hen the wear and tear on her body all of this is bound to cause. With a broody cage to break her, she can return to normal in three days, and go back to laying eggs in about two weeks.

 

[Mrs. K]

You will get conflicting advice - I am about to offer it. I did move my first broody. She escaped and went back to where she thought it was the best spot, lost that clutch.

My grandfather, a very wise cattle man, told me, she knows more about being a cow, than I ever will. I apply that to chickens.

All of us give advice on here thinking of our own set up. I have found that if I leave them alone, they do just fine. I will admit, that I have lost chicks, but I have lost chicks when I bought them too. Some chicks fail to thrive.

The only interference I do, is I number with marker the eggs. Pencil wears off. Every 2-3 days, I carefully with a towel, pull her off the nest. She is in a trance, then puffs up like a beach ball, goes out and terrorizes the layers and rooster. They all give her a wide berth. I examine the eggs, pull out any strays, and check later on to make sure she has gotten back on the right nest.

In the beginning, I would lock the layers out at hatch time. But they started hatching a bit early - and I realized they really just left her alone. That is the really hard part for people is to leave them alone, and let them do as nature intended... and she can be a mean bit**. However the chicks she presents to the world will be healthy and strong.

Mine have always gotten the chicks down to the floor, nests are about 36 inches high, and creates a clean new nest on the floor somewhere. Just before hatching, I give the coop a sweep out and add fresh bedding.

Good luck, each broody hen is different, and you just have to trust your gut as to how this one is working in this flock in this coop at this time of year.

Another option you have, is to take all the eggs, and slip the day old chicks that you are hatching under her at night. Make sure the chicks have had a drink of water, let them get just a wee bit cold, they should be peeping madly, then in the dark, stick them under her. AND leave her alone.

Mrs K