Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[jammyjammy2112]

Did she ever go broody or how old is she and did you breed her yourself.

 

[OffGridMAMA]

I might have a broody!!!!!! 2 year old barred rock x old English game cross. She is flat as a pancake on 4 golf balls and pecked and howled at me when I tried to see if she had any eggs...
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I am hoping hoping will check on her later today.....

 

[bobbieschicks]

Did she ever go broody or how old is she and did you breed her yourself.

She has not gone broody yet, although when she was younger she helped Topsy hatch and brood Topsy's four younger silky chickens. She's around 28 weeks old now. I didn't really breed for her. I just have a mixed backyard flock. At the time I had a silky roo, but before him I had a white leghorn roo. So the WLhad mated with my EE, and they produced a white leghornish EE with pea comband large green eggs we named her Sunny. Then I got rid of the WL roo and had the silky roo. He mated with Sunny and produced Vanilla Ice. Oh I fully expect her to go broody soon since she already has begun the broody clucking noise. But with WL in her genes its hard to know how well she will do.

 

[rebecuna]

I have a broody SS who has been sitting on the nest for 4 days-- her first time. Problem is, the last 2 days she's gotten off around noon for 2+ hours! Both days I thought she must not be going through with it, but then she's back on the nest not moving. I've read that some chickens leave for longer periods of time than the typical 5 or so minutes, but I don't know if those chickens always leave for longer times or just occasionally stay out for hours. She stays on all night, stays on through the other chickens being mad at her hogging the nest box they like and climbing in on top of her to lay, and she fluffs up her feathers and garbles at me when I get close, so those all seem like signs of sticking. She has water and food right outside her nest, but she still wants to leave and eat grass in the yard every day.

So far she's not on fertile eggs, but I have some and was planning to start her "officially" on Monday. I'm worried she won't be able to maintain the warmth if she keeps taking her frolic vacations. I moved her nest box tonight to an isolated place away from the rest of the flock, so we'll see if that helps. Other thoughts? Is this likely to work?

 

[bobbieschicks]

I have a broody SS who has been sitting on the nest for 4 days-- her first time. Problem is, the last 2 days she's gotten off around noon for 2+ hours! Both days I thought she must not be going through with it, but then she's back on the nest not moving. I've read that some chickens leave for longer periods of time than the typical 5 or so minutes, but I don't know if those chickens always leave for longer times or just occasionally stay out for hours. She stays on all night, stays on through the other chickens being mad at her hogging the nest box they like and climbing in on top of her to lay, and she fluffs up her feathers and garbles at me when I get close, so those all seem like signs of sticking. She has water and food right outside her nest, but she still wants to leave and eat grass in the yard every day.

So far she's not on fertile eggs, but I have some and was planning to start her "officially" on Monday. I'm worried she won't be able to maintain the warmth if she keeps taking her frolic vacations. I moved her nest box tonight to an isolated place away from the rest of the flock, so we'll see if that helps. Other thoughts? Is this likely to work?

 

Is she still laying? If so I wouldn't risk it because it doesn't sound like she's ready yet.

If she is no longer laying I'd slip three eggs under her and the rest in a bator. If she's truly broody she will hatch out the eggs and then you can slip all your newly hatched chicks under her that she would normally handle..

 

[dretd]

I have a broody SS who has been sitting on the nest for 4 days-- her first time. Problem is, the last 2 days she's gotten off around noon for 2+ hours! ...

So far she's not on fertile eggs, but I have some and was planning to start her "officially" on Monday. I'm worried she won't be able to maintain the warmth if she keeps taking her frolic vacations. I moved her nest box tonight to an isolated place away from the rest of the flock, so we'll see if that helps. Other thoughts? Is this likely to work?

I guess I need to ask how expensive those eggs are that you were going to set on Monday? Bobbieschicks idea of splitting the eggs and putting some in the bator is a good one.

Last spring my year-old Wellie went broody and I let her set eggs. Problem was she was low chicken in the peck order so the big girls kept booting her off the nest. Twice I came back in the evening and she got back on the wrong nest--the one the others were supposed to be laying in-- and her incubated nest was cold. Ambient temperature cold. So it had to be hours she was off the nest.

I thought all was lost, but I let her keep going and she hatched out 3/7 eggs. I figure that was pretty good for having chilled twice like that. I don't know where you are located, but if it is warmish during the day it may not be a big deal but if it is really chilly it could be.

The isolation nest is smart. If she is really broody, she will still stick to those eggs and it will stop the harassment from the other hens. I moved a nest on a dabbler last year and she gave up and did not follow the nest. Just moving the nest may tell you lots. You could also move a small bowl near her with food and a small waterer and even pick grass and put it in there for her so she's not motivated to clip grass for a snack.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

 

[rebecuna]

Is she still laying? If so I wouldn't risk it because it doesn't sound like she's ready yet.

If she is no longer laying I'd slip three eggs under her and the rest in a bator. If she's truly broody she will hatch out the eggs and then you can slip all your newly hatched chicks under her that she would normally handle..

She's not laying. Unfortunately I don't have an incubator, so it's natural or nothing I might slip a few chicks under her anyway b/c I want some cornish crosses for meat.

I guess I need to ask how expensive those eggs are that you were going to set on Monday?

Only $1 each and I have 8, so I think I'll risk it. I'm in Western Oregon so it's cold at night but during the day is in the 50s.

She stayed on the newly moved nest in the shed all night. I peeked in through the window and saw her still in there. I'm giving her a little more time to get settled there before I actually open the door, but I'll need to go in this afternoon to get feed for the rest of the girls and then I'll check to see how she's doing. I'm hopeful the lack of disturbance from the others will help her settle. She's the lowest in the pecking order so that makes sense, right?

 

[Johnn]

She's not laying. Unfortunately I don't have an incubator, so it's natural or nothing I might slip a few chicks under her anyway b/c I want some cornish crosses for meat.
Only $1 each and I have 8, so I think I'll risk it. I'm in Western Oregon so it's cold at night but during the day is in the 50s.

She stayed on the newly moved nest in the shed all night. I peeked in through the window and saw her still in there. I'm giving her a little more time to get settled there before I actually open the door, but I'll need to go in this afternoon to get feed for the rest of the girls and then I'll check to see how she's doing. I'm hopeful the lack of disturbance from the others will help her settle. She's the lowest in the pecking order so that makes sense, right?

Id give her a week if i was you and then give her eggs

 

[Sunny Side Up]

This is why I think it's ideal to confine a broody to her own little private quarters, so she doesn't get mis-directed on her way back from her break, and doesn't get disturbed by other hens.

And I always move my broodies well after dark, and try to make the move as smooth & seamless as possible. I will also shade the broody cage for the next few days so she can't see out, and is kept in dim light to encourage her to stay put. Some hens will still protest being in the new location, and I'll let them out after 12-24 hours of resistance. But if she stays on the job, that's when I'll give her the eggs I want for her to set.

Right now I have 2 of my most professional broodies setting on eggs I purchased. This is the very first time I've ever bought eggs to be shipped, and I trust these hens to do a better job than I ever could with an artificial incubator.

 

[rebecuna]

She stayed on the newly moved nest in the shed all night. I peeked in through the window and saw her still in there. I'm giving her a little more time to get settled there before I actually open the door, but I'll need to go in this afternoon to get feed for the rest of the girls and then I'll check to see how she's doing. I'm hopeful the lack of disturbance from the others will help her settle. She's the lowest in the pecking order so that makes sense, right?

I went in there and she's deep in broody trance... I couldn't even tempt her with some yummy morsels. Looks like she hasn't been off the nest at all today yet (the last 2 days she would have already done her 2+ hour forays in the yard)... no sign of poo in the broody box. So hopefully she's nice and comfy for the long haul!