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My broodies have always gone back to the original nesting area to sleep, but only for a few days. Later, she goes to wherever she likes. Since she is a mobile brooder, it doesn't matter where they are!

I put 5 chicks under a broody with just a few of her own. I put 3 chicks the same breed/color as her own chicks and 2 chicks of a completely different breed under her. She made some really weird noises at the yellow chicks (hers were all BAs, and thus black and yellow), but within about 10...

Oh, sorry, friend! hah! That's not close at all! I'm so glad you have a chance to find friends for the new peep!

Isn't Ideal hatchery close to you? I'm sure they have some friends for your baby. Maybe a chance to get some BAs for your flock! You could have loads of pretty brown eggs by Mother's Day! I am continually astounded the way first time broody Moms know exactly what to do, from turning the eggs...

Next clutch of eggs I put beneath my broody will be shipped eggs. My plan is to improve my flock with some heritage Black Australorps. My hatchery mutt BA Mum will happily hatch them for me. Fingers crossed for successful shipping, but I will be ordering from some folks who have very high...

From my own hens. Hatched 5, 3 are roos

incubator's anonymous, maybe

Is she (extra) puffed out, crabby and turns into a velociraptor when you try to move her? Then probably. They don't have to have eggs to be a broody. My broodies have also stopped saying "boc boc" and started saying "clook clook" when they went broody, too. All signs to me they want to brood...

YAY!!!!!

Standing by for baby pics, LeahsMom!!!

This winter I will be doing some culling of my older birds and the young roos. When my broody goes broody again, in spring, I will be ordering some heritage Black Australorp eggs from the Urch's. I am very excited for some true blood in my flock. Eventually, I hope to replace all my birds with...

WOW! I thought the 18 under my neighbor's broody was a lot! Holy Mackeral!

Thanks, Miss Lydia!

Good to know. Just testing Bee's theory of broodies being "tricked" into brooding not-in-spring by artificial light. Not at your house! Thanks, Stony.

Just wondering~ how many who have broody hens at this time of year are using artificial lighting in their coops?

YES!

Stony is my go-to broody guru! Having the hen and chicks mingle with the flock from the start, at her discretion, is the biggest blessing of broody-raised chicks. No integration issues. When she stops Mothering, they learn to find their own place in the flock, and you didn't have to lift a...

Sure. Mine are BAs and they go broody at the mere suggestion of chicks, and are fanatical Mothers. And they are hatchery birds! I can't imagine how broody a heritage, proper bred, Australian Australorp would be!

Oh, so these guys aren't tiny little chicks, then. Whew. As long as they can escape, they will probably be fine. Some Mums leave off Mothering about then, I have heard (tho mine brooded much longer). I didn't know Leghorns were even broodies so much, so maybe she is just as broody as they get! I...

Is this her first brood? Maybe she isn't a great Mum. Or maybe she is just young. I don't know. Both my broodies were first-timers and they would have faced down a dragon to save their babies. They also wouldn't go anywhere their babies couldn't go. They were obsessed with their chicks. But...