All my chickens are going broody!!!!

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

This morning I went to feed the chickens and there was a Buff Orpington hen in the nest all puffed up, and threw out the day more and more chickens have been going broody.

The last time I counted, they were at least 4 BO and 1 japanese bantam mix hen broody and maybe a Blue cochin Bantam broody as well. The Japanese bantam is setting on so many eggs she can barley fit all of them under her! LOL
She went to sleep in the nest? Is that normal for a broody? Any advice would be great. Thanks!

 

[lauralou]

None of my hens have gone broody yet. That's only because I want to hatch some eggs.

So congratulations to you. Sort of. It can be a pain to have too many broodies.

It is normal for a broody hen to sleep on the nest. She will probably sit tight to the nest 24/7, not counting a few bathroom breaks.

What sort of advice do you need? Ask away. We'll try to answer your questions. But honestly, you can pretty much fly by the seat of your pants. Hens have been hatching eggs forever, and they take care of everything reasonably well.

 

[InsaneBreeder]

Lucky you

*is extremely envious*

 

[shelleyb1969]

I'm with ya, Mrs. FP! I've got 5, almost 6, broodies right now. Every time one of my hen's commits to the deed...I go yank eggs out of the incubator and shove 'em under her!

Might as well let her do it and save me the work.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Well, only 1 hen stayed on the nest ... and she left the nest and the eggs were all kind of cold, so I chased her down and put her back on the nest, but she jumped off. So I took the eggs. Maybe another hen will go broody this summer and really be BROODY! LOL But it's probably better because we're going out of town next weekend. Thanks everybody for your help, though.

 

[Beekissed]

I've got my first broody of the year!

Can't wait to see new peeps and see what they look like....it's always a mystery in my mixed flock.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Yes, It's always interesting to see what your chicks turn out to be! I've had some pretty strange looking chicks out of my flock! lol

 

[Chic Chick]

Don't be confused with the hens just doing their daily job because some like to get snarly if you interupt their egg laying. And hens seem to all like the same nest so usually they will be "sitting on a clutch" when they just want to lay their egg.

Do you pick up the eggs during the day as soon as you see them, or do you leave them and only gather once a day?

When you have a broody hen she lets you know by her growls when you just come close to the nest. If you take her off the nest she'll just go right back to the eggs.
If they growl and snarl at me for a couple of days then I move her and the (maximum) clutch to a private broody cage. That's so the other hens don't lay more eggs in the nest and/or bother her .
They will only get off the nest to get food and water and to poop, so never put the food within reach of the nest or you could have some poopy eggs.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Thanks, 1 BO hen did growl and she was super puffed up at me and she was trying to bite me, and when I took her off the nest she jumped right back in the nest. I gather eggs in the afternoon after everybody has layed their eggs. But I will sometimes gather an egg from a "Pet Chicken" so I can remember who layed it. I kind of have to know wich chicken layed what egg, because I keep a egg chart thingy. Or now I just carry a pen with me so I can mark the eggs, with out moving them.