Broody behavior question

[GiGi123]

My broody, Betsy a Black copper Maran, is sitting on 20 eggs at the moment. i went in her little isolated area to change the water and she completely freaked out on me. She was growling. Is that normal? should i be worried? sorry i have used incubators before but never hatched with a broody.

thank you,
Gigi

 

[lockedhearts]

Totally normal Broody behavior

All broodies are different, I have one, Iris, she is an awesome broody, raised a hatch last year, did not mind me handling them at all. She went broody again, I went to check her, she went all Ninja on me and scratched my face before I even knew what happened

Lesson learned, I do not get my face that close to broody hens again.

 

[ScissorChick]

LOL

What LockedHearts said.

Some broodys, like mine - let you handle them, ofcoarse they're growling the whole

time, but wont flog you.. Then others go crazy when you walk up to them. With all

honasty, a broody hen that flogs & pecks you is a good broody. One that will do alot

to keep her babies safe

 

[dominiquetrix]

omg! I had no idea broodies got so mean. I am new to chickens ( had 4 hens for one year) and have my first broody. She is awesome! I check on her all the time. I go in when she gets up to eat/poop and check the eggs. She is still in with the others. I have been reading up on broodies and just realized that I it might be wise to separate her. Hatch day is May 24.

i have another hen who has acted like she wants to be broody as well. She steals eggs and/or collects fresh ones to sit on. Unfortunately she still wants to roost...until last night. Previously she has been "helping" the real broody by sitting on the nest when the momma is away. Yesterday she refused to get up and even stayed on the nest overnight. My poor little Momma just bedded down next to her. I am not sure what I should do. If I move the momma this late in the game is she likely to abandon the eggs? Will she get too stressed out over the wanna be momma and leave the nest to her? ( I don't really trust #2 to be a dedicated sitter.) Do you think I should get the newer broody her own eggs? If so, do I need to keep everbody seperate or can the two broodies stay together on their own nests? Any advise will be GREATLY appreciated!!

 

[mmaddie's mom]

20 eggs is a lot... consider giving #2 broody a few... but know if she is not truly broody, you may lose those few.

Have you candled to see how many are actually developing?

Some hens will share broody duty and mommy duty... only time and your hens and you can know what will work... they are all different.

If you decide to separate your original broody, then do the move @ night... in the dark... prepare new nest... gather eggs & mommy as calmly & quietly as possible... after placing eggs in new nest then quietly place mommy on the eggs gently holding her down so she can feel the eggs on her tummy... she should settle just fine.

Good luck with your broodies.

 

[dominiquetrix]

Thanks for the advice! I only have 12 eggs under my girl ( I think 20 was the poster above me). Do you think I should keep the two broodies seperate from each other or just seperate from the flock. The whole flock is only 4 girls but of course I would hate to see any of them or their chicks get hurt. If I don't put eggs under #2 I guess I need to break her up. I try to let nature run it's course but i also don't want her to get too stressed trying to hatch chicks when there are none.

 

[GiGi123]

thanks guys

 

[lindsmurphy]

In my (very limited) experience, you just have an overprotective broody. My first broody (whose chicks are 4 days old now) was not that way at all, she would allow me to pick her up off the eggs (with minimal hassling of course) and place her in front of the feed and water, and then would calmly walk back and lay on her chicks... I now have ANOTHER girl who has decided she would like to hatch just a couple eggs (silly chicken), and she is just absolutely beside herself when I am working in the coop even if I'm not in her pen. I won't use her again.