BROODY HATCHING QUESTION

KEarthman

Songster
Oct 27, 2020
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Hi! I have a 7 month old Speckled Sussex that I think is trying to go broody. If I let her hatch some chicks, do they have to stay with her 6 weeks to snap her out of brooding? If not, how soon could I take them and not make her stay broody or go back to brooding? I didn't know if the hatching would be enough. Thanks!
 
How long they care for the chicks depends entirely on the broody. Some like to look after them for longer than others. Just because she is broody doesn't necessarily mean she will make a good mother though. Some birds like to sit, and occasionally they will kill the hatching chicks because they don't seem to understand what they are. I have certain hens I will use to raise chicks but others I will not. You don't know how they will react unless you give them a chance.

I think it would be cruel to let her hatch chicks and then take them away. They talk to their babies before they even hatch and it's lovely to see their interactions.

After raising the chicks the hen will go through a molt before recovering and resuming egg laying duties. It can take them about 4-6 weeks after they have weaned their chicks for that to happen.

You could slip some chicks under her but you would have to wait for her to be sitting on a nest consistently for at least 2 weeks before attempting to give her chicks, otherwise her hormones won't have switched to mothering mode and she will reject the chicks.

Some hens go broody only occasionally, some multiple times a season. One of our Orpingtons used to lay 10 eggs then go broody all summer long. I didn't mind because it meant she would lay through winter.

You can break birds of being broody but putting them in a bare, wire bottomed cage that is elevated until they no longer want to sit all day.
 
Hi! I have a 7 month old Speckled Sussex that I think is trying to go broody. If I let her hatch some chicks, do they have to stay with her 6 weeks to snap her out of brooding? If not, how soon could I take them and not make her stay broody or go back to brooding? I didn't know if the hatching would be enough. Thanks!
Do you want more chicks?
The fastest way to 'snap her out of it' is to 'break' her.

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, IMO it's best to break her broodiness promptly.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

After 48 hours in the crate take her out of crate very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate for another 24-48 hours.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

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Great info-thanks!
I actually wouldn't mind getting some more chicks. That's why I was wondering if we could take the babies from mama sooner than 6 weeks.
 
The only reason we thought of taking then is that the day old chicks that we raised are so much more calm and tame.
 

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