Broody hen advice

[Aunt Angus]

So once she has Sat for 24 hrs with just a quick break then I can give her eggs?

I'd wait a day or 2 - make sure she's serious. Some first time broodies don't fully commit, ime. It would be awful to give her fertile eggs and have her abandon the nest.

 

[SilverBirds]

Here's how to tell she is broody:

She will be sitting on a nest
She will turn into a pancake if you pick her up and set her on the ground
She may or may not bite, growl, hiss when you come near
She will walk around puffed up and growl when the other chickens come near
She will sleep on the nest night

 

[Aunt Angus]

Here's how to tell she is broody:

She will be sitting on a nest
She will turn into a pancake if you pick her up and set her on the ground
She may or may not bite, growl, hiss when you come near
She will walk around puffed up and growl when the other chickens come near
She will sleep on the nest night

She may also tick/cluck and have dilated pupils.

And if you take the ticking, angry pancake out of the nest and set her on the ground, she will likely run around like the sky is falling and then make a b line for the nest.

 

[SilverBirds]

And if you take the ticking, angry pancake out of the nest and set her on the ground, she will likely run around like the sky is falling and then make a b line for the nest.

Forgot that part!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Forgot that part!

When you said "turn into a pancake," that's exactly what I pictured.

 

[SilverBirds]

@junior67 what breed is she? The broody trait has been bred out of a lot of breeds which means it can be very weak in some birds. Some hens will sit half way through and then quit, and others will reject the chicks when they hatch. Not to scare you or anything, but her breed can help determine if she is really broody or not.

Are you letting her collect a nest? Unless you have a crazy bird like mine, they won't typically sit on nothing.

I would not give her eggs until you know for SURE she is broody. I normally give them eggs at 2-3 days.

 

[junior67]

Here's how to tell she is broody:

She will be sitting on a nest
She will turn into a pancake if you pick her up and set her on the ground
She may or may not bite, growl, hiss when you come near
She will walk around puffed up and growl when the other chickens come near
She will sleep on the nest night

Thanks.

I have one that pancakes herself everytime she is in the nest. And no I I know that one isn't broody but she cracks me up how she flattens herself everytime. None of the others do. Lol

 

[NatJ]

Are you letting her collect a nest? Unless you have a crazy bird like mine, they won't typically sit on nothing.

I would not give her eggs until you know for SURE she is broody. I normally give them eggs at 2-3 days.

Fake eggs are a good way to deal with those two points:
"eggs" in the nest for the hen to sit on, but the real eggs kept safe in a different place until you are sure the hen really is broody.

 

[junior67]

@junior67 what breed is she? The broody trait has been bred out of a lot of breeds which means it can be very weak in some birds. Some hens will sit half way through and then quit, and others will reject the chicks when they hatch. Not to scare you or anything, but her breed can help determine if she is really broody or not.

Are you letting her collect a nest? Unless you have a crazy bird like mine, they won't typically sit on nothing.

I would not give her eggs until you know for SURE she is broody. I normally give them eggs at 2-3 days.

She is a LF Cochin. I still have fake eggs in the nest boxes but not letting her collect eggs. I have been collecting hers to put in the incubator on Friday.

I will see what she does the rest of the week and decide if I try her incubating them or put them in the incubator. But will have the incubator and brooder as a back up if I try her.

 

[junior67]

Fake eggs are a good way to deal with those two points:
"eggs" in the nest for the hen to sit on, but the real eggs kept safe in a different place until you are sure the hen really is broody.

I still have the fake ones from when they first started to lay. They seemed to like eggs in the boxes already so I left them