broody hen - again?

[Gonda]

I have a hen who was broody a few months ago. She sat on eggs for three weeks and they hatched and are now about 12 weeks old. The same hen is showing signs of being broody again. Does that make sense? And in the heat of summer? We're having hot weather here and it seems like it wouldn't be very ideal to be sitting in a nesting box for 3 weeks. And this hen didn't come off her nest to eat and drink last time, so I had to take her off once a day to make sure she got food and water and did her smelly poop. With the daytime heat, sitting in a warm coop, I'd be afraid she'd dehydrate. And then, is it a good idea to be hatching and raising chicks now yet in August?

 

[pgpoultry]

Hens don't read the literature or consider the consequences.

My Gold Brahma became broody after laying her first 10 or so eggs, I broke that. She then became broody again 2 weeks later, she hatched a clutch. Then 11 weeks later, hatched another clutch. She is not yet a year old and did not start her egg laying until she was over 6 months of age. We can rely on her for chicks but not for omelets!

The heat is an issue, but I'm not sure that will sway her!

Sandie

 

[afishel]

I did the same as pg I would collect the eggs from the coop 2 or 3 times a day and every time I'd collect the eggs my white rock would peck at me! I would still take her out of the nest and take her outside with the rest of the girls and after about a week of this routine she quit.
w
e
L
L month later
for my younger girls I put golf balls for dummie eggs. and I decided I wanted to incubate some eggs from my mixed flock. They are due to hatch beginning aug 24 i did a staggard hatch. Any how there is a week left to go and Friday I noticed she was broody again so I gave her all 7 eggs I had in bator! She is doin AWESOME!
the first few days we had a heat index of 115 so I put a fan on her and keep feed, water in neck's reach and she's fine no panting here. when ever i take a cool treaqt out in the afternoon I make sure to deliver some to her also! LOL
today was the first day in awhile that the temp was in mid 80's with no heat index

 

[Gonda]

thanks for the feedback - she seems to be persisting so I'll put some eggs under her and let her have a go at it.

 

[ChooksChick]

I have a little bantam Cochin who's scarcely ever laid more than a clutch's worth prior to brooding. She's maybe 14 months and has raise 4 clutches.

I have another little girl (Cuckoo Marans x bantam Ameraucana) who has pretty much followed that pattern. She's not yet a year and is nearly done w/ clutch #2. I had a d'Uccle who sat after 6 eggs, and I'm not going to be surprised one little bit if my Serama goes back to the nest this week- she's just kicked her clutch to the roost, and that always seems to be the precipitator. She just acts like she'll eternally mommy.

It's nice, in a way. Cuts down on incubation if you have known good brooders.

 

[pgpoultry]

My Brahmas are perpetually broody, but I am not complaining, beats incubators any day.

I think I just have a broody set of girls.

Sandie

 

[Gonda]

Quote:
That's interesting - I think this broody is at least part Brahma. She's great broody, takes to it so well that I have to take her off the nest every day to make sure she eats and drinks and has a bathroom break. But she wasn't too interested in raising the chicks last time, a few weeks and then she left them to fend for themselves in the cold, so I had to use a heat lamp. Hopefully she does a bit better on that score this time. It's not as cold now, but it would be a shame to have to use a heat lamp at night in the summer/early fall when there's a warm mom available. With the last batch, she would fly up onto the roost leaving the baby chicks below, and somehow, two chicks would be up there with her, one under her and one on her back, just a few weeks old. One night I couldn't fine one of the chicks, until I saw a little head sticking out from under the big RIR dad. That was a modern family!

Anyway, she's sitting on 9 eggs now. I put them under her and she nicely gathered them under her wings and settled in for the haul.