Broody hen: first-timer questions *PIC ADDED!!!!*

[77horses]

OK so our Buff Orpington hen is broody; today is day 5-8(the eggs are at different stages. some are older than others).

There are about 10+ eggs. The breeds: Buff OrpingtonXSplash Cochin, and RIRXRed Star. We should get some really interesting and colorful chicks!

But I have some questions about dealing with broody hens; this is our first experience.

1. Do broody hens need anything specific, such as a light nearby the nest, etc....?

2. I've heard that staggered hatches(when eggs hatch at different times because some are older than others) are harder to deal with because the hen may leave after the first egg(s) hatch, leaving the unhatched eggs behind(the ones that were laid after the first ones). Is this true? If so, what do we do if/when she does this?

3. I've also heard that if a broody hen leaves her eggs when there's a staggered hatch, you can incubate the ones that are left. But after you incubate them, can you take the chicks that hatched and put them with the broody hen again? Will she accept them?


4. Any other tips/advice with broody hens? What's your experience?



Thanks and all info is welcomed and helpful!

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
#1 Make sure she is actually getting off the next to eat and drink. Mine didn't and I had to put the food right under her nose.
#2 Everything you said up there is true. If you can sepearte the broody and the eggs now, you may have a better chance of her keeping them all. #3 Yes you can put them in the bator and then back under her (at night).

 

[77horses]

Quote:
#1 Make sure she is actually getting off the next to eat and drink. Mine didn't and I had to put the food right under her nose.
#2 Everything you said up there is true. If you can sepearte the broody and the eggs now, you may have a better chance of her keeping them all. #3 Yes you can put them in the bator and then back under her (at night).

Thanks! I'm not sure if she gets off the nest that often....So far I saw her get off ONCE, walk a few steps away to get a drink, then got right back in. But just in case, she has a waterer nearby and in front of her nest box is a rectangle wood dish that lines the front of the nest, so she can reach out and eat food without leaving the nest.
When you say, "If you can separate the broody and the eggs now, you may have a better chance of her keeping them all", what do you mean???

 

[Lollipop]

Most of what you`ve stated is correct. Always a good practice to start all the eggs at the same time. The hen should be given her own private pen with no access from the others and the nest should be at floor level with consideration for the chicks returning to the nest at night with no obstacles. The more secluded, the better. She needs nothing but seclusion, water, food, and room for eliminations. If you move the eggs to an incubator as planned, be sure to plant the new chicks under the hen in the darkness of night and be there at daylight to ensure that she does not reject them. Here`s a great article on broodies. Hope you enjoy and learn from it.......Pop

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Broody-Hens-1.html

 

[okiehen]

You just have to love the broodys

I'll try to answer your questions.
#1 no lights or heat she will do it all just chick water and feeder.
#2 yes this can be tricky she may abandon the unhatched eggs to care for the first chicks. Depending on your nest setup if its a pet taxi you could just keep her locked up tight till the later eggs hatch. Its just 3 or 4 days you can offer a small amount of water and chick feed. For the first ones.
#3 you can take the eggs and hatch them in your incubator. Then put them back with her at night. You'll have to be handy to make sure she don't kick them out or hurt them. Kinda be on night watch.
#4 momma hen knows best. I do set my broody hens up by there self away from the main flock in a safe pen with on the ground cover for her and the chicks.
Best of luck hope she hatches 100% for you.

I have a hen with 11 chicks, broody #2 due to hatch on day 20 today, broody # 3 due 6/3 , broody #4 due 6/5, broody #5 getting eggs set this week.

 

[77horses]

Quote:
She does not have her own private pen; but she only shares it with her sister and her rooster at night. During the day, her sister is usually outside and the rooster just eats and crows and pays no attention to her.

Oh great now we have a problem! You see, the nest boxes are kinda up on a shelf/table in a corner of the coop....and it's a pretty big jump from the floor to the wooden shelf.

No, we cannot move the nest box because it is nailed to the wooden shelf. I guess our only option would be to close off the edge of the shelf with wiring, so the chicks won't fall off. We could put their food and water up there, and make a little door so we could get access to them.

Also, when the chicks hatch, will the rooster and other hen bother them?
Thanks for the article!

 

[momofdrew]

I put my broody hen in an indoor dog kennel with shavings and straw for her nest...then used a washing machine box on it's side for a brooder in the barn till the babies were big enough to go out to the coop

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
#1 Make sure she is actually getting off the next to eat and drink. Mine didn't and I had to put the food right under her nose.
#2 Everything you said up there is true. If you can sepearte the broody and the eggs now, you may have a better chance of her keeping them all. #3 Yes you can put them in the bator and then back under her (at night).

Thanks! I'm not sure if she gets off the nest that often....So far I saw her get off ONCE, walk a few steps away to get a drink, then got right back in. But just in case, she has a waterer nearby and in front of her nest box is a rectangle wood dish that lines the front of the nest, so she can reach out and eat food without leaving the nest.
When you say, "If you can separate the broody and the eggs now, you may have a better chance of her keeping them all", what do you mean???

She will be more likely to sit on the rest of the eggs if she is alone with the eggs and any hatched chicks. After hatched I would not let others near them for a while.

 

[77horses]

So I guess we will just put some mesh wiring around her and the nest box, which will leave enough space for her to walk around, relieve herself, etc. And the chicks will be safe. We will also make sure they have water and food. After a little while, we will take the wire down for the chicks and broody hen to explore whenever they want.



Oh and another question; will the chicks just naturally leave the mother hen once they get old enough to care for themselves? Will the mother hen peck at them at all, once she knows it's time for them to be on their own?

And since we are planning on keeping some of the pullets, we need to separate the Red StarXRIR chicks into the coop where the Red Star hens and their father, the RIR, is. We need to do this because 1. the Red Stars don't get along well with the BO's, and 2. we have 3 coops; one for the BO's, one for the Red Stars, and one for our two young pullets(a bantam cochin and Ameraucana).

Also, if we put the Red StarsXRIR chicks(when they are old enough) with the rest of their own flock, will the RIR rooster try to breed them? The RIR rooster is their father, and we definitely don't want any inbreeding! So what do we do with the chicks that we want to keep? Also, this is the same with the BO chicks; they will be living with their father and mothers, and we don't want them to inbreed.

 

[CATRAY44]

I may be wrong, but I think Linebreeding is ok with chickens... it isnt considered inbreeding and is done. Search Linebreeding. Someone correct me if I am wrong...?