Broody Hen no Rooster

[TateLewis]

I have a hen that wont stop trying to hatch eggs when we have no rooster. We've been fighting with her for 4 months now. We thought we'd lost her to a fox when my husband found her 3 weeks later hiding in our barn trying to hatch eggs. Shes breaking my heart So I was going look into getting her fertilized eggs but was wondering if chickens will hatch something else Like could we get Turkey eggs or quail? Any other suggestions?

 

[CJLR]

Yes chickens can hatch other eggs if thay are dedicated enough (which she is) it would be fun to get some exotic eggs maybe some ayam cemani eggs or pheasant eggs it just depends on what you are interested in using them for do you want birds for eggs meat pets or just yard decorations i think quail eggs might be a little too small but you could try i have heard that Ebay sells hatching eggs or maybe you could try to find a local farm near you that has some

 

[EggSighted4Life]

She's been sitting too long if 4 MONTHS is an accurate statement.

You did not use effective means of breaking her... as I have battled the broodiest of hens with success, time after time... @aart please share your set up for future reference, as I don't have any pics but use the same method. TIA

IF you are going to get her anything... it should be LIVE day old chicks and NOT hatching eggs... at this point her condition will be greatly diminished and she is likely verging on death from malnutrition. If it's a typo and only 4 WEEKS... Still birds under 6 days old adopted to her after dark is the best suggested route if you have room for more birds. I would not do quail as I don't think they will stick around. Turkeys is questionable since they don't speak the same language, but doable. People have even done ducklings. Turkeys have higher nutritional need than chicken chicks and require appropriate 28-30% protein game bird or turkey starter feed. What is your hen eating? How old is she? What breed?

Purchasing from a feed store or hatchery may also allow you to get females and less likely to have to deal with cockerels in the future.

They will hatch anything... even air!

Glad it wasn't the fox! Now you know she is a nest hider.

 

[aart]

@aart please share your set up for future reference, as I don't have any pics but use the same method. TIA

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, 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.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.
Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[TateLewis]

Wow, I'm hoping the tone that your comment is sending is me just misreading it because it sure sounds like I'm getting lecture on something. She hasn't been sitting in the coop for 4 months straight. We've been trying to get her to stop. I go out every day and boot her out of the coop, to which she will run around the yard for a few hours and then goes back in and sits again. I'm not letting her sit in one spot and just wither away to die. It was 4 months ago that we thought we lost her and that is when we realized she was attempting to hatch eggs. She's perfectly healthy and full of energy.


In

She's been sitting too long if 4 MONTHS is an accurate statement.

You did not use effective means of breaking her... as I have battled the broodiest of hens with success, time after time... @aart please share your set up for future reference, as I don't have any pics but use the same method. TIA

IF you are going to get her anything... it should be LIVE day old chicks and NOT hatching eggs... at this point her condition will be greatly diminished and she is likely verging on death from malnutrition. If it's a typo and only 4 WEEKS... Still birds under 6 days old adopted to her after dark is the best suggested route if you have room for more birds. I would not do quail as I don't think they will stick around. Turkeys is questionable since they don't speak the same language, but doable. People have even done ducklings. Turkeys have higher nutritional need than chicken chicks and require appropriate 28-30% protein game bird or turkey starter feed. What is your hen eating? How old is she? What breed?

Purchasing from a feed store or hatchery may also allow you to get females and less likely to have to deal with cockerels in the future.

They will hatch anything... even air!

Glad it wasn't the fox! Now you know she is a nest hider.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Wow, I'm hoping the tone that your comment is sending is me just misreading it because it sure sounds like I'm getting lecture on something.

Sorry, not enough smiley faces to make my intent clear.

No lecture intended, just trying to get the information out fast so it could be seen.

Honestly, we ALL do our best until we learn something different.

 

[jonibc]

I have the same issue right now with one of my hens. I’m running her out of the nesting box each day to free range with the others. But she still goes back to sitting when she goes back in at night. I’ll try this dog crate method if she doesn’t stop soon.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I have a hen that wont stop trying to hatch eggs when we have no rooster. We've been fighting with her for 4 months now. We thought we'd lost her to a fox when my husband found her 3 weeks later hiding in our barn trying to hatch eggs. Shes breaking my heart So I was going look into getting her fertilized eggs but was wondering if chickens will hatch something else Like could we get Turkey eggs or quail? Any other suggestions?

I had the same problem! Mine was broody for three months, I broke her midway but she just returned to being broody again after 2 weeks. This was my solution yesterday morning. I went to my feed store because they got some chicks that day. I stuck them under her right away! Now maybe she will start eating and putting on some weight again. She took them under her wings immediately!

 

[SurferchickinSB]

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It was breaking my heart too. I think she will be happy now