Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

I have a first time broody hen that's been going at it for two weeks now. I also have some eggs hatching this weekend in my incubator. I'd like to try and give her the chicks, which I've successfully done with others but i'm not sure where to actually put the broody hen. It's going to be in the negatives here and normally I keep the chicks in a heated room in my barn. I'm not sure how well she would take to being put in there....she would be in a box around 2.5' x 4'.... Think I should even bother with her and just raise the chicks in the brooder? Any other ideas? I do have another empty coop I could potentially put her, the babies, and maybe a heat lamp in but like I said...it's going to be in the negatives, plus our north Dakota winds....it'll just go right through the coop.

You can certainly try grafting two or three chicks to her where she is setting, if it seems she is happy with them you can then move her. I would start with the most weather protected and safest location, probably the box for at least a few days. If she seems to be ok with the chicks after the move you can then graft some more to her...you can move her to the other coop after a week or so when the chicks are more mobile...

Edit to add... I would reduce the heat in the barn room as low as you reasonably can. Monitor her behavior very closely to make sure she transitions from setting to hatching and mommy mode ok, you may have to retuck a few confused chicks until everyone figures it out.

 

[daxigait]

My second chick hatched under mom about an hour ago she had two eggs to sit on and both look good one cochan bantem and a silkie

 

[daxigait]

The Queen Mum is sitting tight during the cold, cold day with her 2 Barn/Cal Grey girls. The Aunty Banty Cochins kept squeezing through the barrier (somehow..seriously...how did they get through that tight space??? I will have to watch, when it isn't so dang cold, to see how they do it sometime.) So, I took the barrier out and have locked all up in the broody full hutch. I'm not too worried as The Queen Mum is truly queen of this group and won't put up with any nonsense of the other two banties, and it may help the others see what good parenting looks like as I want to use them their next broods. I can hear chicks cheeping, and momma has moved them to the other side. I'll keep checking as I keep adding hot water to keep the water free from ice. (Of course hubby used the extension cord to the broody coop last month and I've got no water heater hooked up in it for this short cold snap, so hauling water it is for a couple of days). It's been a really good test of "hands off" for me after 3 batches of high expense, special breed eggs, with high maintenance of the hatches. I'm back to letting momma and nature take its course, which honestly always gave me the best results. LofMc

congratulations! She is a pretty color.

 

[RachaelR32]

It's predicted to get below freezing over night here for a few nights this week. Is there anything I should be doing for my broody or will she be OK on her eggs? We're not as cold here as some places in the USA. Only expecting lows of -5c (about 23F).

 

[PD-Riverman]

It's predicted to get below freezing over night here for a few nights this week. Is there anything I should be doing for my broody or will she be OK on her eggs? We're not as cold here as some places in the USA. Only expecting lows of -5c (about 23F).

As long as she is out of the wind/rain/snow---she will be Fine! Good Luck

 

[RachaelR32]

As long as she is out of the wind/rain/snow---she will be Fine! Good Luck

OK, thanks. She is out of the wind and wet. She must know its colder as she was very quick when out with her eating and pooping today and back on the nest much quicker than normal for her.

 

[fisherlady]

OK, thanks. She is out of the wind and wet. She must know its colder as she was very quick when out with her eating and pooping today and back on the nest much quicker than normal for her.

Our broodies keep their breaks very short in cold weather also.... the only thing I may do in winter months that I don't worry much about at other times is adding extra padding or layers of an insulating material under her nest to help her keep the eggs warm. It doesn't need to be much, but I have seen hens move hay into a high dish but leave the center of the nest almost bare...so we just check that they have plenty so that doesn't happen.

 

[PD-Riverman]

OK, thanks. She is out of the wind and wet. She must know its colder as she was very quick when out with her eating and pooping today and back on the nest much quicker than normal for her.

Yes, for a Hen that was not trained by their mother---LOL. They have a instint to know what to do. I set so many of them and they all hatch-----other than putting feed and water where they have to get off the nest to get to it----"I" learned to just Leave them alone completely once I move them to a hatching pen---21 days later they pay off with lots of chicks.

 

[RachaelR32]

Our broodies keep their breaks very short in cold weather also.... the only thing I may do in winter months that I don't worry much about at other times is adding extra padding or layers of an insulating material under her nest to help her keep the eggs warm. It doesn't need to be much, but I have seen hens move hay into a high dish but leave the center of the nest almost bare...so we just check that they have plenty so that doesn't happen.

I'll maybe add a bit more to the nest tomorrow then.

 

[RachaelR32]

Yes, for a Hen that was not trained by their mother---LOL. They have a instint to know what to do. I set so many of them and they all hatch-----other than putting feed and water where they have to get off the nest to get to it----"I" learned to just Leave them alone completely once I move them to a hatching pen---21 days later they pay off with lots of chicks.

she does have to get off the nest for food and water, although she has some nearby. She prefers to come out and eat with the other 2 and then go back to the nest instead of eating in private. When I put down a bit of wheat and sunflower seed for the others, thats when she's been getting up.