Broody Hen Thread!

[CherriesBrood]

Does anyone know why she might be doing this so young, especially for her breed?

Some hens/pullets mature faster than others. I have had several in the last year that done the same thing----one layed a few eggs---then went broody. I set her, she hatched every one, she was a good mother. I took the chicks away from her when they were about a month old(sold them) its been months now and she has yet to start laying again----with her I now wonder if I should have broke her instead of set her???  Don't know for her, but if "I" had another one that breed that started setting that early---I would break her.

Some hens/pullets mature faster than others. I have had several in the last year that done the same thing----one layed a few eggs---then went broody. I set her, she hatched every one, she was a good mother. I took the chicks away from her when they were about a month old(sold them) its been months now and she has yet to start laying again----with her I now wonder if I should have broke her instead of set her???  Don't know for her, but if "I" had another one that breed that started setting that early---I would break her.

I agree! Cool her jets, take her off the nest every time you can. Put her outside the coop when you give them a treat. Anything to keep her out long enough to cool off and get the hormones under control.

Thank you both. I am going to break her, but I have tried in the past to break broodys like you say and it took them longer than the incubation time for them to finally be done and they are all laying eggs. I don't want her hatching chicks this young, but I would like her to hatch in the future because I think she will make a great momma. The only way that I can think of to break her sooner is to put her in a bath or something, but I'm worried if I do this she might not ever go broody again. :/

 

[PD-Riverman]

I am going to break her,

3 days. Thats all it ever takes to break many that I have broken. Follow these simple directions and let us know in 4 days if she is broken. Get a wire bottom cage---elivate it by hanging or placing 4 bricks just under the 4 corners. My cages are attached to the coop wall. Place your hen in it with water and food----NO bedding, Nothing on the floor to lay on but the wire--if you got your brick under it to far she might lay there. You can put her a perch/roost in it if you want. 3 full days---nothing less---she will be ok she has plenty of food and water. After her "Cool Off" place her back in her pen-----I have heard of people saying theirs went back to the nest but after figuring theirs was only in 2 days. So figure right---LOL. If you place her in today(Wednesday at noon) Saturday at noon is 3 full days. I have never had one to go back to the nest after 3 days but if I did I would place her back in cool down 3 more days.

PS---If you do not have a wire bottom cage, buy or build one----you gotta have it---Its standard equipment at My Place--LOL.

The pic is 3 cages in one---its where I place mine and also if I have a sick chicken or one that wants to eat eggs(notice the bottom is where eggs can roll out to the front. I been using this cage for over 20 years starting at another location.

 

[Lindsey1]

I have a question one of my hens was broody when I got her but I have not seen her go broody again is there a way I can encourage her to?? She is laying eggs and will sit there for a few hours but then she is up and gone off with the others??? So do I leave the eggs and hope they will be ok how cold is too cold on the eggs?

 

[sharol]

Quote:
If she isn't broody, she won't set. Take the eggs, eat them, and enjoy them. If she was broody when you got her, she will probably repeat after she gets adjusted. You can't fool Mother Nature. She is either broody or she isn't, and you can't change that.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I have a question one of my hens was broody when I got her but I have not seen her go broody again is there a way I can encourage her to?? She is laying eggs and will sit there for a few hours but then she is up and gone off with the others??? So do I leave the eggs and hope they will be ok how cold is too cold on the eggs?

"I" personally believe its possible to encourage some hens to go broody or I have seen it happen, but some breeds are not encourageable(is that a word). My Cousin and I bought some chicks the same day out the same box from the feed store. I never had one to go broody---he had several. Difference was I collected eggs every day. He collected some times 2 or 3 times a week---just when ever he thought about it---he never took raising chickens seriously. I have walked in his fancy coop and there might be 50 eggs in several nest---he only had a dozen layers. I Guess seeing all them eggs caused some of his hens to go broody----same hens I had, same age???? If I was going to encourage I would do it with fake/real looking eggs. Eat the real ones. Fake eggs can lay there for months without going bad--LOL.

 

[NDgoatgirlNV]

This is Issabo one of my polish cross hens. She is less than a year old and is currently sitting on a mixed batch of 6-7 eggs. This is my first time with a broody hen. I'm so glad I found this thread. This is day 4 I believe...

 

[PD-Riverman]

is currently sitting on a mixed batch of 6-7 eggs. This is my first time with a broody hen. I'm so glad I found this thread. This is day 4 I believe...

First timers can make mistakes that cause them problems/headaches etc when it comes hatching time. You stated "currently sitting" which got my attention. I will offer some helpful tips. If she is with other hens, you should mark all her eggs and she should be or should have been given all the eggs she is going to set on the same day----you mark them so every day you can remove fresh layed eggs from her nest. You do this so all the eggs hatch the same time/day----if you don't you create a staggered hatch which can cause you a headache. Feel free to ask questions if you have any. Good Luck!

 

[NDgoatgirlNV]

First timers can make mistakes that cause them problems/headaches etc when it comes hatching time. You stated "currently sitting" which got my attention. I will offer some helpful tips. If she is with other hens, you should mark all her eggs and she should be or should have been given all the eggs she is going to set on the same day----you mark them so every day you can remove fresh layed eggs from her nest. You do this so all the eggs hatch the same time/day----if you don't you create a staggered hatch which can cause you a headache. Feel free to ask questions if you have any. Good Luck!

There are no new eggs under her. I check the other nest boxes twice a day and collect all the other eggs I find. She won't let any of the other hens in "HER" box. Which I guess is a good thing.

 

[PD-Riverman]

There are no new eggs under her. I check the other nest boxes twice a day and collect all the other eggs I find. She won't let any of the other hens in "HER" box. Which I guess is a good thing.

You need to mark the eggs under her---she will get off the nest to eat, drink, poop, etc and other hens will lay eggs in her nest and without them being marked---You will not know which ones to remove. Good Luck!

 

[CherriesBrood]

There are no new eggs under her. I check the other nest boxes twice a day and collect all the other eggs I find. She won't let any of the other hens in "HER" box. Which I guess is a good thing.

You need to mark the eggs under her---she will get off the nest to eat, drink, poop, etc and other hens will lay eggs in her nest and without them being marked---You will not know which ones to remove. Good Luck!

I agree. Even though we might think we can tell the eggs apart sometimes we can make that mistake. It's best to pencil mark them just in case.