Broody Hen Thread!

[the poppster]

Well that is a real bummer Wingitman. I had a real scare with our broody early on. Evidently she had gotten off her nest only to have another hen take her box over. I found her sitting on 2 eggs in the next box instead of her own. Luckily they were still warm to the touch so I hustled her back onto her own nest where she settled down like nothing had happened out of the ordinary. She is such a good little hen.I'm sure she would sit on a pile of eggs no matter how big it was- like Foghorn Leghorn's old maid hen Prissy?

How far along were your hen's eggs? Did they get cold? I'm thinking about making a home built incubator just to have it on stand by in case we have a staggered hatching thanks to the lazy no account hens that donated to Aggie's cause. My big concern is that she is sitting on a few infertile or quitter Welsummer eggs. Time will tell. Don't count your eggs out until you have a chance to candle the to be sure. Once again time will tell. Good Luck. 

Microchick, my Welsummer hens are pretty confident...they put the run on the young Roos if they try anything...so if your rooster is younger then the hens they might be running him off.

 

[wingitman]

Well that is a real bummer Wingitman. I had a real scare with our broody early on. Evidently she had gotten off her nest only to have another hen take her box over. I found her sitting on 2 eggs in the next box instead of her own. Luckily they were still warm to the touch so I hustled her back onto her own nest where she settled down like nothing had happened out of the ordinary. She is such a good little hen.I'm sure she would sit on a pile of eggs no matter how big it was- like Foghorn Leghorn's old maid hen Prissy?

How far along were your hen's eggs? Did they get cold? I'm thinking about making a home built incubator just to have it on stand by in case we have a staggered hatching thanks to the lazy no account hens that donated to Aggie's cause. My big concern is that she is sitting on a few infertile or quitter Welsummer eggs. Time will tell. Don't count your eggs out until you have a chance to candle the to be sure. Once again time will tell. Good Luck.

They are probably 10 days or so old , not to mention I threw some quail eggs under her also. At first she was totally cool with sitting there and didn't budge. I don't know whats gotten into her. I have to candlelight them first. I heard they may be ok for 24hrs

 

[wingitman]

Hey Wingitman,

Wish you lived by me, I would let my NEW broody incubate the eggs for you.

I just went out to the coop to collect the eggs for today. I have a curtain on the nestbox, pushed that aside to get the eggs and I almost screamed! My black bantam frizzle was in there so flat I thought she must be dead. I didnt want to touch her just in case she was so I grabbed a little mini rake I keep in the coop and gently pushed her. No movement....

After a couple more times of nudging her she finally looked up at me with those eyes that said, you better get out of here.....

So that makes 2 now, my little white silkie Powder and now Jesabelle. Here we go folks!!!!
Anyone need a good broody?

Hens are so darn unpredictable aren't they!? Its great that yours have gone broody! I thought I was onto something but she psyched me out!

 

[microchick]

No, our Welly girls are the same age or younger than our three roosters. The main flock is a year old next month. Then we have hens that we added to the flock that are 3 and 4 months younger. The youngest rooster is 8 months old and a complete idiot when it comes to the girls. I'm thinking the other roosters just laugh at him. It's like comparing Barney Fife to Tom Cruise. I'm hoping that he gets his act together with them cause he is a gorgeous huge Lavender Orpinton that I'm hoping will pass his genes onto some of the Welsummer and Buff hens. The offspring would be very pretty.

 

[wingitman]

No, our Welly girls are the same age or younger than our three roosters. The main flock is a year old next month. Then we have hens that we added to the flock that are 3 and 4 months younger. The youngest rooster is 8 months old and a complete idiot when it comes to the girls. I'm thinking the other roosters just laugh at him. It's like comparing Barney Fife to Tom Cruise. I'm hoping that he gets his act together with them cause he is a gorgeous huge Lavender Orpinton that I'm hoping will pass his genes onto some of the Welsummer and Buff hens. The offspring would be very pretty.

Haha...that poor rooster! maybe just spray some cologne on him or something, help him step his game up!

 

[sharol]

****

I'm thinking about making a home built incubator just to have it on stand by in case we have a staggered hatching thanks to the lazy no account hens that donated to Aggie's cause. My big concern is that she is sitting on a few infertile or quitter Welsummer eggs. Time will tell. Don't count your eggs out until you have a chance to candle the to be sure. Once again time will tell. Good Luck.

I use an old incubator and have it stabilized by the time they get to day 15. I've only used it once sucessfully, but when my broody abandoned 8 true Araucana and Breda Fowl eggs to care for her one early hatchling, I managed to save 7 of the babies (and they are really cute -- those little Araucanas lay the most beautiful blue eggs, and the Breda are full of personality.) It was definitely worth the time and effort setting it up.

 

[daxigait]

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...

how did it go?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Most of the time Staggered hatches are caused because "you" do not remove your eggs daily from the nest. I have set ALOT of hens, over 60 in the last year or so. I NEVER have a staggered hatch. If you free range--it happens. If your hens use the regular nest---it does Not have to happen----you just need to remove the eggs everyday from every nest even from under a hen that is sitting in a nest. If you feel that hen is wanting to go broody you should still remove the eggs from that nest daily. If you choose to "set" her you should collect the eggs you want her to set on----mark them clearly, write the date on the calender, put them under her at the same time and REMOVE fresh layed(un-marked) eggs Daily--Every day---until day 18/19 then ""I"" would not bother/tilt/lift her after day 18---leave her alone to hatch.

There is No Need to stress your hen by ""allowing"" a staggered hatch to happen. "I" would Not put my hens through that. Just saying!!

 

[microchick]

Agreed PD Riverman. I take responsibility for the extra eggs. I was gone for a day, exhausted when I got home and didn't check under the hen until later the next day. This time of the year I am usually getting 3-5 eggs a day sometimes only 2, 3 is the average. So I really didn't think the other hens were donating like they were because I was finding 2-3 eggs in the other nesting boxes. I just seriously thought the hen's were in a laying slump from the changes in the weather.

Next time I will know better. I have been reeducating myself after a 50 year absence from chicken keeping. With this clutch though, I have to be prepared to 'rescue' any viable eggs that do not hatch along with the original 7 she was sitting on. That is my responsibility for making the mistake of 'assuming'.

 

[wingitman]

Most of the time Staggered hatches are caused because "you" do not remove your eggs daily from the nest. I have set ALOT of hens, over 60 in the last year or so. I NEVER have a staggered hatch. If you free range--it happens. If your hens use the regular nest---it does Not have to happen----you just need to remove the eggs everyday from every nest even from under a hen that is sitting in a nest. If you feel that hen is wanting to go broody you should still remove the eggs from that nest daily. If you choose to "set" her you should collect the eggs you want her to set on----mark them clearly, write the date on the calender, put them under her at the same time and REMOVE fresh layed(un-marked) eggs Daily--Every day---until day 18/19 then ""I"" would not bother/tilt/lift her after day 18---leave her alone to hatch.

There is No Need to stress your hen by ""allowing"" a staggered hatch to happen. "I" would Not put my hens through that. Just saying!!

Thats a good approach , But how do you know which ones are fertile? or do you just throw a bunch under there and see what comes of it?


p.s so I finally bought a second hand incubator yesterday. I hear bellsouth is a good brand. took the abandoned eggs and threw them in there see if anything happens. I don't think they'll hatch though...shes been off them for like 2 days :|