Broody Hen Thread!

[Greg88]

From what I've been reading on here, would it be risky giving her new eggs if she is say a week or more in on some of the eggs? Would she give up if the eggs don't hatch within a certain timeframe? Not my hen just a thought.

Each hen is different. From what I can tell (and experience as a kid back on the farm) they will stay longer as long as it is not excessive.
I was thinking gathering eggs from all the hens to have them under her in a day or so rather than waiting on her eggs. I was not clear in this.
If anyone has experience otherwise please speak up. This is all about learning and sharing.

I hope I am right as I just started some Jubilee orp eggs under my broody that has been trying to sit for 10 days already.

 

[BoiseChik]

Can someone give me their opinion? I have two 7-8 month old hens that are exhibiting broodiness off and on, sometimes for part of the day. Is there a way to encourage them towards full broodiness?
I also have a hen that has been broody several times in the past and raised a batch of chicks last summer. How can I encourage her to go broody again?

 

[fisherlady]

Each hen is different. From what I can tell (and experience as a kid back on the farm) they will stay longer as long as it is not excessive.
I was thinking gathering eggs from all the hens to have them under her in a day or so rather than waiting on her eggs. I was not clear in this.
If anyone has experience otherwise please speak up. This is all about learning and sharing.

I agree, if you are going to give her new ones then collect them as soon as possible. Most hens will stay a couple weéks extra but there is always the risk of a hen quitting early, even if they haven't been setting long. It is always a good idea to have an alternative incubation plan in place if she does quit.

 

[jtdevries]

I have enough to do the exchange tonight. My only concern is will she stop sitting or is her cue that first hatch. I've heard it both ways. I can candle. I've not had much experience but have had some incubating. When I say she covers them I don't mean effectively. I'm just in shock she can spread herself over that much at all but I get she need to fully cover and those cracks can effect all the eggs not just the ones exposed. We started pulling summer stuff from an out door storage closet and they started laying on there and she sat. We found her and now she's in a pen we made from a gated play yard with a nesting box. She is closer to food and water which before was impossible to get to. So if I switch I just worry she may give up.

 

[snlconner]

Each hen is different. From what I can tell (and experience as a kid back on the farm) they will stay longer as long as it is not excessive.
I was thinking gathering eggs from all the hens to have them under her in a day or so rather than waiting on her eggs. I was not clear in this.
If anyone has experience otherwise please speak up. This is all about learning and sharing.

I hope I am right as I just started some Jubilee orp eggs under my broody that has been trying to sit for 10 days already. 

Don't worry I have no experience whatsoever and was legitimately just asking

 

[Greg88]

I have enough to do the exchange tonight. My only concern is will she stop sitting or is her cue that first hatch. I've heard it both ways. I can candle. I've not had much experience but have had some incubating. When I say she covers them I don't mean effectively. I'm just in shock she can spread herself over that much at all but I get she need to fully cover and those cracks can effect all the eggs not just the ones exposed. We started pulling summer stuff from an out door storage closet and they started laying on there and she sat. We found her and now she's in a pen we made from a gated play yard with a nesting box. She is closer to food and water which before was impossible to get to. So if I switch I just worry she may give up.

option 3.... kinda,,,
Candle as close as you can, give her the 8 or so you think are the closest.
Knowing it is likely that only part will hatch in the 1-2 day window and you will be faced with a choice on what to do with the late ones ({raise separate, or hope she adopts a couple late comers from incubator}or terminate, or??)

 

[fisherlady]

Quote:
This was just covered on the 'old fashioned broody hen' hatchalong thread.... if you go there and back up about 3-4 days worth of posts....

 

[fisherlady]

Quote:
This was just covered on the 'old fashioned broody hen' hatchalong thread.... if you go there and back up about 3-4 days worth of posts....

 

[malkered]

I feel your pain!! I dealt with that some years back. Even seeing another hen peck one of the chicks when it was about 2 weeks old-----the chick fell over and started kicking----and died in my hand after I grabbed it up(hole in its skull). Finding chicks dead or just gone(probably eaten by the chickens). I put a stop to ALL that----private hatching pen for the setting hen, private pen for the hatched chicks and mother----then mother hen is removed when the chicks are old enough----chicks are not mixed with the older chickens. If I wanted to mix them I would wait till they chicks are about grown. This is Not what "we" would like to have seen, but it WORKS with little to no problems for the broody from setting to hatch and no problem for the chicks from hatch till they are grown and can protect themself!

y. Thank you for your advice. The remaining 6 eggs went into the incubator and so far two of them have hatched and one has pipped. Belle settled on a freshly laid egg but I took this from her and took her out of the nesting box. When I went into the coop shut them in for the night she had joined the others on the perches. I think her broody phase is over now and I'm now the surrogate parent. Love watching them hatch.

 

[malkered]

I'm sorry you had that happen, some flocks are not chick friendly, others are and experience is going to show which camp yours falls into. Sometimes it is a matter of exposure to chicks in controlled situations. Sometimes it is one or two problem flock members who get the rest in an uproar.
With new broodies it often takes an area separated by fencing to allow them the lower stress environment to get adjusted to their new role without flock pressure.
You can still salvage something, possibly... if she goes back to the nest...set up a broody area which is private and try introducing a chick back to her in a (now) quiet environment. Cup the chick and slide it under her and stay there to intervene if needed. Once away from the flock she may be much different, if she is aggressive or not interested then take the chick back and plan for brood it yourself. If she goes back to the original nest then block the flock outside until you have one chick introduced and then move her to the quiet area. I have found hens are much more accepting of moves once they have a chick to care for.

I hate that your first broody experience has been so traumatic and hope you can get the chance to enjoy what it could be...that may not be with this hen,this time, but maybe another will be better.

Thank you for your advice. The remaining 6 eggs went into the incubator and so far two of them have hatched and one has pipped. Belle settled on a freshly laid egg but I took this from her and took her out of the nesting box. When I went into the coop shut them in for the night she had joined the others on the perches. I think her broody phase is over now and I'm now the surrogate parent. Love watching them hatch.