Broody Hen Thread!

[microchick]

I've read mention of hens moving and or stealing eggs from other hens by scooping them up and holding them between their body and wing to move them and I've heard of them also rolling them between nests if the nesting boxes are 'open'.

As for introducing a clutch of new chicks to a flock is always risky. I've done it before with no problem. Mom made the decision to break through the temporary fencing and escape to free range with the flock. But every flock is different. The question I ask myself is 'is this chick old enough to survive a peck from a hen or rooster? Or big enough that it can get out of the way?' My chicks are almost 4 weeks old now and momma is paying less attention to them every day. She will probably rejoin the flock soon but the chicks are going to stay in the 'nursery' coop for at least 2 more weeks before I let them out under supervision. Yep, it's extra work, granted, but there are posts here on this thread from folks that have lost chicks to aggressive behavior. Some chickens do not recognize chicks as being one of their own kind.

 

[nchls school]

This is my neighbor's hen sitting on 11 of my duck eggs! Has anyone hatched duck eggs under a hen? Do I need to moisten the eggs since she doesn't take a bath like a duck does?

Yes. I misted the eggs and nest a couple days before they hatched. Later I hatched mucovey eggs without misting. Both ways worked for me. If your climate is dry I would mist.

 

[mossyroo]

I've been waiting 2 yrs for a broody hen. Just had to get rid of our roos because the were aggressive towards wife and grands. Probably get a broody now.

 

[HeatherD42]

Yes. I misted the eggs and nest a couple days before they hatched. Later I hatched mucovey
eggs without misting. Both ways worked for me. If your climate is dry I would mist.

Thank you for that information! Virginia is very humid, so maybe I'm ok

 

[fisherlady]

Good morning all

. Sitting here with my coffee, watching the blue jays and robins, and feeling so blessed and greatful. It's a wonderful day to be alive !

Ya know how your mind can sort of wander? Well in my wandering, I got to thinking about chickens and several of you have mentioned hens moving their eggs to a different location. How in the world does a hen move an egg to a different nest? Or am I missing something

?

I have seen hens pick them up by getting them between their beak and chest (like the game moving the fruit as already mentioned)
I have seen them rolling them from one place to the next and also tucking them up high under their wing and carrying them. Hens can be determined little critters!

Just popping in for some advice, I have not been around BYC for a while. Most of my hens are old or middle age (4 to 9), and I am going to increase the flock this year. I have done many ways in the past, but this year want to try something new. I put an old covered cat litter box on the floor of the hen house at straw level with a dozen golf balls in it. Waiting for my first acceptable personality broody of the spring. The girls have been laying in the box. I plan to buy local some fertile eggs once I get the broody and let her sit and hatch in the hen house. Then just let her mother the chicks in with the flock. I know there is some risk, but very little investment of time or money on my part. Has anyone experience with this old fashioned way?

As said, it can be risky depending on flock personality, but we prefer to let them be raised with the flock and our flock is very broody experienced so it works quite well for us. I do suggest placing a temporary fence around the hatch area for 2-3 days to give them time to bond and for the littles to learn to listen to mama...it will also create a safe buffer for curious flock members while they get used to seeing fluff balls zipping around and peeping. Mixed age flocks are wonderful to experience but take some supervision and adjustments until everyone is settled.

 

[HeatherD42]

I've read mention of hens moving and or stealing eggs from other hens by scooping them up and holding them between their body and wing to move them and I've heard of them also rolling them between nests if the nesting boxes are 'open'.

I put two dummy eggs at the front of my duck house last night to encourage my girls to lay in that spot. I opened up the house this morning; no eggs anywhere!! I dug in the front corner and the dummy eggs were gone. I proceeded to dig everywhere in the house and found the two dummy eggs with two new real eggs 3 feet away! My girls have never even hid their eggs, much less moved them like that before... I wondered how they accomplished it!

 

[Greg88]

I have broodies on and off all summer long and have hatched with mom and chicks in a separate pen until the chicks are a few weeks old. I have many different brown egg laying and duel breeds, and a bunch of mutts from my own hatchings. I am not worried about getting a broody eventually, though I will wait for one with a good personality, there are a couple that are mean and I would not set with them. I am most concerned with how the chicks will do young in the flock. They have quite a lot of area, including a small orchard to forage in.

Others will hopefully chime in. As I see it, you have a couple different routes depending on how you brood/hatch.
1) When growing up, we just let hen brood and hatch out in the general public and were exposed to the rest of the flock immediately. We never had any issues with the flock accepting the chicks but I think this at least partially depends on the personality of the hens.
2) My current situation was not conducive to doing this due to the way my coop is set up (plan on renovating). Therefore I have brooded and hatched in a separate shed away from the flock. When the chicks are a couple weeks old I plan on moving a portable brooding area inside my main chicken pen to let the flock have some time to adjust to the hen being back as well as the new chicks while they are protected within the confines. After a couple weeks I will expose them openly, under supervision, to see how they react. I have heard of people having a high rate of success with this.

Other opinions, thoughts, or direction?

 

[Greg88]

I've been waiting 2 yrs for a broody hen. Just had to get rid of our roos because the were aggressive towards wife and grands. Probably get a broody now.

LOL,
That is the way my luck runs for sure!

 

[fisherlady]

Others will hopefully chime in. As I see it, you have a couple different routes depending on how you brood/hatch.
1) When growing up, we just let hen brood and hatch out in the general public and were exposed to the rest of the flock immediately. We never had any issues with the flock accepting the chicks but I think this at least partially depends on the personality of the hens.
2) My current situation was not conducive to doing this due to the way my coop is set up (plan on renovating). Therefore I have brooded and hatched in a separate shed away from the flock. When the chicks are a couple weeks old I plan on moving a portable brooding area inside my main chicken pen to let the flock have some time to adjust to the hen being back as well as the new chicks while they are protected within the confines. After a couple weeks I will expose them openly, under supervision, to see how they react. I have heard of people having a high rate of success with this.

Other opinions, thoughts, or direction?

Sounds like a very practical approach which you have thought out based on your set up and flock personalities...there are innumerable ways of setting up, and all can work when someone starts with a practical and realistic evaluation of their coop environment and flock and commits to the extra time to work out the transition times!

 

[Crista]

@fisherlady and microchick Thankyou for the input on hens moving their eggs. Isn't Mother Nature interesting. I just watched a YouTube of hens reaching under each other to take the eggs. What s hoot !