Broody Hen Thread!

[harrellkd]

I think my rooster would seriously hurt a silkie. I still worry about my leghorn sometimes. Thank you for posting the list.

You're welcome! You wouldn't have to let your silkie breed with the rooster. If you had a separate place for a couple silkie hens, they will sit on full sized eggs. Of course, you always run the risk of them NOT being broody. Then you just have two cute silkies

 

[irishsilkie]

Do golf balls help encourage broodiness?

 

[harrellkd]

Do golf balls help encourage broodiness?

I've only used golf balls to help encourage a hen to lay in the correct spot.....mine just go broody when they feel like it.

 

[nchls school]

Do golf balls help encourage broodiness?

Golf balls can be used as dummy eggs and a few left in the nest where the hens lay MAY help induce broodiness
But it takes some time; giving a hen a nest of golf balls/eggs will not cause her to go broody instantaneously. If you have the typical hen house where a dozen birds share nest, leaving those few golf balls can make a difference.

Also, many breeds do not have a broody instinct or the instinct is weak. These birds rarely produce chicks on their own. Other breeds have a strong instinct to brood; I have two young pullets that were under five months when they started to brood. One, a Japanese bantam and the other, a serama bantam. With my small flock I simply leave the eggs in the nest (not shared by other hens) and broodiness start when there are between 8-12 eggs.

 

[Klay]

My broody adopted the chicks that I have her. She is such a good mom. Now she doesn't have to sit on all those golf balls.

 

[chickenslave2]

I once had a broody hen that I sat two eggs underneath her to see what would happen. I was out one day or a few hours and came back to find door had shut in the wind during the day and my broody hen was shut outside. When I felt the eggs, they were stone cold. I didn't have the heart to take them away from my hen. I'm glad I didn't because a week later they hatched!

 

[irishsilkie]

Does this look like the golf balls worked she's been there all day

 

[nchls school]

Does this look like the golf balls worked she's been there all day

When she has stuck to the nest 24 hours with only a short break, then you know she is serious about being broody.

 

[blessings6]

I have a hen who recently went broidy. We are trying to let her hatch. But she is in the "favorite" nest. I just put a new nest out and added some eggs to it but now all 6 hens are trying to lay at the same time. The broody hen left the nest and other hens are now laying in the nest. Ugh should I just let things go? Or make an attempt to separate her.

 

[nchls school]

I have a hen who recently went broidy. We are trying to let her hatch. But she is in the "favorite" nest. I just put a new nest out and added some eggs to it but now all 6 hens are trying to lay at the same time. The broody hen left the nest and other hens are now laying in the nest. Ugh should I just let things go? Or make an attempt to separate her.

Is the nest she is in movable? How long has she been broody?