Broody Hen Thread!

[Adriennesmom]

Introducing at night is a good idea to be safe. On the other hand, my bantam (devoted to her nest as you describe Olivia) didn't bat an eye when I stuffed three store-bought chicks under her in broad daylight. She actually helped me tuck them under her and clucked to them like they were her own who had wandered off. Maybe it depends on the hen?

That is so adorable! It is so sweet to see how motherly our hens can be.

Today is day 23 of Olivia's broody adventure. I do not hear any sounds, however, I could see a piece of shell under her when she adjusted her eggs. I am hoping that this indicates a possible hatching. She did break a couple of her non-fertile eggs a couple of weeks ago. She is a large Jersey Giant and may have crushed them. I really am hoping for a healthy hatch.

 

[Adriennesmom]

I am so absolutely thrilled!!!

I just went to check on my broody hen, Olivia, and heard some soft peeping sounds. A little black chick popped up from under her chest and started peeping.

The little chick is absolutely adorable!!!! I believe the baby is one of the eggs from my bantam silky chickens. I will be posting pictures later today. So excited!!!!

 

[chicken farmer]

My white silkie hen was sittin in the nestingbox all afternoon yesterday and now she has been sittin in the nestbox almost the whole day im shure and shes sittin on at least 8 eggs or more. So to see if she was really broody this time i took a ear of corn and shelled it and threw handfuls in front of the nest box where she could see if fall and hear the rooster and other hens doin the food cluck and she didnt even budge a bit.......is it safe to say she is broody?

 

[Keggen]

For those of you who put a kennel in your coop for the hen and her chicks, what size would you recommend? I don't have a ton of space but want to make sure I get one big enough for them. Dimensions would be helpful!

 

[ChicwannaB]

I have a question. I have a white Chantecler who went broody after only 2 months of laying. She laid her egg one day and then would not get off it, so I assumed she was broody and put about 3 others under her when no more were forthcoming.
I now have 7 EE's in the incubator and am wondering if she will except some new babies, since only 2 of the eggs hatched out and they are 2 and 4 days old at this time.
If I snuck out a newly pipping egg and put it under her when shes setting for the night, would she accept it. Is there a better way??
Should I wait till all are hatched and dry and then go put them under her all at once?? Or one at a time so she don't get upset and kill them all?
2.5 more days till they hatch, by then her babies will be 4 and 6 days old.

 

[ChicwannaB]

I am so absolutely thrilled!!!

I just went to check on my broody hen, Olivia, and heard some soft peeping sounds. A little black chick popped up from under her chest and started peeping.

The little chick is absolutely adorable!!!! I believe the baby is one of the eggs from my bantam silky chickens. I will be posting pictures later today. So excited!!!!

SWEET...congrats.

 

[ChicwannaB]

Here is a pic of Pearl with her 2 chicks, yellow one is a Chantecler tho not necessarily hers, the black one is a mutt; Dominique and Brahma cross I call a Brahmanique. I am calling them Yin & Yang.

 

[Adriennesmom]

SWEET...congrats.

Thank you!! I just can't get over how cute the little chick is!

 

[ChicwannaB]

Broody poop?! I was looking into some questionable poop in the coop (looks like its normal) but came across a post of poop pictures detailing conditions. The lady had a picture of poop she attributed to a broody hen, calling it "huge" and "very smelly." I have a hen that's in segregation in a dog crate after being injured (minor but its causing the others to peck her to smithereens.). The other day I almost died when I went to check on her from the smell exuding from her crate. After opening I observed something that looked like it should have come from a dog, not a chicken! It's exactly the same as the picture I stumbled across. She's laying eggs just fine (every other day or so) and seems quite content. Could confining her have caused her to become broody?

************WARNING: Poop Pictured Below**********

Oh yeah, they are huge and smelly!! As soon as I moved my broody and her 2 new ones out to a chicken tractor so she could raise them in peace and safety, she let out this huge dump that she'd obviously been holding onto for a long time. It looked very undigested, sunflower seeds and cracked corn looked just like it did before she ate it.

 

[Jharper]

Thank you so much. This is my first experience with a broody hen and your information is really helpful. That is great advice about adding the chicks at night. I will check my girl in the morning to check on her progress. I think she will make a great mom! I will post some updates soon. Thanks again!

Your welcome! Hopes everything goes great!