Broody Hen Thread!

[Lady of McCamley]

If you are OK with small amounts of eggs brooded, then the OEGB would be great, they can fly to the moon though. The standards are excellent flyers too, and while they do well in a free range environment, they bare confinement well. You will cut in to broodiness with confinement though. They can be kept in 5 x 5 foot pens, but will brood more readily in something along the lines of 8x8. I routinely free range and let them go broody, and then move them to a smaller pen of my choosing, to let the "bait nests" pick up another broody. The flightiness thing is why I've switched over to more Oriental games, they don't fit the winter hardy free range, roost in a tree lifestyle, though, due to their tight feathering, so that is why I have the crosses. The ones with Oriental in them also don't roost as high in the trees, which makes it easier if you want to catch one, compared to the standard OEG/American Game.

Good to know. Will think on games as that was my problem with them before...too tempting to fly into trees, and while we have a lot of trees here, they border neighbors and makes it too tempting to hop, skip, and jump.

Maybe best if I stick with the calmer Silkies and Cochins.

Thanks for the good information on games. Most helpful.
LofMc

 

[RachaelR32]

I bought an OEGB a couple of weeks ago. I didn't know much about them, I just wanted a bantam as company for my single bantam that I hatched in January. She caught my eye at the market. I'll have to see if she goes broody on me!

My brahma is on day 15 and sitting tight. Its a race to see if I can get her new house finished in time!

 

[WVduckchick]

First time for my OEGB's. I think the lower one is covering all the eggs, and the other is going in and out, but she might be dedicated to the cause now too. I had left 10 eggs under them, but if I find that the 2nd is committed also, I may let her have a few too.
She squawks at me, but has not been mean at all, whenever I check on her. I love these girls!

 

[crealbilly]

Day 15, she quit - how disappointing...

I checked her this morning she was off the nest, I figured she may have just wanted to get food and water.

About 2 hours later, I checked again she was off the nest. I could see her eating. I felt the egss and they were cold. She was sitting on 8 eggs.

I took her out of the hen high-rise and took the high rise down. This is what was on the hen high-rise floor - pretty nasty green runny poop. She came out of the coop and into the yard her feathers were puffed up and were still puffed up when I left the chicken yard

Anyways she now back with the flock...later today I'm going to candle the eggs and see what went on.

Any ideas what went wrong so I can learn what to do next time?

 

[stauff]

my RIR hen who just hatched chicks 3 months ago went broody friday AGAIN!  so, i was quick to act and she is setting on 9 eggs and 19 days to go.  whoo hoo!!

 

[WVduckchick]

Day 15, she quit - how disappointing...

I checked her this morning she was off the nest, I figured she may have just wanted to get food and water.

About 2 hours later, I checked again she was off the nest. I could see her eating. I felt the egss and they were cold. She was sitting on 8 eggs.




I took her out of the hen high-rise and took the high rise down. This is what was on the hen high-rise floor - pretty nasty green runny poop. She came out of the coop and into the yard her feathers were puffed up and were still puffed up when I left the chicken yard



Anyways she now back with the flock...later today I'm going to candle the eggs and see what went on.

Any ideas what went wrong so I can learn what to do next time?

I'm not sure there is anything you can do to keep one on the nest. Maybe it just wasn't her time.

BUT... I would put those eggs in an incubator, if you have one! A cool down doesn't always cause enough harm to kill them. (or maybe you candle and find them all clear, which may explain why she gave up on them?)

 

[nchls school]

Day 15, she quit - how disappointing...

I checked her this morning she was off the nest, I figured she may have just wanted to get food and water.

About 2 hours later, I checked again she was off the nest. I could see her eating. I felt the egss and they were cold. She was sitting on 8 eggs.




I took her out of the hen high-rise and took the high rise down. This is what was on the hen high-rise floor - pretty nasty green runny poop. She came out of the coop and into the yard her feathers were puffed up and were still puffed up when I left the chicken yard



Anyways she now back with the flock...later today I'm going to candle the eggs and see what went on.

Any ideas what went wrong so I can learn what to do next time?

"Runny green poop"-The hen may be ill. Consider separating her from the flock if illness is a possibility.

 

[nchls school]

First time for my OEGB's. I think the lower one is covering all the eggs, and the other is going in and out, but she might be dedicated to the cause now too. I had left 10 eggs under them, but if I find that the 2nd is committed also, I may let her have a few too.
She squawks at me, but has not been mean at all, whenever I check on her. I love these girls!

A few of my hens do not squawk or act threatening while brooding.

 

[carolinasculpture]

HI! I have a young broody sitting on some eggs. Today is day 21, but she seems to be "locked down" on the nest. She is quite protective, haven't candled since around day 10ish, most shells are dark, so didn't see much. Any chance they are still good? Should I move her and check or just let her go?
Thanks!

 

[crealbilly]

"Runny green poop"-The hen may be ill. Consider separating her from the flock if illness is a possibility.

She is most definitely not doing so well... She has chosen a corner of the coop, I noticed her comb is not as red as it should be. When I go to pick her up she lets me know she doesn't want to be messed with. I'll keep a close eye on her. But I honestly think despite that she had her own personal water and food, i think she starved herself sitting on the eggs. I looked more closely at her green runny Poop and there are no worms which is good...

Please tell me this is not normal...