Broody Hen Thread!

[slordaz]

Ok this is my first broody hen other than a pullet that raised 4 2 days old chicks for about 3 weeks when she here self was a pullet too, she didnt' do much teaching so got a few questions here.

She has 9 live chicks almost a month old that 1 or 2 may be hers lol, all the other hens decided if she was gonna sit on eggs they were gonna help her and she wouldn't let us take any out (30).

She's been keeping em pretty close to the secure shed and away from the flock we put them in after hatching em in the hen house, until yesterday she took em through the corral and out to almost the pasture, and for last 3 days takes them over to the hen house for a bit but makes the others leave if they aren't on a nest. Today the roosters and hens came up to them out in the corral and a little bit of light pecking happened but she didn't defend, when rooster did it to one of the chicks she squatted. Does this mean she's about done raising the chicks?

 

[nchls school]

Thanks! I really want her to hatch these.

New question for anyone... after one goes through the brooding process, hatches chicks, lets the chicks go, and everything... how long until they go broody again? I assume different breeds are different, but any opinions on an average? (my current one happens to be an OEGB)

I don't think average applies. My serama start laying eggs while caring for chicks; after 8-10 eggs (12 days) they're brooding again and their previous chicks are on their own. My silkies wean a brood go back to laying a week later and OFTEN are brooding in 12 to 14 days. I've had hens brood once and never again. With many it is an occasional thing. Some once a year,or twice. I have a hen the grew up, matured, and raised 4 broods all in a year. Many hens never go broody. To figure an average you'd have to be talking of a specific breed. So to, if I leave my serama's eggs in their nests brooding is frequent. Collect eggs and keep the nests empty and...????? I think the same would be true of other "broody" type breeds.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Hey All
With over 1200 posts I don't have the fortitude to gleam through them all looking for info and help so any thing anyone can provide me - a few quick bullet points- would be greatly appreciated.

Looks like our 1 year old Austrolorp, Pam, has just gone broody on us. First hen to do that and I have no experience. She let me pick her up last night from the nesting box and I sat with her on my lap for a little while. Looked like she was in a trance. She just sat there, one big lump of warm feathers (there was an egg she was sitting on). It was until one of the dogs came close that she shook herself and jumped off my lap to go off and peck around with the rest of the girls.

This morning she was back in the box and didn't come out for the morning frenzy feed of meal worms. When I lifted the lid she puffed up and kind of growled at me. I let her be.

So, what DO we do to break this cycle?????

Thanks in advance.

Chances are you've got commercial genetic selection working for you, the kind that selected away from broodiness towards egg production. Once in awhile, though, a bird will get enough genetic imprint to be stubborn about brooding. And you've gotten some good advice on what to do with that from several posters.

How quickly that will work really depends on the hen and how entrenched her genetics are to brood.

Is she a feed store purchased (hatchery quality) Australorp rather than breeder quality?

If she is hatchery quality Australorp, she most likely doesn't have strong brooding instincts, and you *should* be able to break her more easily. As suggested, put her in the cool cage with no bedding, food, water, in an area that gets more daylight but no direct sunshine nor direct cold drafts...ie away from dark corners but not in direct weather.

She'll probably cycle out of it sooner, but it might take a week to 10 days. I do not prefer the cold water bath treatment as you can shock their system.

Sometimes with a commercial breed, you can break them by simply lifting them out of the nest frequently, walking away from the nest to place them alone in the middle of the yard, then hand feeding them their most favorite treat of all. Make sure they've woken up and shook themselves out of the trance. (I actually give a little gentle drop to the ground when I place them down which helps wake them). Repeat this 2 to 3 times a day. I've had them break within a week without confining to a broody buster cage.

My commercial breeds do tend to sulk in and out of broods, which can be frustrating. But they also tend to give up pretty easily.

My brooding breeds (Silkies, bantam Cochins, heritage breeds like my Marans line) won't break until they see a fluffy beak under them or about 5 weeks, whichever comes first. And they are serial brooders, going into broods about every 4 months. Those I put eggs under and hatch chicks; otherwise, I'd sell them as they are always brooding (but that's why I have them...I like to brood naturally).

LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Ok this is my first broody hen other than a pullet that raised 4 2 days old chicks for about 3 weeks when she here self was a pullet too, she didnt' do much teaching so got a few questions here.

She has 9 live chicks almost a month old that 1 or 2 may be hers lol, all the other hens decided if she was gonna sit on eggs they were gonna help her and she wouldn't let us take any out (30).

She's been keeping em pretty close to the secure shed and away from the flock we put them in after hatching em in the hen house, until yesterday she took em through the corral and out to almost the pasture, and for last 3 days takes them over to the hen house for a bit but makes the others leave if they aren't on a nest. Today the roosters and hens came up to them out in the corral and a little bit of light pecking happened but she didn't defend, when rooster did it to one of the chicks she squatted. Does this mean she's about done raising the chicks?

Yes. Typically by 4 to 6 weeks of age, the hen will fledge the chicks.

Her behaviors show that she has been integrating them into the flock in their own right...watching out for them but letting them find their place.

It sounds like she has been an excellent mother and that your flock is handling the integration well.

Keep a watch out for the little chicks over the next few days/week. The rooster should be making sure they integrate as well (if he is a good poppa). He'll make sure everyone is in order.

Be aware that little peeps can draw predators, so it would be wise to check your perimeters for safety.

Congratulations on the 9 new flock members.
LofMc

 

[slordaz]

Nothing I have done has worked on breaking it and most of mine are from a farm supply, They patiently bide their time until there;s a free nesting box, one went broody now all the others are

I don't have a much of a laying flock right now from 18 I'm down to get 2-3 eggs a day, have a band of screaming raptors that have even the roosters running from them

 

[slordaz]

Yes. Typically by 4 to 6 weeks of age, the hen will fledge the chicks.

Her behaviors show that she has been integrating them into the flock in their own right...watching out for them but letting them find their place.

It sounds like she has been an excellent mother and that your flock is handling the integration well.

Keep a watch out for the little chicks over the next few days/week. The rooster should be making sure they integrate as well (if he is a good poppa). He'll make sure everyone is in order.

Be aware that little peeps can draw predators, so it would be wise to check your perimeters for safety.

Congratulations on the 9 new flock members.
LofMc

the main rooster is taking over that, it was a guess who the daddy was ans the eggs were from all of our hens and both roosters decided to share them all. I was thinking when she quit of leaving them in the secure shed they've been staying in and just letting them out during the day. They get along with the 5 chicks I have hatched at the house but broody doesn't like them when I take them out, she warmed em up the first time then ran em off.

Yeah we lost a year old leghorn hen last week in the coop so babies aren't going there they can be with the flock free ranging but sleeping where they are safe, got 1 or 2 already sure are roosters too so they will be getting rehomed

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thanks! I really want her to hatch these.

New question for anyone... after one goes through the brooding process, hatches chicks, lets the chicks go, and everything... how long until they go broody again? I assume different breeds are different, but any opinions on an average? (my current one happens to be an OEGB)

Yes...really depends on the breed, and then even the line within the breed.

Silkies, the bantam Cochins (especially the line I have) tend to be what I call "serial brooders." They will brood, hatch, fledge at about 4 to 6 weeks, then in about a month, two at most, turn around and do it again. You often get 3 to 4 broods out of them per year, no matter the season.

My heritage Marans are more broody prone and will generally brood about twice a year.

Some of my mixed breed large fowl hens will brood once a year, only in the "brooding" season of April-June (June being high season). Some brood once and never again.

OEGB are usually more prone to brooding. @varidgerunner uses standard game types with great success, as have many people, but I'm not sure how many seasons you may get out of OEGB each year.

My experiences

LofMc

 

[fatcatx]

Quote:
Does anyone else have good/bad experience removing the chicks right away? Hatch is in about a week so we're trying to come up with our "game plan". I don't want to remove them right away if it means she might go broody again right away.

 

[slordaz]

I would wait and see how she does first, you'll want protection if you forcefully take the chicks to sell, our broody beat up the mean rooster even and draws blood if we try to get near her chicks, they are 3-4 weeks old before she started letting us near them other than to add water and food.

She is weaning them from her apparently now, even thinking of squatting for the rooster

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Does anyone else have good/bad experience removing the chicks right away? Hatch is in about a week so we're trying to come up with our "game plan". I don't want to remove them right away if it means she might go broody again right away.

Depends on the hen.

Most large fowl hens will not mind that much after they have gotten up and began to scratch with the chicks. It is important they are done with the brooding/hatching phase though and into the raising chicks phase....otherwise, momma may continue to want to sit and hatch chicks.

So I personally recommend about day 4 to 5, possibly at the end of week 1. By end of week 2, almost none of my mommas, even my very broody mommas, like my Silkie, will trigger back into a brood again.

My experience.
LofMc