Broody Hen Thread!

[earlybirdy5]

I have a broody black sexlink (I was told they don't go broody and my rooster is a production red) she has been sitting for a little over a week but my husband saw her in a different nesting box and took her eggs. 2 of the eggs were developing but my husband refrigerated them anyway she is back to sitting on eggs and my question is... Does she have to sit on them constantly or can she take short breaks and still hatch the eggs? Follow up... Do the eggs have to stay warm to the touch (like when they are first laid)?

 

[PD-Riverman]

I have a broody black sexlink (I was told they don't go broody and my rooster is a production red) she has been sitting for a little over a week but my husband saw her in a different nesting box and took her eggs. 2 of the eggs were developing but my husband refrigerated them

anyway she is back to sitting on eggs and my question is... Does she have to sit on them constantly or can she take short breaks and still hatch the eggs? Follow up... Do the eggs have to stay warm to the touch (like when they are first laid)?

Those eggs would be a site if you had of broke them to cook for breakfast!!!

As you see---she might be on different eggs again in a week---that's one reason I move ALL my Broodies.

As far as the Warm question----if the broody has been setting on them for a week and she moves to another nest for the night----them eggs probably will die. Broodies Do get off the nest---most of the time once a day, to eat/drink/poop, if its a real warm day they might stay off them 1/2 a hour---so the eggs do cool off some on the outside-----the inside probably only drops a little unless they are off of them for Hours.
Always, always, always collect ALL eggs Daily from every nest---even if a hen is on it---even if she tries to peck you. If you have a broody and If you are going to allow her to set----You should always "set" your broody yourself----clearly mark and place every how many eggs she can cover under her. Then every, every, every day remove any fresh layed eggs from her nest. Again if there is other hen and she takes a poop break and a hen gets in her nest to lay a egg-----when she comes back she might choose another nest being hers is taken-----then her eggs are messed u again.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Those eggs would be a site if you had of broke them to cook for breakfast!!!

As you see---she might be on different eggs again in a week---that's one reason I move ALL my Broodies.

As far as the Warm question----if the broody has been setting on them for a week and she moves to another nest for the night----them eggs probably will die. Broodies Do get off the nest---most of the time once a day, to eat/drink/poop, if its a real warm day they might stay off them 1/2 a hour---so the eggs do cool off some on the outside-----the inside probably only drops a little unless they are off of them for Hours.
Always, always, always collect ALL eggs Daily from every nest---even if a hen is on it---even if she tries to peck you. If you have a broody and If you are going to allow her to set----You should always "set" your broody yourself----clearly mark and place every how many eggs she can cover under her. Then every, every, every day remove any fresh layed eggs from her nest. Again if there is other hen and she takes a poop break and a hen gets in her nest to lay a egg-----when she comes back she might choose another nest being hers is taken-----then her eggs are messed u again.

x2

Broodies do get up and move a bit...more in summer than winter....but usually no more than 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. Most run out, drink/eat/poo and run back inside within 10 minutes.

I've had 3 Black Sex Links go broody seasonally, so yes, they do brood.

(BTW, I've never had a Red Sex Link go broody.)

I agree, toss those eggs that were started as they will be gross.

Put some more eggs under her, but mark them. I would also isolate this gal either with a partition or by moving her to a specific nest to brood. She is getting pushed off her nest or forgetting which nest she is on after her break. That is the most common way a good setting hen will leave eggs which wrecks havoc on the development.

LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Hi,

I'm planning on getting a few bantams to hatch and raise some of my duck eggs. Are there any particular breeds of bantams you would recommend as bloodys?
Are bantam Cochins any good?

I would go Silkie (first choice) then game hen.

A good Silkie is awesome. Broods frequently and effectively. Most are very good mothers. Most are content with confinement and quiet birds. Your better broodies though will not typically be the cuddle bunnies the breed is known for...they will have some fight to them as they have a strong protective instinct for their chicks. They are little mommas that nobody messes with. However, you will likely need to keep them separate from your large fowl flock as many birds find the top knot irresistible and will peck at it. Many find the Silkie appearance odd and will attack. Silkies do need some protection from mud and muck as their feathered feet can become bumble foot magnets if not kept dry. I have mine in a broody hutch and run on bark chips.

I've purchased known broodies from Silkie breeders for pretty reasonable (sometimes free even). Most Silkie breeders will have a broody hen or two they are willing to part with as the breed is so broody prone. You'll typically get a gal that is less than perfect as a Silkie (top crest isn't quite right, color a bit wrong) so the breeder doesn't want to breed her forward, but that doesn't affect their mothering instinct.

Bantam Cochins can be good, but honestly, mine don't seem to be as efficient as the Silkies I've had nor as savvy as mothers. (And my bantam Cochins came from a farm that used that breed to hatch turkey eggs...so these girls came from a good brooding line of hens). Their fluffy feet are even more fluff than the Silkies, but they have feathers that shed water and mud better. I do find the feather fluff not as efficient at maintaining even egg temperature as the finer Silkie hair-like feathers, even with breast plucking. Somehow my silly mop heads seem to lose eggs on the outer fluff fringe where they get cooler, I think because there is simply so much more fluff than bird.

I've not personally brooded with games, but I have heard very good things about them for brooding, and I trust PD-Riverman's experience. Do be forewarned, from my experience, games are more flighty...as in they will and can take flight. They are typically very intelligent and personable. The couple that I had would often try to roost on top of the shed or in a tree but learned to ride down on a rake handle when I called them. Wing clipping is often a good idea if you need them to stay on your property.

My thoughts
LofMc

 

[microchick]

I finally got the new coop finished today and the flock moved. We have an old shed that was in bad need of repair. We put new corrugated tin on one exterior wall, built a dividing wall, new nesting boxes and roosts. They were not thrilled about being shoved in a cat carrier for the 100 foot move but once they got into their new coop it was like Christmas in May with all the scratching about, climbing and exploring going on. We moved the run next. we have about 75 feet in kennel panels that we collapsed and moved with the tractor, put back up, ran the hot wire and released the little feathered monsters into their new run. I had to finally go inside and eject them to get them to venture out.

The good thing about this move is that it gives my broody, Aggie, the old coop to herself which is a first for her. I secured the building and then watched as she got off the nest for her daily psycho hen exhibition, you all know what I'm talking about, Where they stagger around, knock over their water, spill their food, drop a load of poo that weighs as much as they do before they drink what is left of their water, gobble some food off the floor and then head back to the business of brooding. She ran to both coop doors, looked out the screen like 'where did everyone go?' but didn't seem distressed by their desertion. One week down, two more to go. But at least I do not have to worry about donated eggs and well meaning hens taking over occupation of her nest while she is off it.

I did have something strange happen with the Buff O rooster who, since I had vanquished the three other roosters for gross misbehaving, had been on his own with the hens. We were watching him today and my husband said 'you know, maybe Red is depressed. He has always had the other roosters with him, for better or for worse and suddenly he is on his own and maybe he is missing his buds.' Two of his buds had been beating the crap out of him which lead to them being vanquished to the bachelor pen but after giving it some thought, I decided that maybe returning one of the extra roosters to the flock would perk him up. He had always been close to lame Chester, the Welsummer before Chester threw in alliance with another Welsummer rooster, so I pulled Chester out of the bachelor pen and put him back with the flock. It was hysterical to watch. That rooster was so glad to be back with his hens. He danced, he sang, he danced some more and the hens were almost lining up for his er.......services. That's when it dawned on me that I hadn't seen Red mount a hen since I pulled his buds.

So I guess the question is, do roosters get depressed?

 

[fisherlady]

Fisherlady do you skin all your birds when processing or scald some?

If I know I am canning the meat (older birds, scrawney roosters) then I just skin them, if we are doing a larger butcher day, such as with meaties or grown out cockerels of better size then we will fire up the scalder and plucker, or even just a scalding pot and hand plucking.

 

[fisherlady]

I finally got the new coop finished today and the flock moved. We have an old shed that was in bad need of repair. We put new corrugated tin on one exterior wall, built a dividing wall, new nesting boxes and roosts. They were not thrilled about being shoved in a cat carrier for the 100 foot move but once they got into their new coop it was like Christmas in May with all the scratching about, climbing and exploring going on. We moved the run next. we have about 75 feet in kennel panels that we collapsed and moved with the tractor, put back up, ran the hot wire and released the little feathered monsters into their new run. I had to finally go inside and eject them to get them to venture out. 

The good thing about this move is that it gives my broody, Aggie, the old coop to herself which is a first for her. I secured the building and then watched as she got off the nest for her daily psycho hen exhibition, you all know what I'm talking about, Where they stagger around, knock over their water, spill their food, drop a load of poo that weighs as much as they do before they drink what is left of their water, gobble some food off the floor and then head back to the business of brooding. She ran to both coop doors, looked out the screen like 'where did everyone go?' but didn't seem distressed by their desertion. One week down, two more to go. But at least I do not have to worry about donated eggs and well meaning hens taking over occupation of her nest while she is off it.

I did have something strange happen with the Buff O rooster who, since I had vanquished the three other roosters for gross misbehaving, had been on his own with the hens. We were watching him today and my husband said 'you know, maybe Red is depressed. He has always had the other roosters with him, for better or for worse and suddenly he is on his own and maybe he is missing his buds.' Two of his buds had been beating the crap out of him which lead to them being vanquished to the bachelor pen but after giving it some thought, I decided that maybe returning one of the extra roosters to the flock would perk him up. He had always been close to lame Chester, the Welsummer before Chester threw in alliance with another Welsummer rooster, so I pulled Chester out of the bachelor pen and put him back with the flock. It was hysterical to watch. That rooster was so glad to be back with his hens. He danced, he sang, he danced some more and the hens were almost lining up for his er.......services. That's when it dawned on me that I hadn't seen Red mount a hen since I pulled his buds.

So I guess the question is, do roosters get depressed?

I don't know if they get depressed, but changes in flock dynamics can certainly cause a shift in behavior. A rooster may suddenly find that he is getting the cold shoulder from the hens or he may suddenly get rough with them if no other rooster is there to keep him in check. I do know that roosters form alliances and tend to hang out with favored buddies or hens. A well established pecking order seems to allow a more relaxed flock, they understand the order and it is sort of a security blanket...if your rooster was used to having 'Lieutenants' around to help him keep track of the flock he may have been overwhelmed at the sudden change and still been adjusting to sole rooster status.

 

[microchick]

Chester and Red always seemed to hang together. They were always busy, always on alert. They seemed happy to seesaw Alpha status back and forth until recently, in fact, most of Aggie's first brood was fathered by Red. 5 of the juveniles have his distinctive ruffled comb. So I am anxious to see who fathered the majority of the chicks that are due to hatch in 2 weeks.

The last 3 days I've heard him crow maybe twice and it wasn't his usual crow. Before then he wouldn't keep his mouth shut. He has also been standing away from the hens a lot, just staring out into space.

I'm hoping returning Chester to the flock will perk things back up again. I definitely do not want to return the remaining two exiles to the flock. Both attacked me about the same time Red was being attacked. I have a spur puncture in the back of my left calf that I'm still nursing along.

There is little Rocky (Red's son) waiting in the wings also and so far he is a chip off the old block.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Chester and Red always seemed to hang together. They were always busy, always on alert. They seemed happy to seesaw Alpha status back and forth until recently, in fact, most of Aggie's first brood was fathered by Red. 5 of the juveniles have his distinctive ruffled comb. So I am anxious to see who fathered the majority of the chicks that are due to hatch in 2 weeks.

The last 3 days I've heard him crow maybe twice and it wasn't his usual crow. Before then he wouldn't keep his mouth shut. He has also been standing away from the hens a lot, just staring out into space.

I'm hoping returning Chester to the flock will perk things back up again. I definitely do not want to return the remaining two exiles to the flock. Both attacked me about the same time Red was being attacked. I have a spur puncture in the back of my left calf that I'm still nursing along.

There is little Rocky (Red's son) waiting in the wings also and so far he is a chip off the old block.

I agree with fisherlady that a flock change will change the dynamics causing insecurity. Red may simply need the support of the male companion to transition and watch over the flock as he was getting beaten into submission. That kind of change may have made him very confused, and he probably is.not sure if he is still going to get pounced upon.

I would also check to make sure there are no signs of illness in Red. He may have a mite or worm overload. Is his comb pale? Any labored breathing? Has he returned to his normal vigor now that Chester is back?

Chronic but mild stuff can creep in and cause subtle changes and subdued behavior too. Which would make him feel even more insecure. Roosters typically (I've read) are magnets for mites. (Although my boy appears to be good....it's one of my hens I'm about to cull as she is a mite magnate....but lowered immune can cause overgrowth of parasites and further depression of activities).

As to the two Welsummer bullies....especially the one that gored you....I'll say it again, freezer camp really cools their temperaments down.

LofMc

 

[microchick]

Thanks, fisherlady and lady of mccamly. I seriously believe that the move has rattled him more than anything. I noticed today that he is more active but very quiet. He and Chester are getting along fine and Chester continues to relish being returned to the flock. Hopefully some time out readjusted his temperament.

I've never had a mite problem that I know of. I do spot checks on random hens and have never seen signs of either fleas, lice or mites. I wormed the first of April. His comb is bright red, his breathing normal. Yesterday morning he was gobbling bread down with the hens as they came out for their morning treat.

I think it's just mental/emotional with him. Something I never expected with a rooster.