Broody Hen Thread!

[el pollo rey]

Broody number 1 started her hatch early ,, due Saturday and she has one that popped out from under her this morning so it begins hatchathon three more Broodys working and 64 in the bators may is gonna be busy,,,,

 

[pemphredo]

well my same hen that went broody not even 2 months ago that I let hatch out some eggs....... yet again went broody.... I hope she doesn't make this a habit.... I did not let her hatch eggs this time. I placed her in the broody buster for 2 days and removed her today. it busted her broody.

 

[Ginger Assassin]

Y would u want to bust broody ? u have you're other hens laying eggs so u problebly have enough.

 

[el pollo rey]

well my same hen that went broody not even 2 months ago that I let hatch out some eggs....... yet again went broody.... I hope she doesn't make this a habit.... I did not let her hatch eggs this time. I placed her in the broody buster for 2 days and removed her today. it busted her broody.

. I find isolation and a lil cold water therapy to be effective at shutting them off

 

[el pollo rey]

Some silkies you can't hardly break em from it! Haha

. Sikies are the best incubators money can buy

 

[Jharper]

. Sikies are the best incubators money can buy

That's true and my Cochin bantam is the only one that goes broody. My silkie who is a year old has not.

 

[chicken farmer]

See my above post... I copied one of my others from a few weeks ago that should answer your question

Here is a post from a few weeks back that I put up...

Ok thank you

 

[kukupecpec]

Hi all you broody experts!

I have been waiting and waiting for one of my serama hens to go broody... Today my EE hen decided to instead! UHG lol
I was wondering what the likelihood is that she will stay broody? I went to try to collect eggs and it scared her away - she is SUPER flighty - but when I came back out half an hour later she was back on her nest! And she is still there tonight. Of course, she is in the favorite nest box, which is at least 3 feet off the ground, probably more like 4. I need some advice on what to do? I'm happy to let her hatch some eggs though.
Should I move her?
Can I move her whole nest just to the bottom slot? Or do I need to totally separate her and give her a brooding place? I don't want the other ladies to give her trouble - she is the favorite of the roo too and I have seen him go up into the nest boxes looking for her I don't want him to chase her off her eggs. If I move her, can I bring her inside the house? I have an empty level in my Serama tower that is waiting for chicks or for a broody serama, will it totally freak her out if I bring her inside to that set up? I just like it because it is super safe and level so the chicks won't fall, and I can keep an easy eye on her - it's right in my room =)
I don't know if the eggs she is sitting on are fertile Lol - her man DEFINITELY gets her, but she is the only blue eggs layer and she isn't sitting on any of her own eggs. Can I take the eggs she has now and give her eggs I know are fertile? How can I do that?
And finally, how small of eggs can I give her? Will she squish bantam chicks? I have a ton of fertile serama eggs, but they are soooo tiny, would that be a bad idea?

 

[kukupecpec]

Oh! 2 more questions!
If I order some hatching eggs - I have an incubator I can use if she gives up or if there are too many for her - and she stays broody until they come, will she sit on them until they hatch, or will she give up when they don't hatch in the 21ish days they she has already been brooding?

How many eggs can I put under her? I don't want to overwhelm her, but I would like to give her the best chance of having lots of little babies to raise.

 

[CSWolffe]

I was told 6 to 8 eggs is ideal. But I cheated and ordered a dozen, got 13, and my Wellsumer is happily setting on every darn one of em. EEs tend to be smaller than Wellsumers, so maybe I wouldn't push it like I did. As for moving her, I had to move my Wellsumer as she had take up residence in the prime nest box. I wanted to isolate her anyway, for when the chickies come. I understand some don't take to being moved to well, and some do. Mine started laying on three ceramic eggs and a couple golf balls, and had no complaints when I stole those to shove 13 fertile eggs under her.
So I guess like everything else chicken, it all depends on your girl.