Broody Hen Thread!

[chickwalla]

Thanks for the advice guys! I'll make sure I see her get off her nest at least once a day. I'm so eager to see these babies I am having dreams about everything that could go wrong!

 

[BebeLapinouBlanc]

I goofed and let a silkie go broody even though it's the wrong time of year up North. After a 30's 40's cold snap, my Silkie has still been doing well out in the hutch with her four little Olive Egger chicks. So far, so good. I might take them all inside when it really starts getting cold.

I'm in same boat. Lol. One of our cuckoo silkies insisted on being broody and after we had a loss due to predators, i decided to let her do her thing. I agree with everyone else. Aslong as they have a draft free shelter and water they should do fine. I love silkie mama's. They are the best

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Hey guys one of our broody's has decided she wants to hatch chicks on the main nest lol. Very high traffic area. Id like to move her to a more secluded less trafficked area. Any tips on how to move her but keep her setting? Thanks.

 

[microchick]

Yep, same here. Like it or not my broody is getting moved out of the main nesting box tomorrow night and into my brand spanking new broody coop. This si the first time I've attempted to move eggs and hen so I'm traveling on uncharted territory also. Everyone says to move them at night is best so that is what I'm shooting for.

My 18 month old Buff O hen is a first time broody.

Oh well, at least she didn't go broody in the middle of January.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Yep, same here. Like it or not my broody is getting moved out of the main nesting box tomorrow night and into my brand spanking new broody coop. This si the first time I've attempted to move eggs and hen so I'm traveling on uncharted territory also. Everyone says to move them at night is best so that is what I'm shooting for.

My 18 month old Buff O hen is a first time broody.

Oh well, at least she didn't go broody in the middle of January.

I have moved a broody successfully at night in a car lol but this broody is also a first timer. I purchased some eggs I've really been wanting but don't want to have to use my incubator. Just hope I can move her without he abandoning the eggs. She seems pretty dedicated so far though. She let me move her to put in fresh hay.

 

[jessg84]

I have a seven month old buff Orpington who won't get out of the nest box today. The other girls have gone to roost but she is still I'm the box. I pulled out an egg from under her which I'm pretty sure that she laid. Is it possible she has gone broody? Is there anything I can do to discourage this? I have no rooster so the eggs are not fertile.

 

[the poppster]

I have a seven month old buff Orpington who won't get out of the nest box today. The other girls have gone to roost but she is still I'm the box. I pulled out an egg from under her which I'm pretty sure that she laid. Is it possible she has gone broody? Is there anything I can do to discourage this? I have no rooster so the eggs are not fertile.

Continue to discourage her from staying in the nest box. She may fuss about it, but just keep it up....that's If she doesn't go to roost at night. They will hang out in the nest box for a while, after laying an egg....that's ok....but not going to roost points to broody behavior or possibly a sick hen.

 

[jessg84]

I'm thinking broody. She was all fluffed up in the box and making cooing noises then when I tried to touch her she was pecking at me. I went back later after dark and picked her up and put her on the roost and removed the bedding from that nesting box.

 

[Selsley]

I have a seven month old buff Orpington who won't get out of the nest box today. The other girls have gone to roost but she is still I'm the box. I pulled out an egg from under her which I'm pretty sure that she laid. Is it possible she has gone broody? Is there anything I can do to discourage this? I have no rooster so the eggs are not fertile.

ours went broody about 6 weeks after her 1st egg
try reading the thread, how to break a broody hen

 

[lpyrbby]

I'm trying not to get excited, but I'd be lying if I said that there wasn't a little bit welling up in the back of my skull...

Yesterday, one of my girls was in the nest box when I visited the chickens after getting off work. She got out when I went to check under her for eggs and stayed out.

Today, the same thing, except this time, she insisted on going back to the roost (which is directly in front of the nest boxes). She was also in a box that had only a fake egg in it, while one of her eggs was in the next box over. I went ahead and closed off the nest boxes. After interrupting her a few times on the roost, trying to get a feel on her to check her crop, I finally decided to open one of the boxes up (I have a nest box sleeper that I'm trying to retrain) and stuffed some fake eggs in there. After I got out of the coop, it took her about a minute to meander her way back over and climb in the box. She's sleeping in there tonight.

We've been working through some possible crop problems and head bobbing the last week, but no slow down in normal chicken behavior and her crop has been emptying, mostly. The last time I checked her crop, it felt good. Not overly squishy or hard. I haven't seen the head bob in the last few days either (though it doesn't mean she's not doing it, since I work a full time job). So, either she's going broody or getting sick. She isn't looking on the sick side of things though.

Tomorrow should tell. I suppose if she is getting sick, I'll still move her to what I'd make the broody bay in the coop. Crossing fingers...I have chicken baby rabies SO bad right now.