Broody Hen Thread!

[the poppster]

Dani4, I would separate the broody hens...each with their own nest boxes and fenced in areas...food and water. Separate out the eggs between them, trying to be sure that the eggs will hatch about the same time, within a day or so...if it takes longer than that, the hen is very likely to abandon any eggs that haven't finished hatching...and even if the late hatching chicks manage to survive...and it's day time...I've seen the hen attack the little straggler/stranger...if they survive the abandonment till the hen returns to the nest box for the night and finish hatching during the night, she probably will accept them...but unless they are very vigorous!!! This day or more of delay will have an influence on the chicks development...the little stragglers may never "Catch Up"...chicks go through lots of development during those first few days and weeks...the more hatches I observe, the more subtle differences I have noticed between the chicks in a single hatch, all seem to be affected by the order in which they hatched out...from the first to the last! Things I had never noticed before.

 

[16 paws]

I would also separate them. I had 2 bantam cochins brooding together and they were swapping the eggs back and forth. They were pretty mellow hens so I let them go for it. Then when the chicks started hatching the fight over the chicks was on. You would be surprised how fast a little chick can get hurt and these two mamas were tiny, I can only imagine a LF and a Turkey fighting over the littles. Thank goodness I was able to step in and separate them. One of the chicks did have a large gash on its head and had to be treated but it lived.

Good luck and I hope this helps you.....
Marie

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

I would also separate them. I had 2 bantam cochins brooding together and they were swapping the eggs back and forth. They were pretty mellow hens so I let them go for it. Then when the chicks started hatching the fight over the chicks was on. You would be surprised how fast a little chick can get hurt and these two mamas were tiny, I can only imagine a LF and a Turkey fighting over the littles. Thank goodness I was able to step in and separate them. One of the chicks did have a large gash on its head and had to be treated but it lived.

Good luck and I hope this helps you.....
Marie

Awesome thanks ladies I will build another enclosed nest/chick area and move her tomorrow.

 

[the poppster]

Great! You will find that they will be happier as well...they seem as if they are "Sharing" the nest and broody duties...but if you actually sit and watch them for a day (ya! like most of us have time to do that?)as they come and go from the nest...I'm sure that you will start to see that they aren't really "sharing" it's more of a competition...if you know where the individuals are in the flock pecking order you may start to see what is really going on...a hen that is broody usually has an "attitude" and even a lower ranking bird may sit tight a bit longer in the presence of a higher ranking bird....but eventually she will give way to the higher ranking bird...or the higher ranking girl will push the other off the nest...or she will shove her way in and they will both set the nest...feathers puffed up to the max and eyes staring straight ahead...stiff posture, her head pulled down tight between her shoulders...frowning! Possibly growling! Other than the "frowning", that's at least three to four "threat" displays...in most cases they are playing a game of "Chicken"... who's going to flinch first? I'm not saying that there aren't hens that really are Sharing the nest...but I doubt that they are doing it "Willingly". Good luck!!

 

[rustymurphy]

I think that once in awhile the hens do share as in the case with my hens I han two share one nest three share the other both sets shared mama duties with no problems I watched hours they were fun to watch but not all hens are like this so keep a close eye on the hens if they push each other around in the nest you could lose the eggs or chicks

 

[WVduckchick]

My serama hen that hatched and raised her babies laid her first post-hatch egg yesterday. 7-week old youngens. My others never laid that quickly afterwards!

 

[nchls school]

My serama hen that hatched and raised her babies laid her first post-hatch egg yesterday. 7-week old youngens. My others never laid that quickly afterwards!

You will find that many serama start laying again when their chicks are as young as three weeks of age. Many of mine do and continue to care for their chicks until going broody with the next clutch. I have chicks now that are about five weeks old and the mother has already been brooding the next clutch for a week.

 

[16 paws]

Great! You will find that they will be happier as well...they seem as if they are "Sharing" the nest and broody duties...but if you actually sit and watch them for a day (ya! like most of us have time to do that?)as they come and go from the nest...I'm sure that you will start to see that they aren't really "sharing" it's more of a competition...if you know where the individuals are in the flock pecking order you may start to see what is really going on...a hen that is broody usually has an "attitude" and even a lower ranking bird may sit tight a bit longer in the presence of a higher ranking bird....but eventually she will give way to the higher ranking bird...or the higher ranking girl will push the other off the nest...or she will shove her way in and they will both set the nest...feathers puffed up to the max and eyes staring straight ahead...stiff posture, her head pulled down tight between her shoulders...frowning! Possibly growling! Other than the "frowning", that's at least three to four "threat" displays...in most cases they are playing a game of "Chicken"... who's going to flinch first? I'm not saying that there aren't hens that really are Sharing the nest...but I doubt that they are doing it "Willingly". Good luck!!

You know I never thought about it til now but the way you described their"posturing" Yes that is exactly what they were doing. A competition!
haha
Silly chickens and silly me for not noticing the real story.....

 

[WVduckchick]

You will find that many serama start laying again when their chicks are as young as three weeks of age. Many of mine do and continue to care for their chicks until going broody with the next clutch. I have chicks now that are about five weeks old and the mother has already been brooding the next clutch for a week.

Amazing little birds, they are. Thanks!

 

[South OH Chicks]

Besides a silkie, does anyone have suggestions for the best breed to get for broodiness? I am wanting to hatch some chicks without using the incubator.