Broody Hen Thread!

[the poppster]

I've got a two little EE hens that come this spring will go broody at the drop of an egg...one is a pretty little sort of cream color hen, I call her "Glorious Momma" the other is a bit smaller. Her name is "Little Gray Bird" she's a silvery gray with an almost peach color breast....they are both extremely dependable broodys, they cover about five to eight eggs...I was thinking about using them to set some Serama eggs, due to their small size and both are very experienced. One thing that you have to consider when choosing a broody (I just noticed this, this last summer) when choosing a broody, you should consider the hens position within the flock...I will never allow "Little Gray Bird" to brood any important large breed birds within the flock...she's a great Mom...but unfortunately she is very low on the pecking order...she hatched out three Cream Legbar chicks for me last summer...I now have a beautiful young rooster, who is afraid of every one else...and his sister is possibility an egg eater...the other pullet was afraid to go into the coop...the weasel got her one night, when I was working night shift. So I will use her for the Seramas (she is very people friendly), but not any other birds. Glorious Momma will take on almost all comers, when she's defending her chicks!

 

[16 paws]

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.

My bantam Cochins are always going broody.

 

[nchls school]

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.

Japanese bantams and serama are the best broodies I've seen; even more so than silkies, but their smaller size is a big drawback. A little serama can only brood two or three large eggs. I have a 10 ounce serama that just hatched two EEs; rather humorous to watch. When the chicks scoot under her they sometimes knock the hen right off her feet.

 

[rustymurphy]

Cochins are very good brooders they prefer setting to laying

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

So the great move of broody is completed and boy did I get a shock. See I had noticed that Maple a Patridge Brahma has been hanging out with Limpy and Rockie but today I discovered she isn't just hanging around with them she is broody too. Sooo I created 3 broody containment pens today with fresh new nest boxes which I added Lavender and Marigolds too help keep them calm and happy in their new boxes. So I opened up two hothands pads and placed them into the new boxes and went to my incubator list on my computer while they warm up. Going through the list and picking out the best eggs (3 of them being actually Rockie's eggs) to pick out which would be going under each one. So DH and I quickly gathered the planned eggs out of the incubator and placed them into each new box and out to the pitch dark coop we went. Now as much as my DH enjoys my chickens they are my chickens so while I know my coop as well as the back of my hand he didn't so he just handed me the box and closed the door. Now since Limpy is Midget White Turkey Hen she was the first choice since she is easy to tell. So I put down her new nest box in its new spot Not on top of a table as she had chosen since there would be no safe way for the chicks to get back up onto the table and I didn't feel like chancing them getting hurt. So I pick up Limpy and place her into the new nest box which she quickly tells me isn't going to fly with her. But since I didn't want to chance the other eggs getting cooled if the Hothands cooled down so I left her in the cage and quickly moved Rockie into her new nest box and her new cage on top of the warmed eggs minus of course the hothands pad and quickly fluffed out and purring to the eggs moved then to those perfect spots under her. Then back to grab Maple and the eggs that everyone has been sharing and quickly moved her into her new nest and cage which she happily moved everyone around under her and there is more then the 6 X eggs under her but I figure I will get them out from under her tomorrow not going to add to her stress tonight. So quickly back to Limpy with the now empty nest box that she had fallen in love with so I tried to quickly switch out the nest boxes and of course with my bare hand I find where she had just dropped a big o'nasty broody poo clearly showing her contempt at my attempt to change out her nest box. And I swear she was laughing as I swore and tried to move her eggs back into her preferred nest box without getting any poo on them. Once that was done she happily ran over and got back into her roomier nest box and moved "Her" eggs under her purring the entire time. So yea I'm tired after having tore apart a desk and rebuilt it into a brooder containment pen and moved the other pen around ugh I'm glad that's done cause boy my knees and hands are screaming. Will post pictures tomorrow but hope everyone had a good weekend.

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Grrr went to let everyone out and Limpie and Rockie had abandoned their new nest and were sitting on top if each other on the table no eggs no straw nothing under them. Their eggs were cold but I rushed them into the house and put them in the incubator I don't know that any of those will survive but figure that's the best I can do Maple wasn't in her nest either and while her eggs were warm I went ahead and took them as well and stuck them in the incubator heres keeping my fingers crossed that some make it. Have no idea what to do with the 3 broody now though

 

[langfordcr]

I found my broody in the wrong nest at the end of the day on day 18 after I had been gone all day. During that day 5 other hens had laid in her nest and she was sitting on 2 eggs in a different nest. Her eggs were cold too. I collected all the eggs that didn't belong and moved her back to her nest. She stayed put and hatched healthy chicks on day 22. Maybe try to return them and see if they stay put?

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Nods I'm going to put their perferred nest box back up and put the containment pen back around it and pepper their nest with plastic eggs my only question is how do I keep out one of the hens so they don't fight over the chicks?

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Has anyone tried bringing a broody chicken and her eggs inside at like night 17? Thinking I could do that with Rockie since while she didn't stay in her new nest box once Limpie was out and returned to her old one but maybe if she is inside then it will take and she will stay on her eggs? If nothing else this would keep the eggs from getting cold since the house is at 70 and if it did take then I could foster the rest of the incubator chicks to her as well. What does everyone think? Has anyone ever done this? Did it work?

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Good news when I went back out to the coop with plastic eggs and moved their favorite nest back and peppered it with the plastic eggs and thought I would try to move Maple back to her new nest since her eggs were still warm this morning. Happily she took her plastic eggs and her new nest book keeping fingers crossed that she is still on them when we get home. Am thinking to move Rockie into the house the night before lock down and stuff eggs under her that are ready to hatch since she actually took to her new nest box last night.