Broody Hen Thread!

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elmoflim said:
Non-medicated chick feed at 20% protein and niacin should be good. I've heard some bad stories of baby ducks and medicated chick feed and no niacin. :) Hopefully you'll post some silkie and baby duck pictures.
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Thanks. I figures no medicated feed since it's that way for ducks as well. I'm really hoping but I'm not sure if any will be broody still by then. If so ill definitely post pics
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She might be, she might also be working herself up to a broody state. If you want to tell for sure try leaving a few fake eggs in a nesting box and see if she show any interest in sitting on them or ignores them. Sometimes it takes a few days for the hormones to settle into a broody state. My current broody acted 'off' for about three days. She did the soft cluck and fluff then acted normal until she finally decided to cross over to the dark side where they have eggs that are just begging to be set on.

If she is a first time broody, make sure she is taking it seriously by leaving fake eggs under her for a few days to check her commitment. If she stays put for 3 days I'd call her broody and give her hatching eggs to sit on. Trust me, she will be a happy hen with 3 or 4 to drool over.

Good luck!
 
microchick said:
She might be, she might also be working herself up to a broody state. If you want to tell for sure try leaving a few fake eggs in a nesting box and see if she show any interest in sitting on them or ignores them. Sometimes it takes a few days for the hormones to settle into a broody state. My current broody acted 'off' for about three days. She did the soft cluck and fluff then acted normal until she finally decided to cross over to the dark side where they have eggs that are just begging to be set on. 

If she is a first time broody, make sure she is taking it seriously by leaving fake eggs under her for a few days to check her commitment. If she stays put for 3 days I'd call her broody and give her hatching eggs to sit on. Trust me, she will be a happy hen with 3 or 4 to drool over.

Good luck!
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She was sitting on eggs so I left them there as I have no shortage of fertile eggs. It seems her and another bird been switching out sitting. No noise from them yet, but I have seen them both locked down on these eggs for sure. One pulled a lot of breast feathers out. Of course she is sitting in the favoured nesting box. I think I will mark the date on a few eggs, leave them in there and see what happens.
 
If she is pulling breast feathers she's probably serious.

A word of advice. Not a good thing to let two hens share a nest. It's better if you isolate her as much as possible so you do not wind up with a staggered hatch from other hens laying in the nest with them. I have my nesting boxes set up so I can attach a small wire dog kennel to the outside and then hen can leave the nest to eat, drink and poop and not have to worry about finding her way back to her own eggs or have another hen commandeer her nest for her own needs, and you won't have to worry about extra eggs being added to your broody's nest that may not hatch with the original clutch of eggs that she is sitting on.

Good luck with your broody and keep us updated. We love pictures when the big day arrives.
 
microchick said:
If she is pulling breast feathers she's probably serious.

A word of advice. Not a good thing to let two hens share a nest. It's better if you isolate her as much as possible so you do not wind up with a staggered hatch from other hens laying in the nest with them. I have my nesting boxes set up so I can attach a small wire dog kennel to the outside and then hen can leave the nest to eat, drink and poop and not have to worry about finding her way back to her own eggs or have another hen commandeer her nest for her own needs, and you won't have to worry about extra eggs being added to your broody's nest that may not hatch with the original clutch of eggs that she is sitting on.

Good luck with your broody and keep us updated. We love pictures when the big day arrives.
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I have decided they are not brooding but strongly comsidering it. Thanks for the info and I am sure I will have lots of questions if they do brood....already rethinking my nest box setup.
 
My hen went full broody over the weekend. Laid an egg and I was going to let her just brood, but she must have crushed it on accident! I had a goofball in there with her. Do you think she mistook the hardiness or was this just purely an accident? If she lays again I am happy to let her raise it! I have new chicks coming in the next few weeks so I am prepared!
 

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