Broody Hen Thread!

[kate2008]

Talk to me about broody hens and cats. I have a broody with 3 day old chicks. She's currently in a maternity pen with them but I would like to let her start taking them out with the flock soon. We have a cat that cohabitates with the adult hens quite well but I don't want to risk too much. Will the broody protect the chicks? Hat are your experiences?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Talk to me about broody hens and cats. I have a broody with 3 day old chicks. She's currently in a maternity pen with them but I would like to let her start taking them out with the flock soon. We have a cat that cohabitates with the adult hens quite well but I don't want to risk too much. Will the broody protect the chicks? Hat are your experiences?

According to the cat!!! I never allow my broody to free range with her chicks because of mainly air predators scooping them up. So even though I have cats---they can not get to the small chicks. I am sure the broody will protect them but a broody does not stand a chance with a aggressive cat---if the cat really wants a chick--the cat would stalk the chicks and wait until one gets away from mom and grab it and run.

 

[mummahen48]

Can anyone advise me please,my hens go in s shed at night because of foxes
My hen is sitting on eggs and I leave she'd door open during the day,twice now the fox has come to take her and eggs but we have managed to scare it away.Would I be able to move her and eggs to a safer place would she lose interest??
This is third time lucky sitting on eggs after a scare from mr fox.PLEASE HELP!!!

 

[fisherlady]

Talk to me about broody hens and cats. I have a broody with 3 day old chicks. She's currently in a maternity pen with them but I would like to let her start taking them out with the flock soon. We have a cat that cohabitates with the adult hens quite well but I don't want to risk too much. Will the broody protect the chicks? Hat are your experiences?

Totally depends on the cat...we have 5 cats, most are hunters, 2 are very active hunters and none bother our chicks, in the house, coop or yard. They seem to understand that the chicks belong to us silly humans. But we do see broodies and roosters displaying warnings when cats are inthe vicinity and the cats have all been on recieving end of a warning charge at some point over the last few years when they have just been walking through the yard in an attempt to get to us for some human attention.... so they try to avoid conflicts.
Only time will tell, and I suggest diligent observation...and remember free ranging little ones is wonderful, but comes with risks in many forms...

 

[microchick]

Can anyone advise me please,my hens go in s shed at night because of foxes
My hen is sitting on eggs and I leave she'd door open during the day,twice now the fox has come to take her and eggs but we have managed to scare it away.Would I be able to move her and eggs to a safer place would she lose interest??
This is third time lucky sitting on eggs after a scare from mr fox.PLEASE HELP!!!

Hi mummahen48.

I think no matter what for the safety of your hen and the eggs you need to move momma, ASAP. I would move her at night keeping her and her eggs together and without as much noise and light as possible. It's always a risk but one that under the circumstances you have to take.Good luck.

 

[elaineinspain]

I have a question - my cochin is 14 months old and broody for the first time. Eight days ago I gave her 11 eggs to sit on. She has a broody pen in the coop. She leaves the pen every 2nd or third day for half an hour to dust bathe and other chickeny things. She has fresh water with vitamins and aminoacids every day, and fresh fermented feed every day, but of course she doesn't eat much. Today I counted her eggs - 8! There are no broken egg shells or anything in the broody pen. Has she worked out that they are not viable and eaten them? Or have they got broken under her and she's eaten them? There is no way any other chicken can get in to her in the pen as the door is shut at all times except for the half hour I let her out, and I'm usually there at that time. The pen has half inch hardware cloth all round it.

Is this usual?
There is no way predators (mice, rats, snakes) can get in because of the hardware cloth. Plus the pen is inside the coop which is locked at night.

 

[elaineinspain]

Can anyone advise me please,my hens go in s shed at night because of foxes
My hen is sitting on eggs and I leave she'd door open during the day,twice now the fox has come to take her and eggs but we have managed to scare it away.Would I be able to move her and eggs to a safer place would she lose interest??
This is third time lucky sitting on eggs after a scare from mr fox.PLEASE HELP!!!

Move her somewhere safer. It is worth the risk because mister fox will surely get her AND the eggs if he's already hanging around her. If she loses interest in the eggs when you move her, you've only lost the eggs and she hasn't had to go through the trauma of being ripped apart and killed.

 

[jnckids]

I have a question - my cochin is 14 months old and broody for the first time. Eight days ago  I gave her 11 eggs to sit on. She has a broody pen in the coop. She leaves the pen every 2nd or third day for half an hour to dust bathe and other chickeny things. She has fresh water with vitamins and aminoacids every day, and fresh fermented feed every day, but of course she doesn't eat much. Today I counted her eggs - 8! There are no broken egg shells or anything in the broody pen. Has she worked out that they are not viable and eaten them? Or have they got broken under her and she's eaten them? There is no way any other chicken can get in to her in the pen as the door is shut at all times except for the half hour I let her out, and I'm usually there at that time. The pen has half inch hardware cloth all round it.

Is this usual?
There is no way predators (mice, rats, snakes) can get in because of the hardware cloth. Plus the pen is inside the coop which is locked at night.

My broody broke an egg and I found very little shell. She was noticeably eating the remains of the egg off of the eggs to clean them.

 

[yochickiemomma]

So once again I'm asking for advise and leaning on my fellow chicken lovers. I don't know what I would do without you guys n gals.

My hen who spent a day off her nest has all dud eggs. I moved her last night to my spare little coop and gave her 4 new eggs freshly laid yesterday. She's been setting for 14 days. Will she continue to set until these ones hatch or should I try to break her? I suppose I could buy a couple chicks this weekend and transplant them if my other hen doesn't hatch hers by then (She's due to hatch her clutch in 2-3 days if all goes well). I don't really need more chickens I just want to see her become a happy mom since she really wants to set.

 

[yochickiemomma]

By the way I don't know exactly when her eggs quit I'll know more tonight when I get home but I did candle them all last night.