Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

I have a broody BO sitting on 13 eggs right now. This is her second broody period, but last time we broke her. She is a sight to behold, and the other 5 hens are really confused. I'm letting her brood in the coop so that she doesn't need to be integrated again afterward.

We do the same, a couple of days before hatch we will put a screen across the front of the nest for most hens to keep other flock hens from disturbing her , some hens we use the screen earlier in the brood if they are low on the pecking order and don't defend their nest well.
If you haven't brooded in the flock before just pay close attention to the other hens' attitudes toward the chicks to avoid problems. We often give the hens a segregated floor box for a couple of days after hatch to give them time to relax with the chicks and for the chicks to learn the hen's vocalizations. We don't remove them from the coop, we just use wire for a barrier so the other birds get used to seeing and hearing them. Then we open them up when we are there to supervise. If all goes well we remove barriers, if any problems we adjust to get problems worked out.

 

[fisherlady]

We have 2 broodies currently. One, a first timer, Orpington, with 15 eggs lol. The second, a second time (and amazing) mama, BCM, with 9 turkey eggs!! A couple times the orpington had moved and left some of her eggs, I tucked them under her and she wiggled over them. So far they're both doing great!

Hopefully all goes well, don't be surprised if a couple of the eggs are slower to hatch after chilling, so watch for late eggs and plan a back up incubator in case the hen leaves the nest with the earlier hatching chicks.

 

[Honora]

If she seems good with it you can probably let her raise it, you may be able to sneak the other 2 back into her also if you don't want to brooder raise them.... worth a shot at least.

Yes, so far so good. I have been checking on her today & she seems good with the chick. My husband wants to give her the other 2 back also but I am getting attached to having them inside now. We'll see....

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Here are more mine.Onky two hatched so far,four more to go.

 

[fisherlady]

Busy day in the coops here. Got home from work about 0730 did a bit of housework and headed out to move around some hens. We had 3 broodies hatched out last night. All were in elevated boxes so I needed to get floor boxes set up and shift them down. 3 hens with a total of 16 chicks. 2 eggs never pipped and one hatched but hadn't absorbed its yolk and it didn't make it.
Hens all brooded separately and I set them up separate floor boxes.

So on to the important stuff... the pics! LOL

 

[CSAchook]

These pictures are amazing! I can’t decide who is cuter the dog or the babies

 

[Ahavati]

Hopefully all goes well, don't be surprised if a couple of the eggs are slower to hatch after chilling, so watch for late eggs and plan a back up incubator in case the hen leaves the nest with the earlier hatching chicks.

I check multiple times a day, so she was only off at most probably an hour. They felt pretty warm still. We have an incubator running with turkey eggs at them moment.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

That’s nice,only two hatch three were w out in a few days later which is why their not hatching yet,one of the ones that were put in when she very first started I am unsure if it’s eevn fertile.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Does anyone know if eggs grow when their fertile?One of our hens who lays fairly small eggs seems that the egg is now almost the size of our large brown eggs,or maybe it just looks that way due to the fact I have bantam eggs as well.

 

[aart]

Yes, so far so good. I have been checking on her today & she seems good with the chick. My husband wants to give her the other 2 back also but I am getting attached to having them inside now. We'll see....

Probably better to give chicks back sooner than later....there can be a point of no return where the mama will reject those 'strange' chicks and the chicks will 'reject' mama as they don't know that's the best place to get warm after being under a heat lamp.