Broody Hen Thread!

[BW56]

So "Dewcy" Got shoved off the nest by her broody sister "Lucy". I'm out of town so I had my son and neighbor do a chick test. He saw one chick. Guess I'll do a head count when I get back home. Hope the sisters can tag team raising the chicks.

 

[LilJoe]

I have a broody cochin with chicks. If a wild bird is near her chicks she trampled them to chase the bird off. Should I be concerned?

 

[Susanna329]

Hi Folks. I have a one year old Welsummer who I think is getting ready to sit some eggs in the goat shed, under the (unused) milking bench. She's just got 2 eggs so far, but she spends about half the day in there. It would be her first go (mine too!) and she's fairly well protected, out of reach of our two goats. So far she doesn't seem to mind their activity and they can't get under the bench and don't seem to mind her being there.

My question is...is it OK to leave her and her eggs in there? She started laying there in March, just after we got a rooster and her eggs started being viable - kind of like this was her plan all along! My only coop is a 5x5 chick-shaw which is about a foot off the ground - not so good for chicks and not enough room to make a separate enclosure.

I would need to put up some wire around at least one side of the bench if I want to leave her there, so I can give her food without the goats trying to get to it.

If all goes well, I would move her and the chicks to a small shelter of their own in the chicken pen once hatched. But I really don't want to disturb her, I was SO hoping one of them would go broody.

Are there any health reasons to move her? Is goat poo OK for the chicks to be around? Thanks for your help with this!

 

[aart]

My only coop is a 5x5 chick-shaw

First thought, is there room for more chickens in that coop once they are full grown and it's the dead of winter?
Second thought, do you have a way to deal with the 50% of males that will hatch?
If answers to above are yes...get some strong mesh to keep goats out of chicken feed, and predators away from hen and eggs/chicks.
Milking stand is probably just the right size to fence her in with room to get up and eat/drink/stretch/poop.
Might want to dust her for mites/lice before fencing her in.
I would remove the eggs she has now and give the number you want her to hatch all at the same time so you don't have a staggered hatch

 

[Susanna329]

Thanks aart! In answer to your questions -
Yes, the coop is 25 sq ft and I only have 3 chickens in it including her. It functioned well this past winter, with the addition of some pcv roof panels over the mesh and can hold 3-5 more. I may also be building a full coop in September.

Yes, I can find somewhere to take the males locally.

She's only sitting on the nest right now in the morning when she's laying and then for an hour or two longer. Sometime around midday or later she comes out and forages and goes to bed in the coop with the other two. I was figuring that once she's got a clutch built up she would start staying on the nest full time...? I added an egg from my other hen today and may add a couple more.

Great idea about dusting her!! I hadn't thought of that.
Thanks!

 

[aart]

I was figuring that once she's got a clutch built up she would start staying on the nest full time...?

She might....or she might not really be broody at all but just laying in a new spot since the addition of a new birds(the male).
I have several birds that spend time before and after laying just 'lounging' in the nest,
they are not broody at all.
I'd keep fake eggs in the nest to simulate a clutch rather than potentially waste eggs if she doesn't end up setting.

 

[BW56]

So gave one sister the eggs that didn't hatch yet for a few days to see if there are any late bloomers. Her sister is raising the hatched chick. A third OLD hen is even helping to raise this one lone chick. Might get it some little buddies if none of the rest hatch.

 

[Susanna329]

I have several birds that spend time before and after laying just 'lounging' in the nest,
they are not broody at all.

I think you may be right, aart. I put an extra egg into her nest yesterday and she started laying in a spot about a foot away, still under the bench. She was in there all afternoon, but I think she is "lounging" as you say. I don't think she is broody after all.

 

[aart]

I don't think she is broody after all.

Key for me the first couple years was when they spent most the day and all night in the nest for 3 days running, then I'd call 'broody'. I can now actually tell sooner than that, other behaviors and 2 nights in nest.

 

[Susanna329]

OK, this little hen is really keeping me guessing!
We cleaned the goat shed this morning and when I saw that she'd laid the last egg in a new spot away from the first 3, I went ahead and collected the eggs and moved the hay from under the bench. When she went in there to lay this afternoon, she came out squawking like she was being attacked! She was SO upset about the nest. So I put a bunch of fresh hay under the bench.

She stayed there from 4 pm to 9 pm and then we finally had to put the goats to bed with her in the shed. I've got the eggs I collected this morning put aside at room temp just in case she stays in there again the next couple of nights and I'm certain she's going to set.

I've noticed she's a bit spaced out and not quite hanging with her sister in the usual way. What are the behaviors you look for aart, that confirm broodiness?