Broody Hen Thread!

[Cynthia12]

i have some broodies in my coop that are making me nuts... every day i go and remove what is under them sometimes there is nothing at all. I open all the coop sides so they are no
longer in a dark hidey hole.. yet they won't stop! it's been like this for weeks now.. I lift them up daily to see if there are any eggs under there and i have noticed that they are getting thin!
will they just sit there until they die of starvation???

Here's a great site that describes how she stops her broodies.
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/search/label/broodiness

 

[memechick]

Hi Everyone ........ my broody hatched out 5 chicks. Tulip is a Black Cochin who hatched out 3 EE's and 2 Black Copper Marans. We don't have a rooster so when Tulip went broody I purchased some hatching eggs for her. She's a great mom! But my question is when can I find homes for the chicks? When is it safe to take them from mama hen? They are three weeks old and are very active. I don't want to overcrowd my coop and the small area that I have penned off for them is not going to be enough soon. The older hens have already tried pecking at them.

 

[Cynthia12]

Congrats meme..I am so excited about my mama hen. You could go ahead and start selling them now. Just leave her with a couple so she can be happy a little while longer. Here is my girl she has 7 chicks. A Bantam Favorelle.

I lifted her up, and all 7 popped out. She started to cluck at them, telling them to get
back in here. lol..


Can you see the little one peeking out in the picture below? Can ya tell I'm loving this?
Haven't had a broody in years.

 

[GAFarmGirl87]

Here's a great site that describes how she stops her broodies.
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/search/label/broodiness

Excellent site! I've got to build me a broody-breaker for sure!

 

[GAFarmGirl87]

Congrats meme..I am so excited about my mama hen. You could go ahead and start selling them now. Just leave her with a couple so she can be happy a little while longer. Here is my girl she has 7 chicks. A Bantam Favorelle.

I lifted her up, and all 7 popped out. She started to cluck at them, telling them to get
back in here. lol..


Can you see the little one peeking out in the picture below? Can ya tell I'm loving this?
Haven't had a broody in years.

ADORABLE!! Love the pics-thanks for sharing!

 

[Jharper]

My hens buff silkies eggs are due next Saturday!!!!

 

[zippy722]

This thread has been so helpful. Thanks. I'm dealing with my first broody hen, an austrolorp. No roo here so I got some fertile ones from a friend and put them in a bucket on its side with shavings. It's close to the other nest boxes, and in the roost area. She starting sitting on them within 30 mins. My problem is this- The last two days she has had egg envy and I've found her on eggs from other hens in the nest boxes. I'm trying to collect the eggs frequently, but wondering what else I should do? The 3 nest boxes are stacked on each other, and one thought I had is to block the bottom nest box, which is on the same level as her clutch. Any other ideas? Thanks.

 

[zippy722]

This thread has been so helpful. Thanks. I'm dealing with my first broody hen, an austrolorp. No roo here so I got some fertile ones from a friend and put them in a bucket on its side with shavings. It's close to the other nest boxes, and in the roost area. She starting sitting on them within 30 mins. My problem is this- The last two days she has had egg envy and I've found her on eggs from other hens in the nest boxes. I'm trying to collect the eggs frequently, but wondering what else I should do? The 3 nest boxes are stacked on each other, and one thought I had is to block the bottom nest box, which is on the same level as her clutch. Any other ideas? Thanks.

And just a bit more specifics, she's been sitting on the eggs for a total of 5 days now, with egg envy for the last 2. I don't know how long she was off the eggs when I found her and moved her back to her own nest. Thanks again.

 

[Jharper]

And just a bit more specifics, she's been sitting on the eggs for a total of 5 days now, with egg envy for the last 2.  I don't know how long she was off the eggs when I found her and moved her back to her own nest.  Thanks again.

You should quarantine her by herself on the eggs in a little kennel or cat carrier.

 

[zippy722]

You should quarantine her by herself on the eggs in a little kennel or cat carrier.

Thanks Jharper for the suggestion. If I do this, how often should I let her out to feed and do her business? once a day? more often/less often? I've read they'll stay on their eggs for up to a couple of days before taking a break