Broody Hen Thread!

[new chick 203]

Quote:
congrats!

 

[debilorrah]

I have never had more than one broody at once. My three keep changing nests with each other, like a round robin. That mean butt cochin is always in the back though. Thank GOD! My turken only pecks me lightly, the cochin, CHarmin, BITES!!! And twists. Meany.

 

[fatbassetvineyards]

I have three broodies in two nests right next to each other. My daughter took down the board trying to get one out and now it is just one big next box with two nests and three hens. They are due on Monday (I think). It all started when we left on spring break. I guess we will see.....

 

[debilorrah]

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I have NO CLUE when mine are due. You are one ahead of me.

 

[emjay]

finally got to see the chicks under broody #2.
6 little ones,
one dead one
and 6 unhatched.

I tried to remove the dead one tonite, a big no no, mama got super bad, pecked a baby, stomped around. I calmly removed myself, I will retrieve the baby tomorrow. I was scared she was going to trample to death a live baby.
She was quite ticked at me.
Super happy, I got me a blue baby. It's a keeper, no matter the sex, yay.

 

[Jocasta]

I've just looked under my broody and she's successfully hatched a baby. It's a barnyard mix, but looks exactly like the female cream legbar that was hatched last year - I know that's no indication as to what it'll look like, just describing it as I couldn't get a picture. I was lucky to see the chick with my fingers in tact!!! I opened the coop to give her some treats and noticed shell so I tried moving her to make sure she hadn't eaten the hatchling (happened with my broody last year, well, I'm assuming it did as an entire egg disappeared overnight!). Just caught a glimpse but mama was NOT happy!

Anyone else have trouble with their mama birds?

 

[Singlemaple]

So i have a broody hen who was laying on 7 eggs and about 14 days in one of the eggs broke ( i think it was porous cause i was curious to why it broke so i put it on a flashlight and it looked like it was, i have read that prous eggs brake esilay) anyway so then she was laying on six the one that broke had a good sized chick in it with feathers feet beak and everything. well i went out side yesterday and the coop just spelled awful the rooster had broken an egg open and it was rotton so much so it was green goo inside so i candled the eggs and you couldnt see anything in them no air gap nothing and they all smelled awful so my dad told me to crack them open see what happened inside cause he said it would be good for me to learn stuff and what not well it ended up they where all rotten and when i was carrying them inside one fell on my foot it was soooo nasty and green goopy stuff

and now my hen is back in the box ( cleaned cause that was just nasty ) and she is trying to find the eggs and everything what should i do? she was ticked i took the eggs she screamed so much the rooster came over from a good 500 feet away and a full run. what should i do about her its been an entire day since this happened and she has yet to leave the coop let alone the box.

 

[sgtmom52]

Quote:
congrats!

Thanks! They now have at least 3 chicks.

I have to go away this morning, hopefully there will be more this afternoon! They are really being good sharing the babies & nest so far ~ I'm not sure what is going to happen once they leave the nest.

 

[new chick 203]

Wow, it sounds like everyone is hatching! Very cool. Congrats everyone.

My broody is a little crabby (and I have noticed a couple of the girls with broken tail feathers courtesy of my little mama to be), but I guess I should consider myself lucky that she is sweet to me. I've never been bitten. I hope she is this nice when they are born. I'm still torn about what to do when they are hatched. to take them or leave them to her. any advise is helpful.

 

[Jocasta]

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Is there anywhere near you that you could buy a couple of day old chicks for her? I'd be wary of letting her set again as hens can die through malnutrition during a normal incubation period, another three weeks would likely finish her off. The kindest thing would be to give her some babies, although I've heard that ice in the nest can help revert broody behaviour (never worked with mine though). Poor mama bird