Broody Hen Thread!

[Madpolak]

I have one last chick from the bator that is about 8 days behind one that is with a broody, about 4 days old. Would it be ok to put the young one with the broody at some point or am I asking for trouble? Also, when do I split the chicks from the broody and put her back with the other adult chickens? Thanks!!

 

[barefootfarmer]

I have a newly broody blue cochin bantam. She has a "whopping" clutch of 5 eggs beneath her. She began sitting June 14, so we are expecting the hatch date to be very close to Independence Day. We have her in an old bathtub on our screened in porch with plenty of bedding. We took her nest box with her in the move from the coop so she seems pretty comfortable. My only concern is that she is barely drinking. When I put crumbles into the corner of her nest box right where she sits, she eats them, but it is a true task to get her to drink...Any ideas?

 

[The Bantam Guy]

I have a broody who hardly eats/drinks i get them out of the coop and put her outside of the coop ive got a eglu go exstend 3m run with a closble door so im alright i can just shut the door after 30 mins outside i let her go back inside (non-fertile eggs) ive got 6 EE eggs in the incubator when they crack im putting them under her (i wana have a got ratio)

you how ever dont have a door of any kind i would force feed her water get a turkey baster (or a medicine syrige im english) and when she pecks it squirt peck squirt ect

 

[jammyjammy2112]

Madpolax i dont no about putting the chick with the mother i say it would be ok it depends on the hen and about separating the mother from the babys i never do it my chicks are 2 months old i put them into the adult flock 2 days ago they sleep on the perc nw there mother is a silkie and i have left the chicks free range with the adult flock since they were born but they go into a seperate coop when free ranging is over but if u want to seperarate them do it anywhere between 6 to 8 weeks

 

[Tabasco Jack]

I have a newly broody blue cochin bantam. She has a "whopping" clutch of 5 eggs beneath her. She began sitting June 14, so we are expecting the hatch date to be very close to Independence Day. We have her in an old bathtub on our screened in porch with plenty of bedding. We took her nest box with her in the move from the coop so she seems pretty comfortable. My only concern is that she is barely drinking. When I put crumbles into the corner of her nest box right where she sits, she eats them, but it is a true task to get her to drink...Any ideas?

I use shallow coffee cups for feed and water when they're brooding. The cups sit near the nest but a few times a day I stick the cup up in her face to get her to eat and drink.

 

[kukupecpec]

I was wondering - has anyone ever given serama eggs to a very large (full sized) chicken to hatch? I was wondering if it worked?
My BLRW has been broody for a few weeks - the first week she was concentrating on getting her technique down while practicing on invisible eggs- and she has had 7 under her for almost two weeks but only one is developing. I don't think it's her, I'm not really sure if the eggs were all fertile or not, I just gave her a handful and hoped she'd get something. But I KNOW all my serama eggs are fertile and I have about 2 dozen piled up on my counter lol. Do you guys think I could give a bunch to her?

 

[CaCO3]

Awesome broody coop!

I have a newly broody blue cochin bantam. She has a "whopping" clutch of 5 eggs beneath her. She began sitting June 14, so we are expecting the hatch date to be very close to Independence Day. We have her in an old bathtub on our screened in porch with plenty of bedding. We took her nest box with her in the move from the coop so she seems pretty comfortable. My only concern is that she is barely drinking. When I put crumbles into the corner of her nest box right where she sits, she eats them, but it is a true task to get her to drink...Any ideas?

 

[barefootfarmer]

Thanks. We have a pile of old tubs laying around and I figured I would put one to use!

 

[no empty nest]

I have a question I have a broody hen that has been sitting for 4 days i noticed yesterday that another hen had joined her in the nesting box at first I thought she was just laying her egg in there but now she has taken up residency . The nesting box is molded plastic and can no way accommodate 2 girls.
What should i do to accommodate both hens?? Should i move both to nest in a different location( dog crates) Hen #2 is practically living on her. My second question is it normal for all egg laying to stop

 

[Rena]

Can I ask a question too?

I have a tiny d'Uccle hen who has gone broody. I guess she has been sneaking out of her pen each day for awhile now.. when she didn't come in I searched and found her in an overturned old wagon on 15 of her eggs

I know that none of my d'Uccle eggs are fertile. I do have fertile eggs so I thought I would give her some- but none of them are bantam sized. Do you think she could hatch standard sized eggs or is this breed just too small? How many would you recommend putting her on? It's a joke watching her try to cover the 15 bantam eggs, they're spilling out in every direction even with her all puffed up.

Thanks for any advice..