Broody Hen Thread!

[howfunkyisurchicken]

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?

I would go for it! My turkeys have hatched chicken eggs and my chickens have hatched quail eggs, so I don't see why it can't be done. She should do fine as long as she's gentle with them. Make sure to leave room in the nest for her to get in and out without stepping on the eggs. Good luck!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

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..

I think I would try her out with 3 or 4 standard eggs. Maybe 5 if she's not super tiny. My Silkies are able to cover 6, but I think they're a little bigger bodied than a D'uccle. Good luck!

 

[CaCO3]

That appears to be cast iron-- I wish mine was a white one. This house is old and I have a lovely PINK cast iron tub. I worked around it, but certainly limited my choices for a color when retiling the floor.

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

 

[CaCO3]

I don't show but silkies are popular show birds- I've seen them at all shows I've attended. Mine are decent layers x3 per week but are under 1.5 years. Their eggs are little though. Smaller than pullet eggs but you just have to use more when eating them, or have a petite omelette

Random qeustion are Silkies a Good breed for laying/showing

They make fantastic broodies and moms, and are so goofy that its worth keeping one or two for that alone.

 

[PineTopFarm]

My first broody hen. She hatched 5 of 7 eggs.

 

[Tabasco Jack]

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

Second question first. Yes, the broody hens will quite laying once they are satisfied with the number of eggs they have. Some of the other hens may quit or slow down also. Sympathy pains I reckon.

If you plan on having the hen(s) hatch eggs, then yes, move them. If you don't they'll end up breaking the eggs. I would separate them. Should one hens eggs hatch before the other, one of them may attack the chicks. Some people do fine keeping broodies together, but mine never cooperate like that.

Good luck with it.

 

[scriptkiddieJR]

Ad

My first broody hen. She hatched 5 of 7 eggs.

adorable what breeds?

 

[Madpolak]

having not been super successul at my first attempts at hatching, I have two chicks that are a week apart. One under the broody, one in the bator. The one from the bator is a week old now and the other two weeks. I moved the brooding box I have the younger one in next to the brooding pen because she seemed pretty lonely and I thought that would help. The broody seems very interesested in the little one and I am wondering if it is safe to add her in with the other chick. These are the only two out of 11 and my wife will kill me if the broody kills the little one. Is it safe to try this? I have been told to do it at night when the hen settles in. Any opinions on this?

 

[AlezaJ]

If she seems like she wants to mother the little one, I say go for it. I don't personally have experience with this but ive read posts of hens that will take any and all babies. And some that wont.

 

[RideRed93]

My broody hen is sitting on pheasant eggs right now and are due to hatch next week.. I was told not to put pheasants in with chickens because they carry diseases so now Idk what to do about the eggs she's sitting on. Do I let her hatch them out and take care of them or do I take them right after they are born and put them in the brooder? I've read articles on pheasants but nothing seems to answer my question.. Also she's in a raised nesting box will the babies fall out? if I leave her out with the chickens (in her own area of course) will the babies be fine? and if I move the mom and eggs will she continue to sit on the eggs? First time with a broody - if you couldn't tell already