Broody Hen Thread!

[PineTopFarm]

Ad
adorable what breeds?

The hen is a Dark Cornish but she had eggs from several different breeds.

 

[CaCO3]

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?

Give it a try but watch her behavior. Do it soon before the chicks get any older. I have been able to mix in staggered hatches but never past a week or two. Every hen is different, but id still give it a shot. Just put the chick underneath her and see what happens, but be on standby to pull it out if she starts pecking it (not tucking it underneath her- but outright pecking and chasing it off). If you can get the chicks raised together will make life much easier.

I'm dealing with some in-betweeners that I can't put in the main coop but can't put with my broodies and older chicks because I waited too long to integrate. So they wander the yard together. At least they have each other but I am always watching them to make sure they know when to hide from hawks, etc.

 

[Checkers1558]

hey one of my bufforpingtons is broody to . if your hens is ever broody take her away from the other hens. then put her in a cage with a hard bottom.( this encourages the chicken to not sit on the egg.) GOOD LUCK !!!!!!!!!!!! ALSO . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

[20736]

OK, riddle me this: how often does a broody hen go broody? The reason I ask is, after hatching out chicks this early Spring (march 6-8), one of my Banty hens went broody again over the weekend?She is perfectly content sitting on a small clutch, so I moved her last night to a broody box.Any experience with this phenomena?

 

[Jharper]

OK, riddle me this: how often does a broody hen go broody? The reason I ask is, after hatching out chicks this early Spring (march 6-8), one of my Banty hens went broody again over the weekend?She is perfectly content sitting on a small clutch, so I moved her last night to a broody box.Any experience with this phenomena?

 

It depends on how much of the broody hormone she carries.

 

[1HotChickenMama]

...

OK, riddle me this: how often does a broody hen go broody? The reason I ask is, ai jufter hatching out chicks this early Spring (march 6-8), one of my Banty hens went broody again over the weekend?She is perfectly content sitting on a small clutch, so I moved her last night to a broody box.Any experience with this phenomena?

 
[/quote
I just had the same thing happen with my BO. She's always going broody but this is the first tiime its been this close. She weaned her chicks off and laid for....maybe2weeks but then right back to it again She's a sweetie so I'm letting her hatch some more. =)

 

[Checkers1558]

i have had 2 experiences with this . But i dont have roosters so i dont know , but here is what i would do :


if you want to have chicks let the eggs hatch
after the eggs hatch and your hen is still broody do this :
put your hen in a cage WITH A HARD BOTTOM
this will encourage the hen to stop sitting on her egg(s)
keep her in there for about 3 - 4 days
after 3-4 days your hen should be cured.
if not i don't know what else to do.
GOOD LUCK



ALSO . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

[mushu]

YAY my thai gamefowl hatched her baby chicks today. One died in the egg and the other hatched but was pushed in a far corner so most probably couldn't get any warmth and died.. it was still wet Will post up pictures tomorrow, they are sooo adorable.

Its currently winter in Australia and the temps have been falling to about 5 degrees celcius so tonight we had to move her inside their little 'hut' because she wouldn't do it herself. No way would they survive till the next morning (or maybe they would? we weren't taking chances lol). In anycase, she is one ruthless broody - mistook two of her babies for my hand and pecked them really hard off the ground, poor chicks. Do you think they will be okay? My heart literally skipped a beat because they are so tiny and delicate.

 

[AlezaJ]

My black australorps eggs started hatching yesterday. I went in there about 5 pm and lifted her off the nest to see if there were any pips and there was a dry chick and 2 partially hatched, 1 of which was already dead. There are now 5 hatched and dry and 1 working on hatching that I could see. She stood up while I was looking at her. I'm not picking her up to look. Out of 17 eggs when they started hatching, 7 have at least tried hatching so 10 left!!! yay!!!

 

[heninthehouse]

My Buff Orpington has FINALLY decided to go broody this year!!!! YAY She is 2 and hatched out a clutch last spring. It's been soooo cold here in MN, guess her instinct took a while longer to kick into gear. Well, It just so happens my Black Laced Wy. (also 2) went broody too (first time)!!!! I guess watching Goldie, has triggered her to want some chicks too

They were switching eggs back and forth, so I have separated them into their own little area of the coop, and there are 8 eggs under Goldie, and 3 under Cookies Hatch date is July 13th Buff Orpington and Gold Laced Cochins are what they are sitting on!!!