Broody Hen Thread!

[chicken farmer]

Last year my least friendly hen went broody. I thought we were going to have rodeo on my hands, but luckly she would only cluck when I would lift her up to get eggs. She would hide eggs under her wings so I couldn't have them. This went on several weeks so I put some ferterlized eggs under her and she hatched four chicks. Now she is my nicest hen. This year she has made up her mind to raise babies again and this has been going on for a couple weeks, so I gave in and ordered some eggs. So we will see how it turns out.

Pick of Red with her baby Uno

Beautiful picture,is momma hen a rhode island hen??

 

[chicken farmer]

Beautiful picture,is momma hen a rhode island hen??

rhode island red

 

[Aaron118]

I set vorwerk eggs threeweeks ago yesterday, one chick hatched on day 20 and another on day 21, its now day 22 and there are 7 more eggs and they havent piped or even shaking. What should i do?
Their under a broody hen.
Should i let the two chicks and the hen out for some food then put them back into the nestbox??

 

[chicken farmer]

I set vorwerk eggs threeweeks ago yesterday, one chick hatched on day 20 and another on day 21, its now day 22 and there are 7 more eggs and they havent piped or even shaking. What should i do?
Their under a broody hen.
Should i let the two chicks and the hen out for some food then put them back into the nestbox??

I would leave the door open and let the momma and chicks go as they please and the hen should head back to sit.....or if you had a incubator that might be better

 

[Island Roo]

I'm incubating 40 eggs and so far I have one broody hen that I will give some eggs to.

If I don't get more broodies to take eggs, is there a way I can get the one hen to raise the chicks from the incubator as well as the ones that she hatches? It might be 30 chicks.

I'm not sure how it would work out if I sneak another 20 chicks under her one night.

They will be in an area that is separated from the rest of the flock by fencing so she won't have to defend from other chickens.

 

[Spud Chicken]

She is a Rhode Island Red about three years old.

 

[loverofbirds14]

I have a broody speckled Sussex. She is sitting on eggs that are not fertile since I don't have a rooster, but we are hatching eggs in an incubator. Would it be OK to slip a chick or two under her one night or will she kill them?

 

[ashes]

hello everyone, I have been having broody hen issues.. my buff orp wants to be a mama so bad and this is her third time trying to be. I let her try last year and she gave up after a couple weeks. Now she's trying again but won't stick to just one box. everyday she switches to someone else's fresh eggs instead of sitting on her own. What should I do with her. I was thinking of putting her by herself in a small enclosure and giving her no other options but her own eggs? would that solve my problem or would she just give up those eggs for nothing? has anyone else had any problems like this? she doesn't really seem to get how it's done. Thanks everyone in advance

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

I have a broody speckled Sussex. She is sitting on eggs that are not fertile since I don't have a rooster, but we are hatching eggs in an incubator. Would it be OK to slip a chick or two under her one night or will she kill them?

Yes, you can do it in the day but you can get more luck at night. A LF hen can take 30-ish chicks and raise them fine if they don't have to defend or keep them warm in cold temperatures.

Ashes - very common if there's multiple boxes. If you can seperate a corner or a different area with one big box that she could be locked in or just a single box would keep her. Don't make the area huge or she might have trouble finding her nest, a large dog box would be good. You can move her in the day, a lot of hens who will move around dont mind being moved in the day, but I'm finding with my Serema hen she's very adiment about where her nest is (refuses to move nests)

 

[chickydee64]

This pic is just for fun...........her hatch from last spring . She refused to leave the bag of pine chips and hatched the babies there.........
Last fall we lost her....or thought we did but sure enough she presented us with 18 babies after disappearing for three weeks....
Thought the coyotes had gotten her. I was so tickled when she walked in the barn with all those chicks.
This year showed no interest...until my English Orp started setting.....1st. time for her. After a full week of setting, this girl took over her nest.......
The young hen just rejoined the flock........
There is nothing to top adventures with a broody.