Broody Hen Thread!

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Emcrowston said:
My chicks are just over a week old, and the weakest was dead in the box this morning when I went to let them out, and at lunchtime my face was dead, I think mom squashed it. Four left with her now, but they are the strongest so I am hoping they will be ok. Love reading and learning. I should be getting an incubator tomorrow so I am going to try that. I know that mom does best, but I will have to test it! Haha
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I don't know if she's getting broody or not, but my BO Miss Betty has been hanging out in the nesting box for two days but hasn't laid an egg. She's not being mean or making any noises, just laying in there.

Yesterday another chicken laid an egg so she moved to that box and starting laying on it. I reached under her and got it, moved it to the other nest (I'm trying to train my Marans to use the nest box) when Miss Betty got up and moved to the box with the egg. Ugh. Is this being broody?
 
ibreathe4u said:
I don't know if she's getting broody or not, but my BO Miss Betty has been hanging out in the nesting box for two days but hasn't laid an egg.  She's not being mean or making any noises, just laying in there.  

Yesterday another chicken laid an egg so she moved to that box and starting laying on it.  I reached under her and got it, moved it to the other nest (I'm trying to train my Marans to use the nest box) when Miss Betty got up and moved to the box with the egg.  Ugh.  Is this being broody?
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If she's not roosting at night and has stopped laying, most likely she's broody. If she's sitting on anything that doesn't move, including air, and attempting to hatch it, most likely she's broody. But the most reliable test of all is to reach into the nest where she is sitting and pretend to take away her eggs. If she puffs up and pecks the snot out of you and/or screeches like a screech owl, she's definitely broody.

Oh and those Marans...if they are anything like my Bunny, as soon as they are able to, they will go broody!
 
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PineTopFarm said:
Yes, that's one of three cockerels in the brood. One of the pullets has feathered legs so she must from my Marans hen.
This has been a good first time momma. My second broody is due to hatch her eggs on Friday.
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I said that about it being a cockerel because it seems every time I've caught a chick hanging out on top of a broody hen, it's turned out to be a cockerel! Lol.
 
I found my broodies had switched nest boxes yesterday. I wonder why? I quickly candled some eggs when broody #3 got off the nest. I knew I had 10 fertile eggs on day 4, now I have 4 more! Yay 14/18 so far! It's day 8 today for the Malines bunch. Day 14 for the BLRW bunch. One more week for chickies!
 

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