Broody Hen Thread!

[FarmerBoy24]

Quote:
Silkies are a FOR SURE!

 

[dragontamer56]

i've read the entire post adn i wish that my hens would go broody. One of them tricks me and will sit on eggs for a couple hours then get off and sit somewhere else. I was wondering if anyone had any tips on getting a hen broody. I've tried golf balls and actual eggs. Thanks.

 

[FarmerBoy24]

Quote:
I heard that if you have baby chicks around them that will encourage them to go broody.

 

[Theeggboxtoo]

My favorite chicken just went broody

she has 4 LF eggs under her

This one hatched and raised 7 LF chicks

I love broodies

 

[FarmerBoy24]

Quote:
x2

 

[Zaxby's2]

Quote:
It helps to have breeds like silkies, cochins, orpingtons, games, or any dual purpose bird(besides the games). I had the same problem with wanting to encourage my hens to go broody. First I tried putting golf balls in the nests, but when that failed I switched to real eggs. I didn't want to leave them out there too long though, so after a lot of thought I grabbed 14 Easter eggs, painted them light brown, and put them in the most popular nest. I had expected them to go right at it, so after a few days I gave up on the idea of having a broody hen. Then, after a week had passed, my BO hen surprised me by going broody. She is now happily sitting on six eggs.

The main point is that if you leave eggs, it might take a while, so be patient. Hope this helps. Good luck!

Oh, and

 

[new chick 203]

We're Pipping!

:cd:cd:cd:cd:cd:cd

 

[Zaxby's2]

Quote:

Yay!

 

[NHchicks]

I've found that my hens are more likely to go broody when they have like 12 eggs accumulated. I have 2 broody hens right now (a RIR and an easter egger) out of 8 hens in all, and I had to buy fertilized eggs for them because my rooster died this spring. I really don't want more chicks because of space issues, but I can't bear to see a broody be brokenhearted. I'll most likely give them away after mom kicks them away.

Unless, of course, they're really really cute. I don't have any Dominiques and there are 5 dominique eggs so I probably have to keep a hen from that batch. And then I have 6 buff orp/RIR eggs under the other broody, if there is a handsome rooster from that mix I may have to keep him... So okay, that makes 2 I might keep... But really no other ones.

Unless...

 

[NHchicks]

Okay, so one other story, I'm afraid of my broodies. One of them has had chicks before, and I know what to expect. The picture up there says: I Will Kill You and it's hysterical because it's true. I had my mama hen with her clutch of chicks living in the tarped dog crate as a nursery, and I could not even open the dog crate door in the morning to let them out without her attacking me. My 10 yr. old volunteered to do it once or twice and ended up with bruises. So I attached a LONG string to the dog crate door. I would unlock the dog crate in the mornings, stand about 20 feet from the door, pull the string, and RUN because she would chase me anyway, even from that distance.

I am NOT looking forward to being scared to death every morning.