Broody Hen Thread!

[hogster160]

I think I'll do that, I can fence part of their yard off, just mama and the babies. It will give them much more room, and get them all used to each other at the same time. Thanks so much! But first I have to finish canning my tomatoes, then the apples. So probably tomorrow at the earliest. Heck maybe even Wednesday.

Thanks again!

Deb

 

[Dawneebird]

THANK YOU SO MUCH Lady of McCamley!!! I think my girls r broody but may be getting ready to molt. I noticed today that all four have missing feathers on their rears. I am also going to start your natural method for worms and see how things go. I know the ACV is good for them. I am going to check them for parasites and treat if need be now that I know what to look for thanks to you! Guess I won t be showing any at the fair next month lol. I cannot tell you how thankful I am that you took time to give me your
advice. You r Great!!

 

[MLWoods]

If I put eggs under a broody at night, do I count 21 days from the next morning? Stupid, I know...

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Im
Quote:
Six Chickies
It is always worth the try as each situation is so unique. You know your birds and situation best.

EDITED: for clarification....I noticed that immediate acceptance by mom doesn't necessarily equate to long term bonding or a thriving situation. That was my mistake. I always put the foster chicks under momma who accepted them and I thought all was well and my job done. But some fosters remained hesitant to go to mom...you put them under, but the little stinkers will crawl out, or mom stands up, and then they don't know to go back or don't read the hen's signs to crawl under, and they get frustrated and confused. They will stand and shiver, or lay next to her but not under her, or huddle in a corner as they get bumped out by the older more boisterous hatchlings.

Sustained stress will cause failure to thrive and even death in very young chicks. (That I learned the hard way).

Sounds like you've got a sweet broody and are on top of the situation.
Good luck. Let us know how it went

Lady of McCamley

 

[alibaba]

when my hen go broody?? plz help me, my any hen never ever go broody. i've 5 ISA brown hens and all are laying regulary 5 to 6 eggs weekly. my friend told me you should buy an asil hen. so i bought asil hen and she start laying.today she laid her 6th egg in 10 days. so plz tell me plzzzzzzzzzzz thx in advance. pictures attached

 

[Lady of McCamley]

If I put eggs under a broody at night, do I count 21 days from the next morning? Stupid, I know...

I count 21 days from the day (or night) that I put them under the hen providing she is seriously broody.

Then I watch from day 20 to day 22...and sometimes further.

Candling is recommended at day 5 and 10 and pulling any eggs that are clearly not fertile (they'll go bad and could explode on the hatching chicks by day 21).
Lady of McCamley

EDITED TO ADD: And not stupid...the only stupid question is the one not asked.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

THANK YOU SO MUCH Lady of McCamley!!! I think my girls r broody but may be getting ready to molt. I noticed today that all four have missing feathers on their rears. I am also going to start your natural method for worms and see how things go. I know the ACV is good for them. I am going to check them for parasites and treat if need be now that I know what to look for thanks to you! Guess I won t be showing any at the fair next month lol. I cannot tell you how thankful I am that you took time to give me your
advice. You r Great!!

I'm glad that helped.

One word of caution on the herbals, Molly's Herbals warns (and I think rightly so) that while wormwood is effective, it is also strong and can cause nerve toxicity. Molly's Herbals recommends using her brand every 6 to 8 weeks due for that reason.

Due to cost (with almost 20 layers now), I use my homegrown herbal of ground raw pumpkin seeds adding cayenne (until rusty colored) and garlic (until garlic smelling) about every 2 to 3 weeks (depending on my time), then do Molly's every 6 weeks, then do Rooster Booster every 3 to 4 months (for a week).

I have an average hen age of 1 to 1 1/2 years (first laying year), with some older, some younger....thus far I've kept worms at bay and not had reason to go to the stronger stuff (but I also rotate out my older layers).

Keep your bedding fresh, and deep cleaning/changing run material a couple of times a year, goes a long way to.

Lady of McCamley

 

[Lady of McCamley]

when my hen go broody?? plz help me, my any hen never ever go broody. i've 5 ISA brown hens and all are laying regulary 5 to 6 eggs weekly. my friend told me you should buy an asil hen. so i bought asil hen and she start laying.today she laid her 6th egg in 10 days. so plz tell me plzzzzzzzzzzz thx in advance. pictures attached

It all depends on the genetics of the hen....commercial hybrids and breeds have overall had the broodiness selected out as brooding hens do not lay and thus do not make a profit for commercial egg growers.

However, I've had 2 of my 3 Black Stars become good brooders, and I know other's have had Gold Stars/Red Stars (ie ISA Browns) go broody...so it can happen.

The more heritage type breeds, like Silkies, Cochins, and game birds, are truer to the wild state and will generally go broodier more often as those genes have not been selected out (generally).

I'm not familiar with Asils, so I don't know if they are known to be broodier....but I'm reading that is probably why your friends recommended that breed???

No matter the breed, it will still boil down to the specific hen and her genes and makeup. Some Silkies never go broody, some silkies are always brooding. (My Silkie will brood at the drop of a hat). One poster on this thread had a Production White Leghorn go broody (and that hardly EVER happens).

Just watch and wait. Keep them well fed and watered. Provide good secure nest boxes. Leave fake eggs in a nest to help lure the hen with broody instincts to sit.

Hormones are needed to kick in the brooding instinct...and genetics determine that and usually the season of year (June being the "high season"...although my Silkie will brood every 3 months like clockwork)...but it is also the number of eggs pressing on the breast bone (there is a pressure point spot there) that helps to release the hormones, as well as warmer hen temperature.

Good Luck
Lady of McCamley

 

[Roxie479]

My silkie hen has decided to go broody again. I'm fine with that, except, I worry. Is it hard on them to sit so much? She has only hatched 3 chicks so far. They hatched on the August 2nd. So it has been a litte over 6 weeks. It seem like she lost some weight and she has just (in the last couple of weeks) seemed to have recouped. She is bound and determined to sit. Should I place some eggs under her? I have about 2 dozen in the incubator. Can I relocate a few of them under her after they have been in there? Thanks

 

[Lady of McCamley]

My silkie hen has decided to go broody again. I'm fine with that, except, I worry. Is it hard on them to sit so much? She has only hatched 3 chicks so far. They hatched on the August 2nd. So it has been a litte over 6 weeks. It seem like she lost some weight and she has just (in the last couple of weeks) seemed to have recouped. She is bound and determined to sit. Should I place some eggs under her? I have about 2 dozen in the incubator. Can I relocate a few of them under her after they have been in there? Thanks

My Silkie goes broody about every 2 to 3 months...enough time to hatch a batch, raise them to about 12 weeks of age, then start all over again.

It is a lot of brooding...but Silkies are known for that which makes them such a wonderful choice for natural brooding.

It can be wearing on the body (although they don't lay so they are not having to generate energy for eggs). As it is hard to convince them not to brood, and if you want to use them to brood on a regular basis (seasonal or otherwise), I personally think it is counterproductive to try to discourage them.

I like to put electrolytes and vitamins in their water and make sure their feed is high protein (but lower calcium). I use the chick grower or flock raiser for them.

As to eggs from incubator, I read an article where this one guy did that all the time...used his broody to do 2/3 of the work...he would start eggs in the incubator and let his broody finish them. With his time schedule he could get 2 batches of chicks out of one brood swapping back and forth between broody and incubator. I've not personally tried it, but it worked fine for him and I see no reason why it shouldn't work for you as long as the eggs go straight from incubator to broody.

I'd put them in at night so that I would be assured she was in a resting mood.

Good Luck
Lady of McCamley