Broody Hen Thread!

[youngchooklover]

I have a sussex siting on 12 eggs and they should hatch in 6 days.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I have a sussex siting on 12 eggs and they should hatch in 6 days.

Good luck and happy hatching!

Post photos when the blessed day arrives.
Lady of McCamley

 

[Emcrowston]

Hi. It's a w hike since i have been on here, but here is an update...... I have 2Appenzeller check, now 4 weeks Los and doing very well with mummy hen who is a first time broodie (a white star). I have hatched 5 Chinese painted quail in the incubator, 3 are doing very well, now two weeks old, I lost 2 when we hada power cut when they were only 12 hours old. I now have another broodie (a speck lady, 2nd time broodie) with 6 RIR eggs and a further 12 RIR in the incubator along with 8 green legged partridge fowl and 6 leghorn x Araucana. The have only been set for 3 days. It's, true, I am addicted to baby chicks.

 

[Emcrowston]

Oh, and I am in Derbyshire, uk. It's very wet here at the mo and getting cold.

 

[cestial225]

I think my six month old silky pullet might be broody. She has not left the nest all day today and she was mad at me when I moved her to collect the egg under her. All my hens are sharing a nest right now and since she would not move one just laid on the floor of the run! I am contemplating letting her hatch out some eggs if she really wants to sit but do you all think that would be a bad idea considering winter is upon us and it is starting to get cold out especially at night? I would not want to take the chicks away from her if she was able to hatch any. How many full sized eggs do you think I could put under her? She is pretty small.

TIA

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I think my six month old silky pullet might be broody. She has not left the nest all day today and she was mad at me when I moved her to collect the egg under her. All my hens are sharing a nest right now and since she would not move one just laid on the floor of the run! I am contemplating letting her hatch out some eggs if she really wants to sit but do you all think that would be a bad idea considering winter is upon us and it is starting to get cold out especially at night? I would not want to take the chicks away from her if she was able to hatch any. How many full sized eggs do you think I could put under her? She is pretty small.

TIA

If she is still laying she is not in a full brood yet...just seriously contemplating it. Let her sit for a few days until you are certain she is ready to stay the course. She will stop laying completely when she is in a full brood.

As to the cold. Commonsense tells you that a little chick can't survive cold weather...that's why we have heat lamps and brooders right? However, someone forgot to tell Mother Nature...or the broody...my Silkie went broody in early cold February and hatched 3 healthy chicks (of the 5 eggs...2 were infertile). The little chicks not only survived but thrived in the 32 to 38 degree weather. Granted I'm in the rainy Northwest, so I don't get subzero temperatures with feet of snow, and they were in a covered hutch and run the whole time...however they did not have any source of heat other than their warm bodies. Mom had them out and scratching by day 5...they ran around in the cold without flinching. Mom would periodically sit down and warm them up, then they'd go out and play again. It's incredible to watch them.

I wouldn't leave them in snow or direct weather, but a covered building (like a barn or coop with covered run), they will do fine.

As to how many...depends on the spread factor of your Silkie. My banty Silkie has an amazing spread factor...she can easily cover 5 to 6 standard size eggs. I get a little unsure by 6, but she still thinks she can handle more. I limit her to 6 as I just don't think she can keep all of them equally warm.

Lady of McCamley

EDITED TO ADD: It is best to have a separate nest for the broody and the hatching eggs. The other hens can hassle her and lay new eggs which get mixed in with the hatching eggs until one gets rolled or kicked out. Other hens can step on the eggs breaking them. It is much better to have a designated broody nest that is separate to itself so momma can be contently sitting and incubating.

 

[cestial225]

Thanks!! I am going to keep an eye on her the next few days and see what she does. If she stays there I might pop a few eggs under her. It would be nice to have a few extra chicks since I just lost one to a fox that has been stalking my coop. She is in a secure 8X8 walk in coop and run and I live in Northern VA so if your chicks were okay I bet mine would be okay too!

 

[youngchooklover]

Good luck and happy hatching!

Post photos when the blessed day arrives.
Lady of McCamley

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[swirler]

Hi everyone! I've hatched a couple of batches of eggs using an incubator before, but this is my first time with a broody. I've just put a mixed dozen of Barnevelder and Plymouth Rock eggs under my broody Brahma. She has fluffed her feathers out over the eggs and is looking thoroughly hunkered down. Fingers crossed!

Anything I need to know?

 

[elliechooks]

I love watching a hen with new chicks. Isn't nature amazing.