Broody Hen Thread!

[chookluva]

hi i only have 2 chooks and my golden laced wyandotte has been broody for about 3 weeks we've tryed pulling her of the nest and locking her out of the coop and into the run but she always finds somewhere to nest at the moment she is in a grassy area next to the chook run fenced of with a puppy play pen but she hates being away from our other chook we also lock her in a pet carrier at night. does anyone haveany other suggestions of what i can do

 

[Lady of McCamley]

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?

Just let momma do the work and try to interfere or mess with her as little as possible. The important thing is to keep any overly curious or aggressive or just plain nosy birds away from momma and the chicks...it keeps momma free from stress (and babies safer). If you have a community coop/nest...try to set up a little nursery area for her.

Keep food and water close, but not so close mom can tip them over into the nest. Don't panic if it looks like she is not eating or drinking. She is, she just isn't doing it when you are there. Broodies generally get up just once a day to eat, drink, and leave one gigantic stinky poo. She won't starve. She'll be fine.

I like to put in some Chick Saver electrolytes/vitamins in mom's water as I think it helps keep her energy up during the long brood, but you don't have to. High protein (18 to 20%) flock raiser or broiler chicken feed is better than layer feed as mom doesn't need the extra calcium as she is not laying and it gives her more protein during the brood as well.

Happy hatching
Lady of McCamley

 

[Lady of McCamley]

hi i only have 2 chooks and my golden laced wyandotte has been broody for about 3 weeks we've tryed pulling her of the nest and locking her out of the coop and into the run but she always finds somewhere to nest at the moment she is in a grassy area next to the chook run fenced of with a puppy play pen but she hates being away from our other chook we also lock her in a pet carrier at night. does anyone haveany other suggestions of what i can do

Well...most of us here on the Broody Hen thread would simply put some fertile eggs under her and let her do her thing.

But I know that isn't always feasible.

If you really don't want her hatching chicks, you've done most of the stuff that helps discourage a brood. One thing you can try is to gently pick her up and set her down away from her nesting area. The moment you set her down give her some really nummy treats...the kind she adores. Timing is critical as you want her to associate being off the nest with the treat reward. Do this at least 3 times a day. Pretty soon you can just lure her away and feed her away from the nest by shaking the treat bucket/showing the treats. If you keep this up a number of times a day, the broody will often start running to you as soon as she sees you and begin to spend more and more time in the yard. I've encouraged an overly broody hen to snap out of a disgruntled brood this way.

The only other thing is to resort to ice pack "baths" applied briefly to their underside (chest/tummy) to cool off their body temperature to shut off the hormones. I don't like to use that technique as it seems pretty harsh and I prefer to not discourage a good brood as I never know when I might want to use that hen for hatching some eggs.

Some put them in a hanging wire cage with good airflow or with ice underneath again to cool their body temperature down to shut off hormones.

Lady of McCamley

 

[swirler]

Just let momma do the work and try to interfere or mess with her as little as possible. The important thing is to keep any overly curious or aggressive or just plain nosy birds away from momma and the chicks...it keeps momma free from stress (and babies safer). If you have a community coop/nest...try to set up a little nursery area for her.

Keep food and water close, but not so close mom can tip them over into the nest. Don't panic if it looks like she is not eating or drinking. She is, she just isn't doing it when you are there. Broodies generally get up just once a day to eat, drink, and leave one gigantic stinky poo. She won't starve. She'll be fine.

I like to put in some Chick Saver electrolytes/vitamins in mom's water as I think it helps keep her energy up during the long brood, but you don't have to. High protein (18 to 20%) flock raiser or broiler chicken feed is better than layer feed as mom doesn't need the extra calcium as she is not laying and it gives her more protein during the brood as well.

Happy hatching
Lady of McCamley

Thanks! Yes, we have a new coop for the others out in the vegie garden area, so she has the old chook shed all to herself. She was brooding eggless in a bed of straw on the floor of that shed, so we've just added some more for extra insulation and built a roomy low (chicks could get over it once they're on their feet) wooden surround around it. Food (I'll switch it to starter, thanks) and water is a couple of feet away, in the same shed. She has a medium sized run to herself next to the shed if she wants a quick dustbath. One nice thing about this shed is that the chook half (the other half is storage) is slightly sunk into the ground, so the babies can't get out of the shed into the wider run until they can jump up about a foot and a half - but can they still get a little sunshine through the doorway.

I can tell that she's been eating - a couple or three tablespoons of food will disappear once or twice a day. Plus she doesn't feel like she's lost much if any weight.

 

[foreverlearning]

Thanks! Yes, we have a new coop for the others out in the vegie garden area, so she has the old chook shed all to herself. She was brooding eggless in a bed of straw on the floor of that shed, so we've just added some more for extra insulation and built a roomy low (chicks could get over it once they're on their feet) wooden surround around it. Food (I'll switch it to starter, thanks) and water is a couple of feet away, in the same shed. She has a medium sized run to herself next to the shed if she wants a quick dustbath. One nice thing about this shed is that the chook half (the other half is storage) is slightly sunk into the ground, so the babies can't get out of the shed into the wider run until they can jump up about a foot and a half - but can they still get a little sunshine through the doorway.

I can tell that she's been eating - a couple or three tablespoons of food will disappear once or twice a day. Plus she doesn't feel like she's lost much if any weight.

Something else to consider... I just had my first and first time broody, she refused to get off the nest to eat unless she could see it from the food while she was in the main coop. When I brought her in the house alone she could care less if she could see it while eating. I think she was afraid of someone else getting on the nest. Of course, she did pick the flock's favorite nest to brood in. Now that I have had a broody I will never go back to my old ways! Broodies are the best!

 

[Farmer Viola]

How often does everyone candle their broody's eggs? The standard day 7 - 10 - 14 -18 ?

Just curious, since it's quite an ordeal to try to get at her eggs to candle them. And it makes me feel like a huge jerk.

 

[fisherlady]

How often does everyone candle their broody's eggs? The standard day 7 - 10 - 14 -18 ?

Just curious, since it's quite an ordeal to try to get at her eggs to candle them. And it makes me feel like a huge jerk.

I candle around day 10 when the broody is off for her daily break, just look for dark mass and that's about it. If it is clear or questionable I mark it somehow, or make a note about the number (I number the eggs when they are set most times). I give it another 2 or 3 days and recheck at night or in darker environment to be sure and pull the clear or sloshy ones. That is about it. Some folks say the broody throws out clear or bad eggs themselves and don't candle at all. It is a personal preference.

 

[KrazyChromatics]

well i found one chick missing this morning, then as i was feeding i found it outside the pen just sitting there quietly, with its eyes open not doing anything i picked her up and popped her in my sweater pocket while i fed the others. she was peeping softly and i tried to get mama to take her up under her wind but she wouldnt, so now im sitting here with he tucked in my shirt... shes not just cold theres something else going on too...she fluffed up eyed closed, and peeping softly... im trying to get some nutridrench in her a little at a time to try and perk her up, but shes not really responding much

 

[fisherlady]

well i found one chick missing this morning, then as i was feeding i found it outside the pen just sitting there quietly, with its eyes open not doing anything i picked her up and popped her in my sweater pocket while i fed the others. she was peeping softly and i tried to get mama to take her up under her wind but she wouldnt, so now im sitting here with he tucked in my shirt... shes not just cold theres something else going on too...she fluffed up eyed closed, and peeping softly... im trying to get some nutridrench in her a little at a time to try and perk her up, but shes not really responding much

Oh... sorry to hear that... if she doesn't perk up with warmth and nutridrench maybe try posting on the 'emergency' board for alternatives. If it shows any interest in eating I would try things like yogurt or small bits of scrambled eggs also

 

[KrazyChromatics]

well i guess i warm enough to keep her alive but not to really bring her around. she started keeping her eyes open but as soon as id take her out to give her more drench shed be shivering again. My husband fired up the woodstove and i sat in front with baby for a few minuets and tried to spoon some warm FF into her, wasnt really trying but wasnt realy refusing either so i set her up in a plastic bowl with a bowl of the FF and after a few minuets in front of the stove, ate up a bunch and now shes got a nice knocker marble sized crop... then she proceeded to run away 3 times lol after i caught her up the last time i put a cover on a box and have her sitting in there.. she'll go back out in a lil bit now that shes got some food in her.... problem is my FF is very cold outside, and i didnt really want to bring it inside cause of the smell... but im thinking now i really need to, its ok for the adult birds, but it chills the babies, and even some of the adults that are moulting right now wander off all fluffed up and cold looking... rawr, FF drawback for sure.... its almost time for the horses to get their warm winter slop, guess the chickies will be getting warm slop too this winter...