Broody Hen Thread!

[Miss HennyPenny]

My broody is going through a hard moult. What can I give her as a boost that will help her and is safe for the chicks also? Do I need to give her anything
You know what they're like, everything you give them they offer straight to the their chicks! :-/

 

[fisherlady]

My broody is going through a hard moult. What can I give her as a boost that will help her and is safe for the chicks also? Do I need to give her anything
You know what they're like, everything you give them they offer straight to the their chicks! :-/

I would offer cooked scrambled eggs, crushed sunflower seeds, baked fish, raisins, cooked oatmeal with a bit of brown sugar or maple syrup in it, rinsed canned corn (can be chopped into small bits so the chicks can share it too), live or dried meal worms... She will offer it to the chicks also, but will have some herself, so just plan quantities to allow plenty of it to go around.

Forgot to add.... canned tuna and some folks even use crushed cat food (read labels to choose one which is high in protein but is made with ingredients you are OK with)

 

[Miss HennyPenny]

I would offer cooked scrambled eggs, crushed sunflower seeds, baked fish, raisins, cooked oatmeal with a bit of brown sugar or maple syrup in it, rinsed canned corn (can be chopped into small bits so the chicks can share it too), live or dried meal worms... She will offer it to the chicks also, but will have some herself, so just plan quantities to allow plenty of it to go around.

Forgot to add.... canned tuna and some folks even use crushed cat food (read labels to choose one which is high in protein but is made with ingredients you are OK with)

Ooh, that's great thank you.
Well there are always plenty of eggs and I have cats so there is always plenty of cat food too. I see a protein rich theme. I've just stocked up on wild bird seed, would a little of that be ok?

 

[fisherlady]

Ooh, that's great thank you.
Well there are always plenty of eggs and I have cats so there is always plenty of cat food too. I see a protein rich theme. I've just stocked up on wild bird seed, would a little of that be ok?

I use a wild bird seed for Finches as a scratch for the broodies and babies here. We have sand floors in the coop and I sprinkle it around in the broody area and the hen can then teach the little ones how to scratch. The finch food we find has millet, cracked corn and sunflower bits in it. I think it's about 10% protein. I add extra crushed sunflowers and even crush up dried meal worms into it and the hen and little ones have a grand time with it. I went with the finch feed because it was all small seeds/pieces. Our hens ignore larger pieces of nuts or even whole sunflower seeds.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

My broody is going through a hard moult. What can I give her as a boost that will help her and is safe for the chicks also? Do I need to give her anything
You know what they're like, everything you give them they offer straight to the their chicks! :-/

I use a wild bird seed for Finches as a scratch for the broodies and babies here. We have sand floors in the coop and I sprinkle it around in the broody area and the hen can then teach the little ones how to scratch. The finch food we find has millet, cracked corn and sunflower bits in it. I think it's about 10% protein. I add extra crushed sunflowers and even crush up dried meal worms into it and the hen and little ones have a grand time with it. I went with the finch feed because it was all small seeds/pieces. Our hens ignore larger pieces of nuts or even whole sunflower seeds.

I agree. Protein is the focus. I use a good quality cat food with a smaller size kibble to boost protein during molts, and it would be fine for chicks. My babies (and hens) go daffy for wild bird seed mix that is high in millet, corn, and boss. Some pick out the millet only, some pick out the sunflower seeds. Also starter feed is good for the chicks and mom alike and has higher protein already. For short periods a broiler mix would be good...but not for too long (a number of weeks) as it can cause too fast a growth in the chicks which is bad.

Broodies often go through a hard molt after finishing a brood, which I thought to be a blessing as those little chickies have been running and pooing in her feathers. Nature's way of cleaning her up.

Lady of McCamley

 

[Miss HennyPenny]

I agree. Protein is the focus. I use a good quality cat food with a smaller size kibble to boost protein during molts, and it would be fine for chicks. My babies (and hens) go daffy for wild bird seed mix that is high in millet, corn, and boss. Some pick out the millet only, some pick out the sunflower seeds. Also starter feed is good for the chicks and mom alike and has higher protein already. For short periods a broiler mix would be good...but not for too long (a number of weeks) as it can cause too fast a growth in the chicks which is bad.

Broodies often go through a hard molt after finishing a brood, which I thought to be a blessing as those little chickies have been running and pooing in her feathers. Nature's way of cleaning her up.

Lady of McCamley

Thank you very much. That's really helpful. She's doing such a good job with her babies and is happy (even if she does look like an ex battery hen at the moment!) They love wild bird seed and mixed corn which they get at supper time. I think I will give them some scrambled egg for breakfast before everyone else gets up!

Thanks again everyone! X

 

[Dawneebird]

Hi again. I posted a few weeks ago about my broody hen. Well finally got her back to normal but then two of my hens started molting. Now it has been a few weeks and only one hen is laying. I have been getting precious few eggs for weeks now. Only one is laying. I can't figure out why the others aren't laying! ! I am having to buy eggs! They r eating the same feed and have the same routine except that I have been closing then in the coop at night so that they are protected. Help!! I am so frustrated!

 

[foreverlearning]

Hi again. I posted a few weeks ago about my broody hen. Well finally got her back to normal but then two of my hens started molting. Now it has been a few weeks and only one hen is laying. I have been getting precious few eggs for weeks now. Only one is laying. I can't figure out why the others aren't laying! ! I am having to buy eggs! They r eating the same feed and have the same routine except that I have been closing then in the coop at night so that they are protected. Help!! I am so frustrated!

Both the stress of change in routine and a molt will reduce egg production. Give higher amounts of protein for the molt to help speed it along and return to laying sooner. The stress should be over after a few days to a week. Also, keep in mind that it is becoming winter and the reduced daylight hours will effect the egg laying as well. Some put lights in the coop for winter for a few extra hours a day to correct this. I don't put lights in mine, I think of it as a break for them but it won't harm them to lay more in winter if you choose to do it.

 

[ocap]

Hi again. I posted a few weeks ago about my broody hen. Well finally got her back to normal but then two of my hens started molting. Now it has been a few weeks and only one hen is laying. I have been getting precious few eggs for weeks now. Only one is laying. I can't figure out why the others aren't laying! ! I am having to buy eggs! They r eating the same feed and have the same routine except that I have been closing then in the coop at night so that they are protected. Help!! I am so frustrated!

I have also been told to put lights on a timer to come on in the morning so that evening change to darkness is normal.

 

[docbeans]

So I have two broodies right now and I estimate the hatch date to be tomorrow (although I'm not sure exactly what day they started sitting). One is a cochin, the other is a turken. This morning the chickens were out free-ranging and I heard an egg-song. I'm not getting many eggs these days (moult, reduced daylight etc) so I popped out to see if I could figure out who had laid, since I'm curious to know who my best layers are.

I couldn't find an egg! I looked in the nesting boxes and the other places that some of my goofball hens prefer to lay, and also all around the yard. The Turken was out ranging with them and was still singing the song long after everyone stopped (she continued intermittently for at least 20 minutes). This makes me think she was the one who started it. I took the egg (only one left, a few got kicked in a kerfuffle with the other broody) and put it under the Cochin since the shell was starting to feel cold and I was afraid she had abandoned the nest.

Has anyone else had a broody sing an egg-song, or be the instigator? Makes me think she stopped being broody... she's been the flightier of the two broodies, spends a lot more time off of the nest, etc. We don't have them segregated from the flock or from others since we weren't really prepared for this and we're just rolling with it to see how it goes (our first time).