Broody Hen Thread!

[Lady of McCamley]

I suspect that one of my Welsummer hens is broody (this is my first year with chickens and have never had a broody hen before. She is only 8 months old...). She has plucked out all of the feathers on her breast, has been in the nesting box for 2 days (though I have been putting her up on the roost at night, last night she threw a FIT, but stayed up there). It has been freezing here lately (~25degrees at night), so I am torn: do I put her in the broody breaker, or do I order some hatching eggs. How long should you wait to see if a first time broody sticks, I don't want her to give up on the eggs after a few days....?

I personally wouldn't put her in a brood buster with 25 degrees at night. She might get overly chilled.

I actually prefer not to discourage a brood as I never know when I'll need that hen to hatch some chicks for me and figure if I get her in the habit for being discouraged about brooding, she'll not stay the course when I need her to. If I don't need chicks, I just let them stay the course until they quit unless they appear to be seriously risking their health (I've heard of that happening, but I have not had that happen...if they are still lively...as far as a brooding hen is "lively"...ie look well enough and alert... I let the brood run its course.)

I have gently encouraged hens to leave an extended brood by gently lifting them out of the nest box and putting them down in the yard next to some really nummy treats. I repeat this a number of times in the day...usually by a few days they run to me when they see me and in a week are out and about again. Really nummy treats is the key and the reinforcement for not being in the nest.

As to whether or not she is serious and will stay the course...that is hard to know with a first timer. I can usually tell after 2 or 3 days if a hen is seriously brooding especially if they have plucked their breast. I have waited a week to be sure with a new hen, but some new hens stop sitting at the end of 3 weeks no matter if there are unhatched eggs or not so if I have over delayed getting eggs under them I've got to trade another broody or would need to incubate.

As to ordering eggs. If you want some new chicks...then order them...just not expensive ones in case she doesn't go the course unless you have an incubator you want to crank up.

Brooding in winter is a little trickier due to the cold. The hen and chicks should be out of the weather and drafts and separate from the other hens. Be sure the chicks can't get around a blind corner or through a small hole and strand themselves away from the warmth of the hen. You also need to be sure the food and water isn't freezing.

I've had a broody hatch in cold February, and I was amazed to see mom and chicks do fine. The little ones were running around in the cold within 5 days scratching with the big hen. Of course I had them in a sheltered coop and run (enclosed building) but I did not have light or heat for them... and while I didn't have snow on the ground it was getting very cold at night...below freezing...and not getting much above freezing during the day. It's the craziest thing to see them run around as if they never knew they were suppose to need heat lamps and a controlled environment.

Good luck no matter what you decide.
Lady of McCamley

 

[kiwijean83]

Lady,

Thank you so much for the information! Very helpful. I will avoid the broody breaker, and will prob wait on hatching eggs till after the new year so I can build a place for a broody hen to be away from the other ladies. Thanks again!

 

[woodsygal]

I'm so excited, I hear tweets!! Sweet lil Buttercup is gonna be a mama. Feel like I should be doing something, I'm pacing like a 1960's new Daddy in the waiting room.

 

[foreverlearning]

They say to leave them alone while the chicks are hatching, but when mine were I was too excited and had to lift mamma every few hours to remove the shells and look at the new chicks. They will be fine!

 

[Fentress]

This year I bought some Kraienkoppes to use as broodies and guess what,they are broody! But they are only 6 months old and I don't want any chicks until early spring. February at the earliest. I also want to use broodies in a breeding program for some heritage stock, which at present are still to young to breed. A few posts ago, My Lady stated that she does not like to break a broody. Would this create the increased risk that the hen would be less likely to go broody in the future? I like the idea of trying to feed her to change her behavior so I may try that on the weekend, but during he weekdays it is dark when I am home and I don't see that working.

I need a core group of broodies in my flock that will go broody as a group, within say 8-12 weeks of each other so, I can set up my breeding pens to correlate with their broodiness, so March - May time frame would be ideal, March - April even better. My first experience with broodies this year was very positive, but was with heavy fowl that brooded in early to mid summer instead of the spring which I would prefer. Any thoughts/suggestions? Why are chicks associated with easter if the hens go broody in the summer or any other time they want to?

thanks,

Mark

 

[foreverlearning]

This year I bought some Kraienkoppes to use as broodies and guess what,they are broody! But they are only 6 months old and I don't want any chicks until early spring. February at the earliest. I also want to use broodies in a breeding program for some heritage stock, which at present are still to young to breed. A few posts ago, My Lady stated that she does not like to break a broody. Would this create the increased risk that the hen would be less likely to go broody in the future? I like the idea of trying to feed her to change her behavior so I may try that on the weekend, but during he weekdays it is dark when I am home and I don't see that working.

I need a core group of broodies in my flock that will go broody as a group, within say 8-12 weeks of each other so, I can set up my breeding pens to correlate with their broodiness, so March - May time frame would be ideal, March - April even better. My first experience with broodies this year was very positive, but was with heavy fowl that brooded in early to mid summer instead of the spring which I would prefer. Any thoughts/suggestions? Why are chicks associated with easter if the hens go broody in the summer or any other time they want to?

thanks,

Mark

Breaking the broody is not so much a risk that they won't go broody, but the high risk that when they do go broody they may not stay the course. This is the first time for them going broody, correct? If so, it might be best for your plans if you just let them so you can see how they do. I know the extra chicks might not be what you want right now, but what happens if they don't stay the first time and you set up the first time to fit your breeding schedule? It would mess up your timeline. If you let them brood now to see how they are doing that gives 3 months (aprox 21 days to hatch and 2 mo to rear chicks) plus time to rest and recover after. This lands your next brood (if they like to brood a lot) right in your spring hatching schedule. Just my 2 cents...

 

[chickydee64]

Precious and Mom...................

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Breaking the broody is not so much a risk that they won't go broody, but the high risk that when they do go broody they may not stay the course. This is the first time for them going broody, correct? If so, it might be best for your plans if you just let them so you can see how they do. I know the extra chicks might not be what you want right now, but what happens if they don't stay the first time and you set up the first time to fit your breeding schedule? It would mess up your timeline. If you let them brood now to see how they are doing that gives 3 months (aprox 21 days to hatch and 2 mo to rear chicks) plus time to rest and recover after. This lands your next brood (if they like to brood a lot) right in your spring hatching schedule. Just my 2 cents...

This year I bought some Kraienkoppes to use as broodies and guess what,they are broody! But they are only 6 months old and I don't want any chicks until early spring. February at the earliest. I also want to use broodies in a breeding program for some heritage stock, which at present are still to young to breed. A few posts ago, My Lady stated that she does not like to break a broody. Would this create the increased risk that the hen would be less likely to go broody in the future? I like the idea of trying to feed her to change her behavior so I may try that on the weekend, but during he weekdays it is dark when I am home and I don't see that working.

I need a core group of broodies in my flock that will go broody as a group, within say 8-12 weeks of each other so, I can set up my breeding pens to correlate with their broodiness, so March - May time frame would be ideal, March - April even better. My first experience with broodies this year was very positive, but was with heavy fowl that brooded in early to mid summer instead of the spring which I would prefer. Any thoughts/suggestions? Why are chicks associated with easter if the hens go broody in the summer or any other time they want to?

thanks,

Mark

Mark, you ask some really good questions and bring up some issues I have been pondering and working on within my flock which I'll attempt to relay to you in a coherent manner.

Forever Learning stated it spot on...breaking the brood won't stop them from going broody...that's caused by hormones which they can't and you can't control...you can support them with good feed and a stress free environment and a dark, warm and tempting nesting area to brood if they are so inclined, but you can't control when those hormones will actually kick in a good brood.

I'm finding that while certain breeds are broodier, broodiness is determined by the individual hen. I often see no correlation between breed, weather and sometimes not even season having hens go broody when others aren't....I've had individual birds go broody at completely different times, even those of the same breed. (Although May/June seems to be a high season and one broody can often kick off several others.)

Because of this, I am finding it is important to first observe and understand the individual hen and her natural broody behavior and let that work for you.

I agree that discouraging a brood will discourage good broody behavior. I never discourage nor entice a good broody hen I want to use from brooding. I only entice my "fickle" laying hens that have gone on too long with a "sulky brood" to end as I don't plan to ever use them since if they aren't laying and aren't good at brooding they are not really pulling their weight. (I determine "fickle" brooders as those who are not naturally efficient brooders...they stop at 2 weeks or go on a day, off a day, or never settle on one nest but constantly move...more sulking than effectively brooding...that I break with treats).

For my naturally good brooders, I simply rejoice at their behavior and let them stay the course giving them TLC and support...if I don't want chicks then golf balls and ping pong balls suffice. (My Silkie has diligently tried to get those golf balls to hatch without success several times.) If you don't want to attempt chicks now, then watch and observe as they brood those golf balls. This will be very important to help you determine who your core broodies will be and how they will behave so you can support them (Are they movable? or does resetting unsettle them? Do they like to tandem brood, or do they compete or become intimidated, etc.). And if you have a really determined brooder who will stay the course to the point she keeps going on and on as if I'm not quitting until I see a live chick (like my Silkie)...put some eggs or some chicks with her so that she doesn't become discouraged. I'd rather have a few extra chicks than lose a good broody's behavior....they are usually your good mothers too (which is another part of the equation I won't discuss at this point but for which you have to select as well).

As to your time frame...forgive me if I smile a little but I have yet to get my broodies on my strict timeline let alone going broody in concert on my timeline as a group. I haven't given up trying to approximate a time frame, but I am seeing that it is more about understanding or reading what their timeline is and adjusting my plans accordingly allowing for a plan B (and sometimes C). Over time...and this will take time...I should be able to select enough hens that generally go broody at the times I would like...but that will take awhile to accomplish and I am prepared I may never get quite to perfection. Why? Because I am finding that when hens go broody is always settled by each individual hen and there are some outside influences I can't control such as the weather that year...and some I can control such as flock stresses and health issues (worm overloads), etc. but which I might not have figured out until the time has passed.

I have come to believe that if you want to stabilize your timeline as much as possible, you will need to keep your broodies environment as stable and healthy and as positive to brooding as possible.

Good luck with your brooding plans.
Lady of McCamley

If interested, and helpful, here are my personal observations from my flock:
I have my faithful Silkie which goes broody regularly every 3 to 4 months almost like clock work...she is my beloved core brooder. I purchased her as a known good broody for that purpose. That is a good way to begin a faithful group. Purchase a known brooder or two. The rest can be chosen and developed as God smiles upon your flock (and the luck of the Irish).

To determine if a hen is a good broody, I watch and wait. With my Silkie I got her in April 2012 and she went broody twice before I used her. I did nothing to discourage her but watched her body language and behavior and tracked her time pattern making notes. I then began to anticipate when she might brood again and made my hatching plans accordingly. This year she has hatched for me February and raised those to maturity, then saved a batch in June from a new hen I was trying out. That hen did not stay the course, so I swapped my golf ball sitting Silkie onto that batch to save them. After brooding that batch to maturity, my Silkie went broody again in September wherein I put some coveted store bought EE chicks under her to foster and she has brought them to 12 weeks just now beginng to lay again. I anticipate her to go broody again soon for which I won't use her (she'll be on those golf balls again), but come February-March when I anticipate she will be brooding again (having looked at my notes on her) I will be putting some special eggs that I have pre-arranged a standing order with a breeder wherein the breeder promises a quick turn around so that I can get them under her within her first week when she has gone into full brood.

This year, I had 3 of my year old laying hens go broody in June. As they were new broodies, I assessed all 3 with golf balls for a couple of days. Only 2 were settled enough to move to the broody hutch (which is always set up and ready for intake). Of those 2, one stayed the course until 3 weeks time (having sat a week on balls then 2 weeks on eggs) and then gave up the nest to jump the broody fence and go back to the main coop (quite the feat I might add). My faithful Silkie was just entering a brood and she saved that batch being snatched from the main coop's nest to the broody hutch. The hen that gave up sulked in the coop and I encouraged her out with treats. The other new hen stayed the course and she and my Silkie hatched my June chicks. I kept watch at the stores for chick breeds I wanted, and when my Silkie rewarded me with a September brood, I was on hand with new chicks under her after I knew she had settled for a couple of days.

To be able to swap and switch and pull and set eggs takes knowing your hens and conditions. So you can see I feel it is more of knowing your broodies behavior and working your plans around them...slowly over time you can begin to get a group of hens that are so faithful and close to your timeline that you can begin to approximate a schedule.

I hope my experiences have proved helpful. I am still learning and improving my broody techniques as the ladies teach me how they work and think.

I can say the best thing is to have a separate brooding hutch and run pre-set up. If your core hen(s) is/are unsettled by movement or bothered by the flock then you may need to keep your consistent broodies residence there. (My beloved Silkie isn't bothered by movement but she is picked on by the flock which stresses her so I have moved her permanently to the broody hutch and brood status...she lives in one end of my double brooding hutch leaving one end free for any seasonal broody I may need to reset...probably my Welsummer/RIR mix that did such a fine job for me in June and reset with no problems.)

 

[LONDON HENS]

 

[Tuhmu]

Quick question on broody hens. This is just to find out a bit more info before next spring but with broody hens....has anyone ever let them keep goslings? Not so much hatch them, but raise them if she would adopt them. If anyone has done this, let me know. Ive read that they love ducklings almost as much as chicks....so why not right lol? might have to supplement heat once they get bigger than the hen...though it would be great seeing a couple goslings pretty much lifting a hen off the ground trying to get under her! lol