Broody Hen Thread!

[tankgirl88]

Giving her a bath will stop her if she is broody. Nipping at you is normal and the further along she gets being broody the more she will nip and even growl. Keep an eye on her to make sure she is sure then put some cheap hatching eggs under her for her first brood. Good Luck!

I just went out there again and now I'm wondering if she really isn't sick. I took her out of the nesting box and set her on the floor and she just kinda plopped down to sitting position. She is very very calm. Way more than normal. I took her outside to the water feeder and she didn't want any, so I dipped her beak in it and she drank a little. All this time still sitting down. The dog even came over and sniffed her and she just sat there. Normally she would run from him. Then I took her back in the coop, put her on the floor and got a handful of food and put it right infront of her and she wanted nothing to do with it.

 

[mrstodd]

I just went out there again and now I'm wondering if she really isn't sick. I took her out of the nesting box and set her on the floor and she just kinda plopped down to sitting position. She is very very calm. Way more than normal. I took her outside to the water feeder and she didn't want any, so I dipped her beak in it and she drank a little. All this time still sitting down. The dog even came over and sniffed her and she just sat there. Normally she would run from him. Then I took her back in the coop, put her on the floor and got a handful of food and put it right infront of her and she wanted nothing to do with it.

that's what my broody did! any time I picked her up she would plop right down, wherever she was in a trance. Even when I shook the treat container! and she is always first in line. Do you have any eggs to put under her?

 

[tankgirl88]

that's what my broody did! any time I picked her up she would plop right down, wherever she was in a trance. Even when I shook the treat container! and she is always first in line. Do you have any eggs to put under her?

Oh thank god! This has happened to somebody else! I was starting to panic! She has been sitting on golf balls.

 

[mrstodd]

Oh thank god! This has happened to somebody else! I was starting to panic! She has been sitting on golf balls.

I think you said shes a RIR? that's pretty neat if shes broody as I think they are more of a egg laying/production chicken. If you can, give her some fertilized eggs. This is my first go with a broody hen and eggs and Im having a ball! Tonight I candled them an 10 out of 12 are growing nicely that I can see She's sitting on Brahmas! lol
Do you have a picture of her ?

 

[foreverlearning]

I just went out there again and now I'm wondering if she really isn't sick. I took her out of the nesting box and set her on the floor and she just kinda plopped down to sitting position. She is very very calm. Way more than normal. I took her outside to the water feeder and she didn't want any, so I dipped her beak in it and she drank a little. All this time still sitting down. The dog even came over and sniffed her and she just sat there. Normally she would run from him. Then I took her back in the coop, put her on the floor and got a handful of food and put it right infront of her and she wanted nothing to do with it.

If you are unsure then dust her with some Sevin. They now make an all natural one in a green bottle and it works just as well if not better then the 5% in the red bottle. DE is a great preventive but does nothing to treat. Broodies are not into food and water as much as non broody chickens but her instinct should be to run and protect the nest. You can cook her some scrambled egg and see if she will eat it when it is near the nest. Even if she is not sick the protein in the scrambled egg will help her feel better and stronger.

 

[tankgirl88]

I think you said shes a RIR? that's pretty neat if shes broody as I think they are more of a egg laying/production chicken. If you can, give her some fertilized eggs. This is my first go with a broody hen and eggs and Im having a ball! Tonight I candled them an 10 out of 12 are growing nicely that I can see She's sitting on Brahmas! lol
Do you have a picture of her ?

I found a guy with the breed that I wanted but for whatever reason his ladies stopped laying and he is hoping that they will have some fertilized eggs in a week or so. Do you think that she will still be broody then? That is so awesome about your eggs! How exciting!!! Here is a pic of Ginger.

 

[tankgirl88]

If you are unsure then dust her with some Sevin. They now make an all natural one in a green bottle and it works just as well if not better then the 5% in the red bottle. DE is a great preventive but does nothing to treat. Broodies are not into food and water as much as non broody chickens but her instinct should be to run and protect the nest. You can cook her some scrambled egg and see if she will eat it when it is near the nest. Even if she is not sick the protein in the scrambled egg will help her feel better and stronger.

In the morning when I have better light I will check her again for parasites just to make sure. And I will try cooking her an egg in the morning too!! We can all have breakfast together!

 

[mrstodd]

I found a guy with the breed that I wanted but for whatever reason his ladies stopped laying and he is hoping that they will have some fertilized eggs in a week or so. Do you think that she will still be broody then? That is so awesome about your eggs! How exciting!!! Here is a pic of Ginger.


Ginger is a pretty girl!

From what I've read on the forum, she will stay broody (hopefully) as long as she has something to sit on. I was in the same predicament as you, and ended up doing a 4 hour round trip to get her some eggs! I use DE with my girls too. I keep any and all chemicals away from them. Sevin has been banned from Canada where I live. I try and keep them as naturally as I can. I also do not feed them their own eggs or shells as I don't agree with it, but diversity makes the world go 'round! I've also read here that giving her chick starter is an excellent way of providing extra protein to her while she's setting as the chicks will eat it when they are born and its more in line with what she needs nutritionally because she isn't laying.

 

[tankgirl88]

Haha, I will probably end up doing the came thing! Driving forever just to find her some eggs!!

 

[tankgirl88]

Do people have a lot of success with getting chicks and giving them to the broody to adopt? The more I think about it, this is the only was to insure(mostly) that I don't end up with a rooster. I don't think we can have them where I live, and I'm not really too keen on having one at the moment.