Broody Hen Thread!

[chickchicks]

hello

im hoping for some quick advice, im new at this got two buff orpingtons wilma and betty wilma has gone broody so i got her a few eggs from a farm (sadly the cockrell is lazy i fear) will wilma know when to get off if they dont hatch? she may be kicking one out at the moment unless it just roled out during the night?

she has been broody for over a week with out eggs or straw under her so im hoping she isnt too despirate for babies incase these eggs dont work

((

 

[Jferlisi]

It really depends on the hen. Some will only sit for a little bit and some will sit forever. Hens usually know when an egg is bad or not and will kick out the bad ones. You could always stick day old chicks under her if you want her to have babies and the eggs aren't hatching. Also what do your nest boxes look like. My first time the eggs where sitting on the wood cause the nesting material wasn't deep enough so it wasn't staying warm.

 

[gwendalynn28]

How do you know if a hen is going "broody"? I'm a new chicken owner and I have hens and a rooster but I'm sure what behaviors I should be looking for! Thanks!

 

[Patricia Jane]

I have a Columbian Wyandotte that is broody. I don't have a rooster so she is sitting on wooden eggs. It's been almost 21 days and I plan on placing chicks under her sometime this weekend. Hope she takes them. This is her frist time.

ChickChick: You can tell she is broody when she constantly sits on the nest, gives you the chicken eye and grumbles when you move her and will run right back on the nest, some will try to bite you. Puffs up and her chest is bare from plucking the feathers out.

 

[chickchicks]

she is in a small nest box that has about 7-8 cm deep staw and hay i tried to make her comphy.
they haveonly been theresince yesterday but i was worried as i amnot sure its the first time i have had hens and the first time broody hen for me so im full of questions !!

thank you so much for the help

 

[FarmerBoy24]

Okay. So 2 of my hens are broody again!!! They have been broody for 6 weeks and I hatched out 2 clutches under them

. I was wanting to use them for some rare eggs I won. However the hens are sharing the nest. The last to batched was a 50% fertility from my laying flocks. (I guess I need 1 more rooster

..) I hope they can hatch this last bunch!!!!

They are the best broodies

 

[sgtmom52]

I also have 2 broody right now ~ a BLRW and a frizzled bantam Cochin who just hatched 3 chicks about 2 months ago. I am not letting them hatch any eggs this fall and hope I can break their broodiness. Why can't this be spring instead!

The Bantam's only female chick from her last hatch is a Momma's girl and is sitting with her for much of the time too! Maybe she will learn to be broody from her mom.

 

[FarmerBoy24]

Does anyone know If there is a way to MAKE a chicken broody?

 

[justin24]

this my broody hen shebly has started sitting on sept the 2 and bout 2 be 2/3 of the way to the hatch

 

[FarmerBoy24]

I really only see a nest box

.

Im excited for you Good luck on your peeps