Broody Hen Thread!

[Lady of McCamley]

Hubby surprised me with 6 new layer chicks to get us some fresh layers in the flock. Hehehe I promptly set up the brooder next to Broody Blues brooder and she flipped out hearing peeps...so I put them in her brooder and she is happy to have them even tho they're a week younger

heh heh heh

How wonderful for you!

My only word of advice is keep watch that the younger babies are not getting trounced by the older ones...but since you have a heat lamp to go to for warm ups, there is little chance of them getting pushed out into the cold.

Glad your hen wants to be a foster mommy...I agree with Fisherlady...they are worth their weight in gold when you find one.
Lady of McCamley

 

[chicksurreal]

She is being an awesome mama!!

Congrats... and treat her like a rock star and queen all rolled into one! Good broody hens are hard enough to find, but a good 'foster mama' is an exceptional bird and worth her weight in gold!

The only precaution I would give.... hens who love adopting chicks (I have one who does this) also will try stealing chicks from other broodies! So if you have another hen who is hatching out chicks you will need to watch very closely that your beautiful hen there doesn't try to help herself to the chicks and cause a hen war, and if you've ever seen a fight between broody hens, or even one broody and one not broody... they are very, very ugly.

Now that's a reality show I would watch!

"Broody Wars" Talk about drama!

 

[Chicken-Man]

what breed is the roo and hen?

X2

If you are asking about the ones in my videos above... the rooster is my 1 year old Australorp and the hen is a 11 month old Black Giant...

ohh ok awesome!!

 

[tankgirl88]

LOL. So, today I noticed that one of my hens seems to be sitting on another hen head. Where ever she goes! I saw them in 3 different locations doing the same thing!! I am not sure it one hen is "trying" to sit on the other hens head, or if the hen being sat on is diving underneath her! Is this some sort of weird broody hen behavior? The one being "sat" on has her feathers all ruffed up and is making a funny noise?????? Anyone know what this goofy business is about?

 

[chiklee]

Last summer I had two broody at the same time Hatched together and they took care of each others chicks by the end of it all. One lost interest of motherhood and one hen took care of all 26 chicks. the rooster and the other 10 hens just let her do their thing and never a fight or injury. My chicken are speckled Sussex. So I would say let them together they will figure it out .

 

[chicksurreal]

Last summer I had two broody at the same time Hatched together and they took care of each others chicks by the end of it all. One lost interest of motherhood and one hen took care of all 26 chicks. the rooster and the other 10 hens just let her do their thing and never a fight or injury. My chicken are speckled Sussex. So I would say let them together they will figure it out .

Wow! She took care of 26 chicks? That's awesome, to say the least!!!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

LOL. So, today I noticed that one of my hens seems to be sitting on another hen head. Where ever she goes! I saw them in 3 different locations doing the same thing!! I am not sure it one hen is "trying" to sit on the other hens head, or if the hen being sat on is diving underneath her! Is this some sort of weird broody hen behavior? The one being "sat" on has her feathers all ruffed up and is making a funny noise?????? Anyone know what this goofy business is about?

I've had hens do that in the nest boxes when I have 2 birds trying to go broody at the same time or lay in the same nest at the same time.

If that is what you mean, then yes, they are competing to go broody or for the same nest.

I've not seen it in the general yard though, so I don't know what you are experiencing if that is the case unless someone is trying to nest in a spot in the yard and the other is competing with her.

Lady of McCamley

 

[LunarBug]

My Faverolles hatched out 3 of her 6 eggs yesterday (though one was dead I think she squished it). She is still sitting on 3 eggs. When she feels as though they are no longer viable she will just get out of the box, correct?

 

[fisherlady]

My Faverolles hatched out 3 of her 6 eggs yesterday (though one was dead I think she squished it). She is still sitting on 3 eggs. When she feels as though they are no longer viable she will just get out of the box, correct?

They are adorable!

She will most likely do that, though if she isn't sure she may want to remain on them longer than she should, if she doesn't get up after 2 or 3 days you may have to remove the eggs so she gets up with her already hatched out chicks. Mother nature kind of built in a 'safety buffer' for chicks by allowing them to not need food/water for the first 48-72 hours after they hatch... that time frame gives the mama hen a chance to remain on eggs which are delayed for whatever reason without the already hatched chicks suffering.
Eventually though she has to get up and around to start showing the new ones where to find food and water. You can help ease her conflict by placing food and water close by so the chicks can eat and drink without her having to get up.... I often do that for our broodies.... just make sure the water is secured.

 

[sonderah]

I want one of my hens to hatch their own babies sooooo bad!! They keep teasing me and staying in the nest all day, then changing their minds. Grrrrrrr!!!!! Lol