Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

Quote:
I would say the likeliness of being broody won't change. Even though some breeds of chickens are known to be more prone to broodiness there are differences even between related birds... I don't know why the hormones affect some more than others, but they do. And even if they are broody and willing to set it doesn't mean they will be a good mother... some hens just don't have the patience for it.
As an example... I have 5 Silver Pencil Rock hens who were broody hatched late last spring, from the same breeder, out of the same breeder pen so the genetics are very close (most are probably half sisters if not full sisters)... 2 went broody by the time they were 8.5 months old, a third at 9 months and a fourth one is thinking about it but isn't committing... the 5th is just cruising along without a broody thought in her pretty head.
Silkies in general are about as broody prone as any breed can be, so you have a good chance of ending up with a broody... time will tell if she will be a dedicated one or not... hopefully she will.

 

[tankgirl88]

So I actually have a legitimate broody!(I swear this one is not sick) She has been sitting in golf balls for a least a week and is show all the other classic signs. Starting to pull out chest feathers, pecking at me if I try to touch her "eggs", getting a bit huffy at me when I pet her, very protective of the clutch, stealing other hens eggs, stinky, big, poo. So today I decided to go get chicks and attempt an adoption this evening. She doesn't want to nest on the floor. She want to nest in the nesting box only. So I went out there today and I stapled some wire on the front of the box so when the chick are in there with her they won't fall out, it's a 3 ft. drop. It's a big 3 ft. community box so I figured she can have that one all to herself. The problem is after I stapled the wire on, she hasn't gotten back in the nest. The wire isn't closed at the moments so she has complete access to it. I'm worried that I spooked her when I was using the staple gun and that she won't ever go back up and sit on the nest again. The other problem is that now I don't know which chicken it was or I would just close her in there. They are all Buff Orphs. Anyone have any experience with this situation? Will she ever go back? Is there a way I can visually decide which chicken it was and just put her back in there?? Should I just wait until nighfall and see which one is sitting on the eggs?

 

[Chicken-Man]

Last year I saved eggs for a neighbor to incubate to start her own flock..I didn't keep them in the fridge and when I told her that, she did seemed surprised that I didn't..she had a 80% hatch rate of the 18 she got so didn't think that was too bad. I took a couple of her last laid eggs out and will pop them under her in the morning.
It's interesting that as soon as she went broody, my other hen that was laying also stopped laying. Still waiting for 3 of my other girls to start laying again after the cold long winter. Is my broody (Lady) the reason my EE stopped laying?


My little Lady

she is very pretty. I welcome you and your little lay to BYC!

 

[tankgirl88]

Heres all my fluffy babies before I gave them to Sugar!

 

[tankgirl88]

Here is Sugar this morning sitting on all the babies like a good mama! I think we pulled off the adoption!

 

[tankgirl88]

Tehe! And here is one of the babies bums under her new mama!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Here is Sugar this morning sitting on all the babies like a good mama! I think we pulled off the adoption!

Congratulations to you and Sugar.

Catching up on my reading I see you had a dilema...did Sugar just go back to the nest?

All looks well. Keep an eye on them for the next day or so to make sure all transitioned well.

Keep us posted too.
Lady of McCamley

 

[tankgirl88]

Congratulations to you and Sugar.

Catching up on my reading I see you had a dilema...did Sugar just go back to the nest?

All looks well. Keep an eye on them for the next day or so to make sure all transitioned well.

Keep us posted too.
Lady of McCamley

Thank you! She did FINALLY go back into the nest once it was completely dark outside! I let her get comfy for a couple hours then I snuck in there like a ninja with a red light head lamp. At first I didn't think she was going to take them. I set one of the babies next to her hoping she would just tuck it under her. But instead she pecked at it. So I snatched it back up and got a different one since that was had been traumatized enough. I took that one, with one hand I pushed her head away so she wasn't looking at it and with the other hand I just kinda lifted her side up a bit and stuffed it under. At this point she seemed to be okay with it. So I removed all the "eggs" ender her and one by one just kept tucking chicks under her. She just settled down on all of them and seemed completely content with the situation. I sat in the dark and watched her for about 10 or 15 min to make sure she was going to decide to massacre all of them. Check in again in about 30 min. and everything was still going well. This morning I went out to check and the babies were all out from under her cheeping, she looked hungry so I got her to plot down again, tucked babied back under her and set some food right in front of her so she could eat. I will keep an eye on them through out the day to make sure everything is still working out!

I'm so excited that this is going well so far!!!!

 

[tankgirl88]

The other ladies wondering what the heck is going on

 

[chickencrazy999]

Hello all I am giving millie my broody silkie all six eggs and I am of to collect them from the post office in about an hour I will let them settle overnight and then give them to her in the morning I have also moved her to her own broody house and she is sitting tight oh and thanks for all the great advice I will keep you all updated Thanks Ella