Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

I might do that, actually. I'm just such a softie. Those chickens know exactly how to manipulate me. I may just go out now and stick some under Wellie #1 who is now eggless.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

Done. Wellie #1 had stolen her eggs back, so I put them under wellie #2. I never had thought that Welsumers would go broody so much. My first batch never did that.

 

[omilona]

OK, so Tinsel was such a good broody mama last year...even though I hampered her by ordering Araucana eggs thru the mail...that I when she went broody again this spring I rdered her some bantam silkie eggs. I ordered 12 and they sent me 16. Since she is a standard Austraorp and these eggs are TINY, I gave her all 16 to set on and all are completely covered by mme Broody. She has the blissed out zen hen look. Day 2!

 

[fisherlady]

Done. Wellie #1 had stolen her eggs back, so I put them under wellie #2. I never had thought that Welsumers would go broody so much. My first batch never did that.

The source for the hatchery may have been a different strain... no way of knowing who will or won't go broody till they park in a nest a growl at you!

OK, so Tinsel was such a good broody mama last year...even though I hampered her by ordering Araucana eggs thru the mail...that I when she went broody again this spring I rdered her some bantam silkie eggs. I ordered 12 and they sent me 16. Since she is a standard Austraorp and these eggs are TINY, I gave her all 16 to set on and all are completely covered by mme Broody. She has the blissed out zen hen look. Day 2!

She will be a busy girl keeping track of all of those little ones!

 

[fiddlebanshee]

Quote: Yes, the broody ones came from a local breeder, who breeds purebred wellies. The first batch came from Meyer Hatchery, so I have no clue how pure those were.

 

[chicken farmer]

I have 3 broody banty mix hens right now,one on 11 eggs,and 2 on the same nest of 10......can't wait!!

 

[sonderah]

 

[10erfamily]

I have had two broody hens. One was my silkie and the other was my buff orpington. The buff was fantastic she hatched out her chicks in exactally 21 days (to the exact hour) when the incubator took 22 days. I wish she would be broody again. Is there any way to encourage them to be broody?

 

[Peach Mom]

I have found eggs broken from being pushed out of nests our broodies are in... and I have never found one which was broken with a chick developing... every one has been infertile, or at least never even started. I don't know how they know, but it seems like sometimes they do.
It isn't allways... but sometimes they do.

I find it very interesting that she did not do this on her first hatch last spring, but seems to have learned what to look for. Maybe this girls are smarter than we will ever know!

 

[Peach Mom]

I have had two broody hens. One was my silkie and the other was my buff orpington. The buff was fantastic she hatched out her chicks in exactally 21 days (to the exact hour) when the incubator took 22 days. I wish she would be broody again. Is there any way to encourage them to be broody?

Soooo cute!!! I have heard that there are ways to take the chicks and stick a new batch of eggs under the hens right away, but also that it is not good to tax the poor hens body like that. Being broody takes a lot out of them. I also experienced my hen going crazy when I tried to take her baby and have it "grow up" with some same age chicks that I had under a heat lamp. My heart broke for her and I gave the chick back to her.