Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

@pickinchicken

@fisherlady

Thank you so much! I guess I will brood the chicks where I usually brood chicks(in my bathtub), and watch my broody who is sitting so nice and tightly in a very large dog crate in that very same, very small bathroom.

If it all works, that would be easiest for me, and safest (warmest) for the chicks.

The chicks show up next week sometime.

The eggs she is sitting on will hatch the end of next week.

Hopefully, after everyone looks good, I can put her outside with all of them.

I had a broody Marans one year, that was able to stuff 25 chicks under her skirt.

This Cochin is pretty fluffy, so I am going to see if she can stuff a few more than that.

I want to see pictures of her covering that crew! LOL... broodies are pretty amazing at getting things done, that is for sure!

 

[Chickadee-23]

I dont know if this is the right place for this question, i have a broody hen sitting on eggs i candled them there are babys inside i dnt know when she started to sit it was her & her sister until last nite somthin got the sister, im fear it will come back for her & the eggs, so can i move her to a small pen & put the eggs in box for her to continue sitting on or should i incubate them? Shes the last bantam hen i got i dont want leave her in the coop she will not be safe!! thanks

 

[fisherlady]

I dont know if this is the right place for this question, i have a broody hen sitting on eggs i candled them there are babys inside i dnt know when she started to sit it was her & her sister until last nite somthin got the sister, im fear it will come back for her & the eggs, so can i move her to a small pen & put the eggs in box for her to continue sitting on or should i incubate them? Shes the last bantam hen i got i dont want leave her in the coop she will not be safe!!

thanks

Her safety is your first priority... decide where she will be safe and prep the nest area by moving some material from her existing nest and a couple of her eggs so that when you move her she will feel the eggs under her and the nest area will even smell familiar. Give her the other eggs then and then keep her in low light and quiet for the rest of the evening/overnight. Hopefully she won't freak too bad or abandon the nest/eggs. She may get up and pace, but if she gets back onto the nest within a half hour or so you should be OK. Just watch closely to make sure she doesn't abandon the nest at a later time.
Broody moves are usually done at night to minimize upset, but it sounds like this situation won't allow you to wait.... just get the incubator started and warming up in case you need it. I hope she moves well for you!

 

[PortlandHen]

Yes my double yolker is under my broody hen. Can't wait to see how it turns out. When is yours due?

So fun!

 

[lovely guy]

i have placed my eggs in my own homemade incubator and its turning out to be day 10 let see........i have candeled the eggs and the embryo is preety much developing ..................the thng is that i dont have a humidity gauge and i have jst placed a plate of water in it..............are the eggs getting the required humidity......or they will be dried out.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I have never hatched or incubated chicks in my two year limited experience. But I believe there is a humidity level you want to attain and perhaps you can get a cheap hygrometer at your local Hardware store to keep you in the "know". I believe there is a dry method of hatching with a lower humidity during the first 2 weeks or so which then increases at the end during lockdown...and then there are incubators that work on a generally higher humidity level the whole incubation process. That has been my take. Depending on the the method...I just don't know what your best bet is. But I think you'd do well to get a humidity gage and search a couple incubator threads, in my humble opinion.

 

[fisherlady]

i have placed my eggs in my own homemade incubator and its turning out to be day 10 let see........i have candeled the eggs and the embryo is preety much developing ..................the thng is that i dont have a humidity gauge and i have jst placed a plate of water in it..............are the eggs getting the required humidity......or they will be dried out.

. But I think you'd do well to get a humidity gage and search a couple incubator threads, in my humble opinion.

I agree with Bogtown... it depends on the type of incubation being done and may even depend on the humidity of the room your incubator is on. You need to post your question on one of the threads which deal with artificial incubation so you are better able to have a response from someone who has more experience using incubators.

 

[DarynA146]

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

my three silkies are broody too. Two of them in the same nest sitting, amd another hen seperate on 8 or 9 eggs

 

[DarynA146]

day 19 today. eggs due saturday

 

[Tyaloria]

Had to give up on my Wyandotte who was the excessive broody one and put all 11 eggs under my poor sussex as Wyandotte decided it was too boring for her and started attacking the sussex to peck the eggs! Needless to say we started off with 12 eggs and she ate 1 so it was an emergency run to find an incubator last night to relieve the remaining eggs to survive! My Wyandotte is a bit daft anyway she honks like a goose and crows like a roo....