Broody Hen Thread!

[Ramblin Rooster]

My first broodies! A white showgirl and a blue silkie! They each have a few eggs and are doing a good job so far!

I moved in a buff orp hen nearby to try to see if she would be interested too, we will see...

 

[stonecoldchey]

Today our first chick hatched and it is so cute!


I can't wait till the others hatch!

 

[abserbean]

Congratulations. Usually things settle pretty quickly, and if there is trouble it arises at the first (unless you add stressors such as too few of feeders or not enough room).

Nice chicks...Marans? And 1 roo with 3 girls and a no-can-see.

Lady of McCamley

Well, things went well until roosting time! Lillie (our broody) wouldn't get up on the roost with the chicks b/c Paisley (pen mate) had taken their preferred spot. And since Lillie is lower on the pecking order, she was going to bed down outside, the poor chicks were so confused! They were running back and forth, peeping at mom. I finally moved Paisley back to the roost in my other pen for the night, we'll work on it again tomorrow. The chicks are a mix, two BLRW, three EE's, and two OEs. The little rooster is an OE (and I'm thinking might be the only roo, I have four for sure pullets and two still undecided, but leaning pullet) The OE's are a marans roo over a blue ameracauna, but the little roo looks pretty much like a marans. He does have poofy cheeks though! And a saucy attitude to match his big red comb, already he is difficult to hold. Going to have to find him a home soon, we can't keep roos. Too bad, because we really love him. I hope he feathers in better before we have to rehome him, b/c right now he is a slow feathering scraggly mess!

 

[abserbean]

Today our first chick hatched and it is so cute!


I can't wait till the others hatch!

 

[AmericanMom]

So the Molted java who hatched out chicks 9 weeks ago has went broody again!! She did so well the first time around eating and getting off the nest and not losing any weight I am letting her go again. She is 6 days in and way more determined than last time! She is a trooper, hopefully she wont abandon them again after 4 weeks! LOL... She is currently sitting on a clutch of 12 in her own nest next to the coop with her own run. Then I have a Acona hen that for whatever reason decided to join in the fun, tried moving her last night, she was out first thing this morning, back in the coop in her nest.. I marked her 5 eggs and will let her hatch them in there, she seems to do a lot better than the Java did with the other hens.


Here we go again!

 

[cayle]

So the Molted java who hatched out chicks 9 weeks ago has went broody again!! She did so well the first time around eating and getting off the nest and not losing any weight I am letting her go again. She is 6 days in and way more determined than last time! She is a trooper, hopefully she wont abandon them again after 4 weeks! LOL... She is currently sitting on a clutch of 12 in her own nest next to the coop with her own run. Then I have a Acona hen that for whatever reason decided to join in the fun, tried moving her last night, she was out first thing this morning, back in the coop in her nest.. I marked her 5 eggs and will let her hatch them in there, she seems to do a lot better than the Java did with the other hens.


Here we go again!

Wow! Good luck Your lucky to have very determined hens. Good luck with the chicks!!!

 

[stonecoldchey]

They will all be barnyard mixes. I now this little guy is from a black copper maran egg. Its dad could be a Black Copper Maran, a Buff Orpington, or a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte.

I have two broody hens and I was wandering if after their chicks hatch if I could leave them in the same coop together or if they would try to kill each others chicks.

P.S. We named the chick Uno.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

They will all be barnyard mixes. I now this little guy is from a black copper maran egg. Its dad could be a Black Copper Maran, a Buff Orpington, or a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte.

I have two broody hens and I was wandering if after their chicks hatch if I could leave them in the same coop together or if they would try to kill each others chicks.

P.S. We named the chick Uno.

You probably can leave them together. It will depend on the hens and your space situation. Just watch the first couple of days to make sure neither mom is bullying the other or that they are fighting and endangering chicks. Typically, if there is unrest the moms will fight each other to stake out territory but not go after the other's chicks...however chick killing has been known to happen (infrequently) or chicks can get trampled if things heat up too much with the ladies.

So try it, but watch and have a plan B.

I find if the moms hatch together peacefully in the same hutch they brood their chicks together okay. If one hen is more dominant over the other, a separation partition at night can help, then plenty of elbow room during the day as they figure out who has what space. Some hens get so chummy that they co-op brood.

Lady of McCamley

 

[stonecoldchey]

You probably can leave them together. It will depend on the hens and your space situation. Just watch the first couple of days to make sure neither mom is bullying the other or that they are fighting and endangering chicks. Typically, if there is unrest the moms will fight each other to stake out territory but not go after the other's chicks...however chick killing has been known to happen (infrequently) or chicks can get trampled if things heat up too much with the ladies.

So try it, but watch and have a plan B.

I find if the moms hatch together peacefully in the same hutch they brood their chicks together okay. If one hen is more dominant over the other, a separation partition at night can help, then plenty of elbow room during the day as they figure out who has what space. Some hens get so chummy that they co-op brood.

Lady of McCamley

Thank you, I sure hope they live together peacefully.

 

[sonderah]

Ahhhh! I need more Silkies! I only have 2 now laying age. My black one was the only one laying, then she went broody, so nobody for weeks! Then the white one finally started! Just got the black one laying again a week ago and 2 eggs a day, now my white one is broody!!! Lol I love the broody hens, just need some actually laying too!!