Broody Hen Thread!

[Hannahs Hollow]

The coop is pretty protected in the winter, but I have taken off the chip board covers to let the sun in since April. That is good for ventilation and the hens are loving it but probably not good for newborns. Its going to be rainy tomorrow as well, so I will bring her back in couple of days once the chicks hatch and the rains stop.

sounds good let us know how it goes good luck!

 

[goosegirl6]

Hi guys! Ihave 4 one- year-old Red Chantecler hens and 3 of them have gone broody since winter. The 4th is bullied and stays up on the roost most of the day. I let 2 hatch out chicks and the first, Bear, has gone broody agai now, along with Rose. I do not have a rooster anymore, so I cant hatch chicks. How do I break them up? Rose has been broody for months and is just pinning away.

 

[fisherlady]

Hi guys! Ihave 4 one- year-old Red Chantecler hens and 3 of them have gone broody since winter. The 4th is bullied and stays up on the roost most of the day. I let 2 hatch out chicks and the first, Bear, has gone broody agai now, along with Rose. I do not have a rooster anymore, so I cant hatch chicks. How do I break them up? Rose has been broody for months and is just pinning away.

Here is a recent reply on another broody thread....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...n-hatch-a-long-and-informational-thread/21530


if you go back about a month on either this thread or the other I gave you the link to you will find a wealth of information on broodies and handling odd situations.... I know the threads are long but they do make for some great reading and research sources.

 

[sab]

UPDATE on MOVING THE HEN to the floor.

In previous threads I explained the broody was about 3.5 ft off the floor and was worried about chicks falling out. So with numerous helpful suggestions on here, I moved her to the floor. I had tried moving her and her eggs once before and she went nuts. So moved them back up. The key to this move was: 1. MOVE THE ENTIRE NEST not just the eggs and hen. 2. DO IT AT NIGHT when they are in their zombie state and sitting in the nest.

First day after the move she was doing well in her nest. But when she got up for her daily constitution, she went nuts again as I had that area partitioned off with 5 ft high chicken wire. She settled down pretty quick and went back to the eggs. I have cameras on her. I did not see her eat or drink in that time. So I went out and she didn't poop either. She went another 24 hrs before getting up. She went 2 days....

So that night I opened the chicken wire so she could mingle with her flock as chicks aren't born yet. BAD IDEA
Today -- I found her outside (that's ok), another hen in her nest (not ok). I went out to shoo that hen out and either at that time or earlier one of the eggs was compromised. I hole with ooze coming out. Today is Wed. Hatch date is Saturday.... I thought maybe still viable so I opened it and no, chick was too immature to live. I guess there are no premies in the chick world. Now I'm down 1 egg with only 6 left BUT now I know they were fertile and the rest will hopefully hatch on Saturday.

Again, I have blocked her off from the general population. But this time I opened the door to my utility area of the coop to give her additional space to wonder around and explore on her daily walks. She has been an awesome momma to this point!

The really good news is my trip for this weekend got canceled and I WILL BE HERE YEA to see it all....

You can see Ellie Mae at work by going to www.clucksnducks.com and watch for yourself.

Thanks to every one for all the comments and help. I so will never again buy chicks.... I may even build something special for the broody. This making her anxious by moving her from her chosen nest is upsetting for me too.

 

[newtwinmom]

HELP!!!

I drove over to Ernie Haires to pick up some Marans chicks for a mama whose been sitting for three weeks. The dang bird flipped out at the sight of the chicks and went crazy until I put eggs back in the box. She promptly sat down and went back to incubating. But the chicks won't go to her, she won't talk to them, won't get up. She doesn't beat up on them but apparently is only interested in incubating. Any ideas on how to get her to take these chicks? I tried stashing them with my juvenile silkie who had half adopted some 4 wk olds and she thought about brooding them but them went to beating on them. The chicks hatched Sunday night and I put them under her Tuesday. Is that the problem? The chicks are past the attaching to a mama stage?

 

[abserbean]

Did you put them under at night? From what I have read, you need to do it at nighttime, so that mama is more accepting.

 

[newtwinmom]

Did you put them under at night? From what I have read, you need to do it at nighttime, so that mama is more accepting. 

I did not but I never do. I can't be there in the morning to make sure she doesn't kill them so I always do it in the daytime when I can supervise. I've given three mamas chicks this year and two last year doing it the same way. Maybe this mama just isn't cut out. She acted similarly last year but she was barely 30 weeks old at the time so I blamed it on immaturity. I think all her wires aren't screwed in right! Stinks because this is the second time she had been broody this year and is a fab incubator-very big and very reliable. Her last clutch she left the day before hatching to adopt some orphaned 5wk olds. She mothered them for weeks and weeks, until the roo she raised started breeding her! Then she laid for three weeks and broody again. Crazy thing.

 

[Murs]

How can I tell if my broody hen is eating and drinking?

I am at work all day so I can't keep watch. Her food and water is outside of the coop. I did bring her lettuce a couple days ago and she didn't want anything to do with it. I left it in the nest box with her and it was still there yesterday. This is her first time broody (and mine!). I have four fertile eggs under her.

Should I have a waterer and feeder in the coop with her?

I have one other chicken so I decided not to separate them. My other hen has been laying in the other nest box and there is a third nest box that's not used.

One more question - I noticed black ants on my broody hen. I think I am more bothered by this than she is. Is this a problem?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

How can I tell if my broody hen is eating and drinking?

I am at work all day so I can't keep watch. Her food and water is outside of the coop. I did bring her lettuce a couple days ago and she didn't want anything to do with it. I left it in the nest box with her and it was still there yesterday. This is her first time broody (and mine!). I have four fertile eggs under her.

Should I have a waterer and feeder in the coop with her?

I have one other chicken so I decided not to separate them. My other hen has been laying in the other nest box and there is a third nest box that's not used.

One more question - I noticed black ants on my broody hen. I think I am more bothered by this than she is. Is this a problem?

If she has food and water close by, she will be fine. Broodies get up and eat and drink and poo once a day. You just likely won't see her, and might not notice a lot of the food gone. Keeping her on high protein feed is important, and I like to put vitamin/electrolytes in the water to also help boost her.

Ah yes, those darn black ants. They don't seem to bother the hen, but I don't like them either...and they WILL swarm over the hatching chicks as they hatch bringing in bacteria.

I use "Orange Guard" and Poultry Dust (Permethrin) in the nest area to help cut down on them. Neither of those will hurt the hen or eggs or chicks.

Lady of McCamley

 

[goosegirl6]

Here is a recent reply on another broody thread....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...n-hatch-a-long-and-informational-thread/21530


if you go back about a month on either this thread or the other I gave you the link to you will find a wealth of information on broodies and handling odd situations.... I know the threads are long but they do make for some great reading and research sources.

Thanks.