Broody Hen Thread!

[ChickyChickens]

1. Well, I have 15 hens - 13 are laying, 1 just hatched a batch, 1 has retired herself from laying -- she's into her 5th yr and I haven't seen her on a nest this summer. Then there are 2 batches of chicks.... well, now 3 batches. One batch of 4 pullets at almost a full 4 months old. Not laying yet but in with the general population as of this week - they are the "teenage foursome". Batch # 2 has 4 more pullets that are almost a full 3 months old. They are in a chicken tractor and not ready to be integrated with the others although they free range with the big girls. They just need more size on them before I will put them in the coop/run. Then there is the new batch of 6. I don't know if those are girls or boys yet. And I won't keep the boys. So the simple answer is I have 29 chickens. The complicated answer is all that other stuff.

2. Not so far. As soon as this one (Ellie Mae) went to sticking to that nest, I found some fertile eggs from a friend and put them under her. Never have done that before. If anymore go broody they just have to wait it out cause my coop can't take any more birds.

I don't know how I did this to myself. I swore I was not buying any chicks this year. Every year since I started this, I have bought 4-6 chicks and added to my flock. Usually some of those chicks are Roos and I won't keep a Roo - I live in the city limits. So sometimes I actually add as many as 5 and as few as 2. I said not this year. But then I went and practically doubled my flock.

AND I have 2 pekin ducks that rule the roost. They were raised with the chickens and think they are chickens. I put them in the pond and they come right out. Silly girls! They stick close to the chickens and actually act like a rooster in that they herd the girls and make sure they all get in at night before they go in. I love the pekin ducks!

On top of that, we have probably a couple of hundreds of thousands of bees. We are beekeepers.

3 dogs...

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.....

Cool!
I also got a beehive this year! Every year I am going to buy another one!
Beekeeping is soo fun!!!

 

[darkbluespace]

Just saw this thread so maybe I should ask my question here...


I finally have a chicken going broody. She is a pretty light weight Salmon Faverolle, do you think it would be safe to put some tiny Serama eggs under her?
Could she hatch them or do you think they would be crushed? I think I can get them locally and wouldn't have to attempt shipped eggs.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Alyssa

 

[LisaLouHoo]

Just saw this thread so maybe I should ask my question here...


I finally have a chicken going broody.  She is a pretty light weight Salmon Faverolle, do you think it would be safe to put some tiny Serama eggs under her? 
  Could she hatch them or do you think they would be crushed?  I think I can get them locally and wouldn't have to attempt shipped eggs.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Alyssa

If she's a first-time broody, then you can't predict how things will go, but I'd say that she probably wouldn't crush them just because she's LF and the eggs are Banty. It's always a learning experience, but if you want to use a broody, you have to start somewhere. Good Luck!!!!

btw, my Buff Orpington broody sat on a little silkie egg until it hatched. It is so funny to see one big BO ushering around a little tiny silkie baby. She gives it 100% of her time, lol.

 

[TiaRC]

If she's a first-time broody, then you can't predict how things will go, but I'd say that she probably wouldn't crush them just because she's LF and the eggs are Banty. It's always a learning experience, but if you want to use a broody, you have to start somewhere. Good Luck!!!!

btw, my Buff Orpington broody sat on a little silkie egg until it hatched. It is so funny to see one big BO ushering around a little tiny silkie baby. She gives it 100% of her time, lol.

I about a month ago I had a first time broody Silkie. She was god aweful. She did great hatching the eggs but did really know how to do the rest. She wound up abandoning them after 2 weeks. And 4 of the 6 died. The two that lived where adopted by a pair of easter eggers. But now that darn Silkie is broody again! Being that she has a bad parenting first time experience, I'm weary about letting her hatch again. But I believe Imma see if she learned anything and hope for the best. If not I'll step in. Can't afford to be loosing precious babies!

 

[ChickyChickens]

I need help naming some of my broody chooks! I want names that you guys think will be cool not the internet!
So please be free to help!
Thanx!!!!



#1



#2

Her clutch is a little bit dirty but I was told not to wash the eggs so I have just left them!#

She wasn't very happy!

As you can see!!!!!

#3

As you can see I have a lot of chicks coming soon! These aren't my only broodies!( I have 4 more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)


Some previous broodies with their now chicks! She has got 4 = 1 roo; 3 hens

They were running.......very fast!
She has 8= 3 roo's; 5 hens

Standing on top of the wooden platform........sooooo cute!
Oh yes.... I also need names for those 2 hens with the chicks( only the hens pls)

 

[abserbean]

I think my Lillie is broody again. She has been in the nest all morning, is puffed up to twice her size, and growled at me when I went to check on her. Her chicks are only seven weeks old! Seriously? We can't hatch again so soon, I haven't even found homes for her last chicks yet. I'll keep an eye on her, maybe it won't stick. We got her last November as a rescue b/c she had gone broody and was stuck to the nest for four months, didn't break until we moved her here. She's a great broody/mom, but I wasn't planning on her hatching multiple clutches each year. Someone needs to tell her she isn't a silky, and that barnyard EE mixes are not supposed to be so broody!

 

[fisherlady]

I think my Lillie is broody again. She has been in the nest all morning, is puffed up to twice her size, and growled at me when I went to check on her. Her chicks are only seven weeks old! Seriously? We can't hatch again so soon, I haven't even found homes for her last chicks yet. I'll keep an eye on her, maybe it won't stick. We got her last November as a rescue b/c she had gone broody and was stuck to the nest for four months, didn't break until we moved her here. She's a great broody/mom, but I wasn't planning on her hatching multiple clutches each year. Someone needs to tell her she isn't a silky, and that barnyard EE mixes are not supposed to be so broody!

Some hens are just determined to repopulate the chicken world all by themselves!!

as soon as you find that 'someone' who can explain to her that she shouldn't be a perpetual broody could you send them my way when they are done talking to Lillie??? I currently have 3 LF Silver Pencil Rocks who are broody for the second time this year, and a hatchery Black Giant who is also on her second set for the year! And of course my faithful little silkie mix who is also on her second batch (but that I expect)....

I only have 23 laying hens... and currently 10 are broody, and the last one to go into a box makes broody #16 for this year... and I have 2 more acting 'pre-broody' and 2 others who should have a fall brood yet (based on their historic patterns).

 

[Heatherschix]

Just saw this thread so maybe I should ask my question here...


I finally have a chicken going broody. She is a pretty light weight Salmon Faverolle, do you think it would be safe to put some tiny Serama eggs under her?
Could she hatch them or do you think they would be crushed? I think I can get them locally and wouldn't have to attempt shipped eggs.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Alyssa

I had a LF hatch and raise my banties...it was so cute, they used to hitch a ride on her back

 

[abserbean]

Some hens are just determined to repopulate the chicken world all by themselves!!

as soon as you find that 'someone' who can explain to her that she shouldn't be a perpetual broody could you send them my way when they are done talking to Lillie??? I currently have 3 LF Silver Pencil Rocks who are broody for the second time this year, and a hatchery Black Giant who is also on her second set for the year! And of course my faithful little silkie mix who is also on her second batch (but that I expect)....

I only have 23 laying hens... and currently 10 are broody, and the last one to go into a box makes broody #16 for this year... and I have 2 more acting 'pre-broody' and 2 others who should have a fall brood yet (based on their historic patterns).

Broody craziness! You must have a lot more space than me. I went out and took her some shredded cheese, her absolute fav snack, didn't budge an inch and blew up/growled at me. I put a few pinches in front of her, so that she could still have a treat. She managed her last clutch well, didn't lose weight, did great with the chicks, if I had the space I would def. let her set again. But until I find a home for the newest chicks, there is no space for babies! I was going to take the roos and a couple pullets to a farm swap in two weeks, maybe I can pick up hatching eggs while I'm there if she is still determined. I hate to leave her a full two weeks on any empty nest though, even though she did great this last time, that's a long period to be brooding. Pretty sure the hubs won't okay eggs until some chicks are gone though.........

 

[Heatherschix]

Broody craziness! You must have a lot more space than me. I went out and took her some shredded cheese, her absolute fav snack, didn't budge an inch and blew up/growled at me. I put a few pinches in front of her, so that she could still have a treat. She managed her last clutch well, didn't lose weight, did great with the chicks, if I had the space I would def. let her set again. But until I find a home for the newest chicks, there is no space for babies! I was going to take the roos and a couple pullets to a farm swap in two weeks, maybe I can pick up hatching eggs while I'm there if she is still determined. I hate to leave her a full two weeks on any empty nest though, even though she did great this last time, that's a long period to be brooding. Pretty sure the hubs won't okay eggs until some chicks are gone though.........

Here is a helpful article....

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/05/broody-breaker-when-hens-mood-to-hatch.html