Broody Hen Thread!

[abserbean]

I know we have to decided, and if going to break do it quickly. Problem is, she is super determined, the wire bottomed cage did not work for her in the past. We tried to break her this last time, and ended up letting her set a clutch. She was a rescue b/c she was broody on an empty nest for so long her health wasn't great. This last hatch she did great, although there were a few times we took her off the nest to make sure she was eating/drinking, but she didn't lose any weight or feathers. I'll watch her for a few days and see just how determined she is. My son went out and took her off the nest and took her unfertile egg from her. She pecked him and screeched for about ten minutes, we'll see if she stays off with the egg gone. If I could find a quicker home for my chicks, that may be an option. I was going to keep a couple of pullets, but I could let her hatch more and keep a few of those. All this over thinking, and she will probably change her mind!

 

[fisherlady]

I know we have to decided, and if going to break do it quickly. Problem is, she is super determined, the wire bottomed cage did not work for her in the past. We tried to break her this last time, and ended up letting her set a clutch. She was a rescue b/c she was broody on an empty nest for so long her health wasn't great. This last hatch she did great, although there were a few times we took her off the nest to make sure she was eating/drinking, but she didn't lose any weight or feathers. I'll watch her for a few days and see just how determined she is. My son went out and took her off the nest and took her unfertile egg from her. She pecked him and screeched for about ten minutes, we'll see if she stays off with the egg gone. If I could find a quicker home for my chicks, that may be an option. I was going to keep a couple of pullets, but I could let her hatch more and keep a few of those. All this over thinking, and she will probably change her mind!

Well, one of my broody clutches is going directly to a friend after they are done with their mama... I had a friend who wanted to replace his White Leghorn flock and couldn't find any day olds at the TSC or local feed mill this spring. I had broodies galore and didn't want more chicks to sell. So I found some LH eggs to keep the broodies happy and he will be glad to take any which hatch. So is a win/win.
If you have a local sales paper or online sales thing like a Craigs list (we have one which is similar to CL, but is all local stuff) Then you could advertise her as 'broody hen for rent' LOL... it may sound silly, but there are a lot of folks out there who don't want to mess with brooder raising day old chicks, or prefer the thoughts of the natural brooding and raising method.... they may provide you with eggs of their chosen breed and your hen can hatch them out and raise them, when she is done with them they all go to the pre-arranged person.

As part of the deal you may require them to take all of the hatched chicks (so you don't have a cockerel issue to deal with ) and you can set a price per chick no matter how many girls or boys there are.
It can't hurt to give it a try! For us it is a major win/win... we get the fun of watching the broody do her thing and we don't need to worry about selling the youngsters... our friend will be getting a group of birds who have been broody raised, taught to forage and fend for themselves and already understand how to deal with flock dynamics and are able to go straight to a coop setting without need for fussing over heat lamps and such!

 

[ChickyChickens]

Well, one of my broody clutches is going directly to a friend after they are done with their mama... I had a friend who wanted to replace his White Leghorn flock and couldn't find any day olds at the TSC or local feed mill this spring. I had broodies galore and didn't want more chicks to sell. So I found some LH eggs to keep the broodies happy and he will be glad to take any which hatch. So is a win/win.
If you have a local sales paper or online sales thing like a Craigs list (we have one which is similar to CL, but is all local stuff) Then you could advertise her as 'broody hen for rent' LOL... it may sound silly, but there are a lot of folks out there who don't want to mess with brooder raising day old chicks, or prefer the thoughts of the natural brooding and raising method.... they may provide you with eggs of their chosen breed and your hen can hatch them out and raise them, when she is done with them they all go to the pre-arranged person.

As part of the deal you may require them to take all of the hatched chicks (so you don't have a cockerel issue to deal with ) and you can set a price per chick no matter how many girls or boys there are.
It can't hurt to give it a try! For us it is a major win/win... we get the fun of watching the broody do her thing and we don't need to worry about selling the youngsters... our friend will be getting a group of birds who have been broody raised, taught to forage and fend for themselves and already understand how to deal with flock dynamics and are able to go straight to a coop setting without need for fussing over heat lamps and such!

Awesome idea!! Sadly I cant......but I wish I could!

 

[darkbluespace]

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.

Thanks, I feel inspired and the eggs are available so I will probably have to go for it... I will keep an eye on her and I can always put them in the incubator I guess. She seems pretty dedicated sitting on plastic eater eggs right now and made no fuss when I put her nest in a secured box I made.

Your Buff Orpington and silkie chick sound adorable... it seems most mamas just want to have babies and are happy to adopt!

 

[darkbluespace]

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

OMG that is the cutest thing ever... love it! I am going to try it... found local Serama eggs today : )

 

[Junibutt]

My Broody is not doing so great on defending her chicks. She is number 3 on the pecking order of 5. All she was doing it either stand there and make her noise while the chicks got pecked or trying to come between the #1, #2 and the chicks. Never pecked back at the alpha hens. Today was day 7 of the hatch and first day of their interaction outside of the cordoned off area. I will watch them for the next couple of days and if the pecking goes on, I may have to just give away the chicks. I only let the broody hatch them so that I did not have to take care of them, but if she is not going to do her job, I will have to get rid of these chicks.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

My Broody is not doing so great on defending her chicks. She is number 3 on the pecking order of 5. All she was doing it either stand there and make her noise while the chicks got pecked or trying to come between the #1, #2 and the chicks. Never pecked back at the alpha hens. Today was day 7 of the hatch and first day of their interaction outside of the cordoned off area. I will watch them for the next couple of days and if the pecking goes on, I may have to just give away the chicks. I only let the broody hatch them so that I did not have to take care of them, but if she is not going to do her job, I will have to get rid of these chicks.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

Can you keep momma and the chicks separated for awhile longer? The chicks and mom often integrate better to flock ranging at week 4.

Lady of McCamley

 

[Junibutt]

Can you keep momma and the chicks separated for awhile longer? The chicks and mom often integrate better to flock ranging at week 4.

Lady of McCamley

I guess I can, but at 4 weeks don't the chicks integrate on their own anyways.

 

[sonderah]

Well. I gave my broody Silkie some day old babies I'd hatched in the incubator. I wasn't so sure she was going to take them. At 1st she didn't let them crawl under her, acted like she was still protecting her eggs, (she didn't have any eggs) but wasn't mean. I took her out placed the chicks, & say her ontop of them. By morning she had adjusted, but the chicks were ready to roam, & she was still sitting tight. So after catching them running around the run alone with all the others, I penned them in the brooder box with her. Of course I've checked on them constantly! Yesterday I opened it and she brought them out to play. She seemed to be doing really well with them, & they are listening well. None of the other chickens in that run are even attempting to bother them. When she was ready to go in they all followed, but only 1 of 3 could manage to get back inside with her. So I penned them all up again. Its a doghouse with a lip like an inch or 2 off the ground! They r just so tiny, they can't do it. Lol I'll add some "steps" today and try again. I'm just glad she's doing so well! She had only been laying 2 weeks b4 she went broody. So she is very young and this is her 1st time AND she accepted adopted babies!!!!!

 

[jajeanpierre]

Did I get a surprise yesterday--a pipping egg that I would have bet money on was a dud.

My favorite hen, the biological mother, is doing poorly. (And, yes, I have been consulting with avian vets about her--I can't believe how many times I've had her to the vet but sometimes one is just special.) It has been one health crisis after another, all caused by the previous crisis or the treatment of the current crisis. Her current health dilemma is severe bumble foot. I saved her last eggs, desperate to have chicks from her. I put 7 under a broody Ameraucana that all hatched Sunday. She laid 2 more after I had put the clutch under the broody so I put them under a broody Silkie.

I was not very confident about any eggs--some looked porous, especially the last two I put under the Silkie. Those last two were the worst, with dark lines like cracks or fissures and dark speckling. I wasn't even sure they were fertile since by that time she was laying her last few eggs, I had penned her separately. I didn't even get around to candling the last two until they were something like 16 days or more old. I "thought" I saw some veins on one, but wasn't sure. The other I was sure had never started--no veins, small air sac and all dark. I was sure both eggs were dead, but since this is my first experience with hatching eggs and candling, I decided to wait it out and do a float test a couple of days after they were due to hatch. What's the worst that could happen? A stinky mess?--better than killing viable chicks.

They are due to hatch today or even later since I've had musical broody moms on them. When I lifted the Silkie off them yesterday to check for other freshly laid eggs (sometimes there are three hens in the same nest box, all trying to be broody) I saw a little pip. This morning I have a new chick AND the other egg has pipped. I am in shock that even one of those 9 eggs was viable considering everything.

I just can't believe first-time broodies can have such an excellent hatch rate from poor quality eggs.