Broody Hen Thread!

[Aunt ruth]

Aunt ruth, is there any chance that you can move her and her eggs to a new nest even if temporarily? The reason I’m asking is that mites are a challenge to get rid of, and I think you will need to clean out all the bedding and treat all surfaces in the box. Personally I would not want to use any of the recommended solutions without giving the chemicals a chance to do their work and dissipate before I returned a broody and eggs back to the nestbox. I made a portable broody nest box out of a big plastic Rubbermaid tote: drilled several large 3" vent holes on the sides and back near the top, added a big skylight opening in the lid and attached some 1/2" welded wire across all openings except the doorway. I made it so that I can move her into a sectioned off corner of a new larger coop with the rest of the flock after the chicks hatch. Could this work for you too?

I'm kinda afraid to move her. She has been broody for longer than three weeks and I'm afraid if I try to move her now she may get annoyed and leave the eggs.

 

[Hannahs Hollow]

I'm kinda afraid to move her. She has been broody for longer than three weeks and I'm afraid if I try to move her now she may get annoyed and leave the eggs.

if its been more then 3 and less then 6, her health is good, I'd move her and she'll be fine. Do it at dusk or night.

 

[Penny Hen]

I lucked out in moving my broody. I had used my dog kennel as a chick pen when she was little. So she grew up knowing the dog kennel as a safe place. So when I relocated her to the dog kennel to brood it was like coming home.

 

[EricaG]

Hello everyone this is my first time asking a question on this website! So I have a female Silky that just became broody today. She is laying on one egg as of right now. I took the egg from the day before, cracked it open and looked, and I do see the bull's-eye dot in the yolk. My question is, do I need to keep her completely separate from the other hen that I have? I only have her and another hen. I had to re home the rooster because he was crowing a lot. I have a medium dog carrier in the chicken coop and that's where she is, so I marked that egg and I put the metal door on the crate so the other hen won't bug her at night. I'm just not sure if I need to keep her separate by herself????

 

[jajeanpierre]

Hello everyone this is my first time asking a question on this website! So I have a female Silky that just became broody today. She is laying on one egg as of right now. I took the egg from the day before, cracked it open and looked, and I do see the bull's-eye dot in the yolk. My question is, do I need to keep her completely separate from the other hen that I have? I only have her and another hen. I had to re home the rooster because he was crowing a lot. I have a medium dog carrier in the chicken coop and that's where she is, so I marked that egg and I put the metal door on the crate so the other hen won't bug her at night. I'm just not sure if I need to keep her separate by herself????

When did you "rehome" the rooster? The hen will only be fertile for a short period of time after she has no access to a rooster. If she is on fertile eggs and you want to hatch them, there really is no reason to separate the two hens. Silkies, especially, will co-brood and co-parent.

 

[Phoenixxx]

I feel terrible! I have too much on my mind, & do not feel like I'm giving my girls or chicks the proper amount of my time! Things WILL settle in a month or so, but still...

I have a broody due to hatch today, & I need to close her off so the chicks cannot fall out of nest, coop is 3 1/2 ft from the ground. I so should have had this figured out by now! I'm such a crappy chicken mom as of late!
I use a doghouse on the ground normally, but already have a girl raising babies in it. Ahhhh!!! Idk what I'm gonna do with this one and her babies yet! I'm afraid to close her up cause its SOOOO humid and hot!
Maybe 1 of my dogs will have to lose their house for awhile, they rarely use them anyway, they prefer to sleep on our porch. Lol

My broody was that high up or higher also. Babies that fell out/jumped down were just fine! Give them a soft landing, like a thick layer of hay or a pile of moss or something, just to be nice

 

[sonderah]

My broody was that high up or higher also. Babies that fell out/jumped down were just fine! Give them a soft landing, like a thick layer of hay or a pile of moss or something, just to be nice

Thanks! I'm leaving tomorrow though and will be gone a month. I will worry myself to death of I do that. Lol I just stole another dog house since the dogs never use it. I'm not even sure if any will hatch. Its day 22 now, but had a loss of power in the bator at 1 point, so they could be late. He will transfer her & babies after hatch.

 

[EricaG]

I rehomed him about three days ago. And if he did mate with her, the sperm will stay in her body for two weeks. Now she's out of the coop running around, so now I'm not so sure if that egg will be fertile.

 

[ChickyChickens]

I rehomed him about three days ago. And if he did mate with her, the sperm will stay in her body for two weeks. Now she's out of the coop running around, so now I'm not so sure if that egg will be fertile.

 

[itspebbl]

I have a Red Sex Link hen who went broody a week ago. I have heard of more than one RSL going broody. Are they OK mothers?