Broody Hen Thread!

[Robbo]

My Broody. First time with a Broody, very excited. Her eggs will be here Tuesday.

Some more Silkies coming.

Our rooster isn't mature yet.

Shucks! The snow storm that has been going on has delayed my eggs I believe. They haven't moved for a day per the post office. I am hoping they just haven't scanned them. But she is still sitting strong. Only getting up once a day.

 

[MelissaZeno]

Is it ok to brood the mother in a brooding container that is big enough for her and a her chicks, it is the same box that I brooded my first chicks in?

 

[ChickyChickens]

Today i put 3 hens in the broody breaker camp...lol

 

[fisherlady]

Is it ok to brood the mother in a brooding container that is big enough for her and a her chicks, it is the same box that I brooded my first chicks in?

any box, container, cage or whatever that you use needs to be spacious enough to allow a comfortable sized nest and a few square feet for the hen to get out of the nest to stretch a bit and eat/drink. Size would depend on how big the broody hen is and how many chicks also.. A silkie does not need the same square footage as an Orpington. Another thing I would advise is that it be tall enough to allow the hen to easily stand up tall and even stretch up and flap her wings if she wants.
I would go no smaller than 2x2 for any size bird and at that small a size you will need to try to figure out a way to get them out on a regular basis for a bit more leg room to stretch after the chicks are hatched. My preference would be more like 2x3.5 (picture one of those large metal dog cages)

 

[MelissaZeno]

Thank you, I will make sure they have enough room.

 

[mymilliefleur]

I have my first broody of the year!

I have decided to let her sit on some EE X Rhode island red and d'Uccle eggs! It's unusual for me to have one so soon, my hens normally start going broody in march are april.

 

[fisherlady]

I have my first broody of the year!

I have decided to let her sit on some EE X Rhode island red and d'Uccle eggs! It's unusual for me to have one so soon, my hens normally start going broody in march are april.

Congrats!! Winter hatching can cause extra worries, but the little ones are amazingly resilient! Good luck with your hatch!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I have my first broody of the year!

I have decided to let her sit on some EE X Rhode island red and d'Uccle eggs! It's unusual for me to have one so soon, my hens normally start going broody in march are april.

Congratulations!

I'm waiting here....my Silkie was sitting in the nest the other day, looking all proper...but she left an egg and the nest...ah well, hopefully soon.

My next project will be OE's and Isbars

LofMc

 

[mymilliefleur]

Congratulations!

I'm waiting here....my Silkie was sitting in the nest the other day, looking all proper...but she left an egg and the nest...ah well, hopefully soon.

My next project will be OE's and Isbars

LofMc

I don't have me breeding stock separate yet, so I will be saving eggs from my laying flock (70 hens, two young EE roos, my older EE roo and my RIR roo) so I'm not sure how fertile the eggs will be. But even if she only hatches a couple of chicks, I'm sure she will be happy with them, and I can always set her on more eggs later, since this particular hen is known for going broody many times a year.

 

[ChickyChickens]

I think my broodies in the "broody quit pen" are starting to loose their instinct now!!!