Broody Hen Thread!

[leedyfeathers]

I have an EE who has the broody like instinct. She will sit on a bunch of eggs and on occasion I hear her growling at other hens that try and get in the box with her and sometimes I open and theres two birds piled up. She will leave if I take the eggs out of nest and sometimes after so long leaves anyway but doesn't go back. I have a roo and would love her to raise some she is one of three gentle girls I have. What can I do to help her along? And how to keep her on them.

 

[Lutz Farms]

Well, we are a day over due which I know isn't a big deal but worries me since I hear nothing viable from the eggs via stethoscope. When eggs are candled they are obviously grown as you can't view the chick as it takes up the entire egg. But anxious and worries all at the same time. No bad smell, momma hasn't kicked any eggs out....I'm sure I'm being a worry wart but it is also cold outside the coop and want to get a quick grasp on the babies once they arrive to make sure are safe and warm ..... thinking I should grab momma and chickies and take them in upon first crack. My mind races.

 

[Lutz Farms]

I have an EE who has the broody like instinct. She will sit on a bunch of eggs and on occasion I hear her growling at other hens that try and get in the box with her and sometimes I open and theres two birds piled up. She will leave if I take the eggs out of nest and sometimes after so long leaves anyway but doesn't go back. I have a roo and would love her to raise some she is one of three gentle girls I have. What can I do to help her along? And how to keep her on them.

Sounds like to me, but I'm somewhat of a beginner, that she enjoys sitting but not quite broody yet. You can throw her into a broody stage but some opposed to doing that as it can be heart wrenching for both you and the hen. So you cld either, leave her with the eggs and attempts the methods of making her broody that others have tried which you can look up as each one is different and people prefer their own method OR you can watch her and continue to collect your eggs. My broodys will sit on absolutely nothing and be grumpy when you approach them so .....not that I provided you with much information but hope this helps. My EE or Aracauna haven't shown any broody tendencies yet my turkeys and BA are sitting on top of each other hogging eggs. Good luck.

 

[ChickyChickens]

I hjave got no more broodies anymore for a while now

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I have an EE who has the broody like instinct. She will sit on a bunch of eggs and on occasion I hear her growling at other hens that try and get in the box with her and sometimes I open and theres two birds piled up. She will leave if I take the eggs out of nest and sometimes after so long leaves anyway but doesn't go back. I have a roo and would love her to raise some she is one of three gentle girls I have. What can I do to help her along? And how to keep her on them.

There is nothing you can do to make a hen go into a good brood if she isn't inclined gentically and hormonally to do so, but I have seen less dominant hens be forced out of a nest by more so often that they do not stick to a brood.

What you can do to see if she has the mettle is to put her in her own isolated nest with a couple fake eggs the next time she shows tendency to brood.

No other hen (or roo) should be able to get into her area. It should be dim, lined with very cozy soft hay/bedding, and have a distinguishable "box" that is not more than an inch or two high, and out of any drafts so it looks and feels like a cozy, confined, dimly lit nest. She should have room to get up, turn around, and then take a step or two to food and water (which is placed on something stable so it can't tip over into the nest). Ideally she should be able to get to a run to stretch and dust bathe, but in the beginning I "lock" them in for a day or two without the ability to get to a run to see if I can settle the hen.

If she is not in the mood, all you get is a mad hen determined to get out of the isolation box...so watch closely and let her out if she becomes frantic....but if she gets up and paces but settles, let it ride to see if she'll settle down to a good brood. Once she has, you can open up an area for her to dust bathe which can even be a box of dirt set in for her use. If she stays faithful, then place your hatching eggs under her. It is vital though, with these less dominant hens that they are not disturbed by others.

Be aware that this trait can mean the hen doesn't have the genetic makeup for a really good brood and won't stick...but I've had several who were hesitant in the main coop settle down into a very nice brood in an isolation hutch and hatch some nice chicks for me....after I "nursed" the idea for them at first.

Good luck.
LofMc

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Well, we are a day over due which I know isn't a big deal but worries me since I hear nothing viable from the eggs via stethoscope. When eggs are candled they are obviously grown as you can't view the chick as it takes up the entire egg. But anxious and worries all at the same time. No bad smell, momma hasn't kicked any eggs out....I'm sure I'm being a worry wart but it is also cold outside the coop and want to get a quick grasp on the babies once they arrive to make sure are safe and warm ..... thinking I should grab momma and chickies and take them in upon first crack. My mind races.

Well that is frustrating...I would think you would have heard something with a stethoscope, but I haven't tried that, and I've read that chicks will typically hold very still when the egg is picked up...a natural reaction.

Wait it out another day...cold weather can delay hatches by a day or two. Then candle. The egg should have a clear air space and very dark blob taking up most of the egg. I've even gently shake to see if I feel weight....if there is a "slush a slush," it means the contents have putrified.

I see that you are in Wisconsin, so I imagine it gets wicked cold where you live...but I have had very successful hatches in 20's and teens with very cold wind chill in our wet Oregon (that many Easterners complain feels much colder than their "dry" cold.) The hen and the chicks just need to be out of drafts and direct weather and have a dry nest. I've never used heat in my broody hutch, momma does a great job as a warm up tent for the little chicks...who do have nicely zipped down jackets. It totally blows the mind after you've heat lamp brooded chicks, checking that temp so it doesn't get below 96 degrees or so that first week, to see momma have the babies out on day two or three scratching in sub freezing temps.

Good luck! Keeping my fingers crossed you'll be posting pics of newly hatched chicks soon.
LofMc

 

[fisherlady]

The hen and the chicks just need to be out of drafts and direct weather and have a dry nest. I've never used heat in my broody hutch, momma does a great job as a warm up tent for the little chicks...who do have nicely zipped down jackets. It totally blows the mind after you've heat lamp brooded chicks, checking that temp so it doesn't get below 96 degrees or so that first week, to see momma have the babies out on day two or three scratching in sub freezing temps.

This is so true! Right now I have 3 hens with chicks out in the coop.... today I was out there visiting and cleaning shelves and such and the 3 hens and all of the little ones were running around without a care in the world.... now my coop is insulated, and draft free (unless you are standing right in front of the pop door) but it was 9*F at my place this morning outside, and it was only 21*F in the coop when I first went out there. The chicks spent more time running around than they did warming up under an accommodating hen.... These chicks are 12 days old! If in a brooder I think the recommended temp would still be in the 80*F range or something like that?

 

[mymilliefleur]

This is so true! Right now I have 3 hens with chicks out in the coop.... today I was out there visiting and cleaning shelves and such and the 3 hens and all of the little ones were running around without a care in the world.... now my coop is insulated, and draft free (unless you are standing right in front of the pop door) but it was 9*F at my place this morning outside, and it was only 21*F in the coop when I first went out there. The chicks spent more time running around than they did warming up under an accommodating hen.... These chicks are 12 days old! If in a brooder I think the recommended temp would still be in the 80*F range or something like that?

X2! I watched my mama (she is a Dominique and not even a very good broody) and her young chick outside one morning when it was 5*F. At first I was concerned, but after I observed them for a little while, I saw him walk around and with the other birds and he seemed quite comfy. Despite what we think, chicks really don't need to be kept under heated conditions all the time. In fact In my opinion, chicks that are kept in those conditions will not adapt well to cold weather later on in their life. I had an orphaned chick last year that I put in with my incubator chicks that were a couple weeks older. I was letting them out to scratch in the yard, and I didn't want to keep the little orphan in the brooder all alone, so I went ahead and let her out with them. Even though she was only three days old, she had absolutely no problem keeping up with the others.

 

[Robbo]

Echo (2yr old Silkie) is sitting on some eggs now. She has been sitting for a week on imaginary eggs and we finally found some Silkie eggs for her. Excited! I had my brooder ready too thinking I was getting more than just 2 but I didn't. But I did find someone locally who has EE eggs so I am going to get 3 or 4 of those and put those ones in my brooder.

YAY.

 

[Angie16hearts]

How many days on average does it take for eggs to start to hatch? The weather has been 50-68 degrees for the last week. She got her fresh clutch day 3 of the real broody signs. She was put on the fresh eggs around 6 PM the 13 th. I'm hoping buy Sunday.