Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

You have 6 broodies!??? I have 2 right now with another into the second week into raising hers. I have a buckeye who will hit her first week on Saturday and a Black Australorp/Partridge Rock cross who will get her eggs tomorrow. Where do you put yours? I have limited space but with as many as 25 being raised by broodies and some Buff Orpingtons coming into my flock I may have more broodies than layers next year. LOL

I need to build a broody box. Does anyone have pictures or plans?

Sorry I am just now answering, I have been missing the last couple of days with projects...

We actually have 7 broodies right now. One is just finishing up her hatch as I type, one due the 6th, two due the 12th, and 3 due the 22nd. three hatching the same day is stressful for us more than them. we have the coop divided into 2 sections , the smaller section can have a hen at each end on the floor with a 3rd on an elevated shelf, the trick is to keep the elevated hen's hatch a week or so behind the other two so they have moved to the main coop with their chicks before she hatches and moves to the floor.
In the main area we just create wire barriers if needed to provide the hens a peaceful spot to sit and move them to corners on the floor after hatch, so we have had as many as 6 in the main area at once, though keeping their hatches slightly staggered helps make the logistics a bit easier. since our hens do most of their raising in the flock it is easier.

Edit for spelling

 

[fisherlady]

Best brand incubator you can get!!

She hatched 9/10... #10 had a thinner shell and it was partially crushed a day early, it's yolk wasn't fully absorbed at the time and it didn't make it...
But I am happy with how well she did for a new broody and such a big hen.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Best brand incubator you can get!!


She hatched 9/10... #10 had a thinner shell and it was partially crushed a day early, it's yolk wasn't fully absorbed at the time and it didn't make it...
But I am happy with how well she did for a new broody and such a big hen.

Congratulations And would that brand be a Hen-a-bator?

LofMc

 

[fisherlady]

Congratulations   And would that brand be a Hen-a-bator?

LofMc

LOL

That would be a perfect description!
She is from some fancy stock so I didn't expect broodiness, but she is happily proving me wrong. I spoke with the breeder I got the eggs from last year and he kept 20 hens from last year for his breeding pens and none of his have gone broody...so again I am left to wonder if being broody raised in a coop where broody hatching is a year around activity has a lot of influence...

 

[chickbrad24]

Do hens Co raise their chicks. My one hen who hatched out her chicks a week and a half ago she is doing fine with her 3 chicks. But the 2 hens that hatched their chicks out a couple of days apart the one hen practically stole all of the other hens chicks but is only aggressive to the one little black chick that wants to join with all her other brother and sisters. I am not sure what to do ?? Any advise ?

 

[Brookliner]

Just got 2 day old minifleur D'unccle chicks from a friend. Put them under my broody bantam Cochin. Stella has brooded 3 batches of chicks and hatched 1 from fertil eggs for me. I just get her settled in my broody pen and when it is dark I put the chicks under her. They peep and she clucks to them and all is well.

Then I stopped at the feed store and they had bantam silkie chicks 3 days old. I got 2 and brought them home. Got my silkie broody installed in my second broody pen and put the 2 chicks under her after dark. A few peeps and a few clucks and Sophie the broody silkie was a mother. She had never raised chicks before. Took to it like a natural.

I also have 5 other bantams in the broody state. They will just have to wait for me to find some bantam Ameracuna chicks for them to brood.

I have never had a problem putting chicks under a broody hen...as long as you put them under while it is dark and the hen is already broody.

 

[Brookliner]

Do hens Co raise their chicks. My one hen who hatched out her chicks a week and a half ago she is doing fine with her 3 chicks. But the 2 hens that hatched their chicks out a couple of days apart the one hen practically stole all of the other hens chicks but is only aggressive to the one little black chick that wants to join with all her other brother and sisters. I am not sure what to do ?? Any advise ? 

i would put that chick with another broody hen in an ajacent area so they can see each other maybe put another chick with it. I once had 2 broodies that fought over the chicks that they each had hatched. The chicks were the loosers. Out of 8 chicks only saver 2.

 

[chickbrad24]

i would put that chick with another broody hen in an ajacent area so they can see each other maybe put another chick with it. I once had 2 broodies that fought over the chicks that they each had hatched. The chicks were the loosers. Out of 8 chicks only saver 2.

I did add some more chicks with her about 4 so now she has about 6 chicks. But the other broody has about 18 each broody had a large hatch. They did hatch on Monday and Tuesday and they are also staying in the coop my 1st broody after about 3 days let her 3 chicks go out and see the world. But the other 2 are just staying in the coop. Neither on of them have attempted to take their chicks outside yet.

 

[chickbrad24]

Here she is with about 18 little chciks

 

[chicksurreal]

Well, here we go again. Mrs. Hawkins has finally settled into a truly broody state. I'm thinking of putting some of our Silver Spangled Hamburg eggs under her. I know they are all fertile, the only question is, how many should I put under her?