Broody Hen Thread!

[SFrati]

So i put my fertilized eggs under my broody hen yesterday. Today i just got a brilliant idea or maybe a terrible idea. I have 3 leghorn's who just came into laying. Their eggs are very small but they have been fertilized by my over zealous bantam buff cochin. I took two of the fertilized mixed breed eggs and put them under the broody hen. What do you think my science experiment will give me?


Factors:
-these two eggs are very small
-they were started one day later than the other eggs
-they were fertilized by an 18 week old hen and an 18 week old rooster
-hen was a standard leghorn, roo was a bantam cochin



I guess we will find out in 21 days!

 

[alibabba]

So i put my fertilized eggs under my broody hen yesterday. Today i just got a brilliant idea or maybe a terrible idea. I have 3 leghorn's who just came into laying. Their eggs are very small but they have been fertilized by my over zealous bantam buff cochin. I took two of the fertilized mixed breed eggs and put them under the broody hen. What do you think my science experiment will give me?


Factors:
-these two eggs are very small
-they were started one day later than the other eggs
-they were fertilized by an 18 week old hen and an 18 week old rooster
-hen was a standard leghorn, roo was a bantam cochin



I guess we will find out in 21 days!

i popped an extra under my little girl 24 hours later. she waited for it, That one had a tougher time getting around for a day pr so, but worked fine.
Also. Had 5 tiny bantam eggs (22 oz pullets, 10 mos) fertilized by a Standard Polish cockerel( also not quite a year). All fertile eggs hatched perfectly and chicks are perfectly fine.

I predict your experiment will be a "Success"!

 

[FarmerMac]

Well... I gave her eggs and apparently she prefers an empty nest... what did I do wrong?

should I take the eggs back? Should I wait awhile? I don't want them to go to waste... thanks

You may want to leave the eggs to see if she sits on them.
When I have a broody hen, I put some fake eggs, just to make sure she does not leave the nest . After a few day that she stays in her nest, I replace the fake eggs with fertile ones. Also I move the hen to a separate section of the coop so other hens don't lay new eggs in the nest box. I have at least one fake egg per nest box so the hens see where they can lay their eggs. In other boxes I have a couple of golf balls instead of fake eggs.

 

[alibabba]

I have my very first broody hen, she's been on an empty nest for over a week now. She gets up once or twice a day to eat and drink but she is otherwise glued to her nest. She plucked her feathers out and growls if anyone gets near her. I've collected 8 eggs for her and all of the ones we've eaten previously have been fertile. It is HOT and humid this summer. It's been 100 or above every day for weeks now with high humidity and it feels like it's 102 ish. Is there anything I can do to make her more comfortable? Will the heat of her body added to the day time Temps simply cook the eggs? I'm worried about her but I've always wanted a broody and she seems pretty committed so I'd like to let her have a chance at motherhood.... thanks in advance!

I put a fan in the coop blowing toward my 2 broodies. They did perfect. Hatched every fertile egg.

 

[alibabba]

Someone here recommended placing steps along the ramp/ladder for the chicks. I placed bricks and blocks of varying heights along the ramp. That has helped for us, although it's still about a week before they all can follow the hen into their coop without some form of chase from me and my butterfly net.

Smooth sided firewood steps in and out of the nest box worked for mine. They only needed the help for maybe a week or so.

 

[alibabba]

Nice coop! However, broody hens tend to like tons of space between one another once the chicks hatch. They don't really get along and are prone to attacking one another's babies in the hope of their chicks getting more food.

You could try putting temporary guard-rails on the ramp, making them widen out at the bottom like a funnel so the chicks are guided into the ramp to follow their mother.

Best of luck!

Yes! I know this now, thought it would be easier keeping them in attached pens. One got into the wrong pen and was killed. Next time, I will keep them separate, If possible I would just let them range with the flock that solves all problems. (I have had Marek's so I can't just leave them with the flock until 14 days)

I have a couple of groups all different ages from 6 weeks(shipped chicks) to teenagers to mommas and babies to big old hens and rooster - ranging around together, with no violence issues at all. I open all the gates in the morning and they all just head out, no fussing.

 

[GitaBooks]

For those of you that move your broodies into a separate area do you let her out once a day to go outside? Mine is in a crate in the garage right now and finally settled into her eggs. I have food and water in there with her but she hasn't touched it in a day or so. I also don't see any poop in the crate. Should I put her outside? I did this with our last broody and it worked well but this one is different and I'm afraid she won't come back to the eggs

They wait a few days generally before getting off for the first time (at least in my experience).

 

[alibabba]

Not really broody Hen anymore but the chicks are so dang cute, I have to share....if only they would hold still for the paparazzi!!!

 

[chicksurreal]

Not really broody Hen anymore but the chicks are so dang cute, I have to share....if only they would hold still for the paparazzi!!!

So cute!

 

[alibabba]

They wait a few days generally before getting off for the first time (at least in my experience).

Can't find Monkeybean's OP....I can't imagine locking a chicken up like in a dog crate for 21 days. Maybe they don't mind... my 2 went out for at least an hour a day, with the flock, dust bathing, roosting and eating and drinking and I guess pooping. It was harder to manage, making sure they got back on the correct nest, but we did it! No eggs died, and the Momma's really didn't seem to suffer too much weight loss at all. JMHO.