Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

Mr broody is doing a fabulous job at bring up 6 light sussex chicks. They are 4 weeks old now and everything is going very well. I think we have 2 males and 4 females which is great!

So sweet!

I do love seeing a broody hen out teaching the little ones!

 

[Jharper]

I actually have no idea what breed she is, she was an impulse buy..hahaha

Haga

 

[chicken farmer]

Ive tried to leave eggs in the nest and she keeps laying eggs and layin eggs and nothing and the box is dark and secure and it has been around 80 degrees for about 2 weeks now in Ohio and nothing.she is about 1-2 years old

 

[chicken farmer]

Leave eggs in the nest box and hope for some warm weather and that can encourage them. But apart from that you have to just wait. Make sure the nest box is dark and safe. The hen must feel that were she is laying is a safe place to hatch chicks. If not she will not want to go broody.
How old is your Silkie hen?

I've tried leaving the eggs but she keeps laying eggs and laying eggs and nothing and the box is dark and secure and it has been around 80 degrees for about 2 weeks now here in Ohio and she is around 1 or 2 years old and no broodiness

 

[Jharper]

I've tried leaving the eggs but she keeps laying eggs and laying eggs and nothing and the box is dark and secure and it has been around 80 degrees for about 2 weeks now here in Ohio and she is around 1 or 2 years old and no broodiness

What breed is she??

 

[Jharper]

My silkie hen isn't the broody type either. She's good show quality when all her crest feathers grow back from her molting.

 

[weeshanti]

Hi, all!

I have a bantam Ameraucana hen setting on her 8 tiny blue eggs (10 few days ago, but I found broken shells near her yesterday morning and suspect she ate them...?). I have no idea how long she has been on the eggs. I thought a fox got her, as I hadn't seen her for about four days, and only off and on for a couple weeks before that. I lifted a wheelbarrow in the barn, and there she was on her little nest. Fearing a fox would get her and because it has been cold again here in NH - spring is trying, but hasn't quite made it - I moved her into a big dog crate and have secluded her in the coop. She never flinched when I moved her, nest and all, and has been merrily turning her eggs ever since. I have her rigged up with a bunny water bottle and her own food so the other hens and roos don't bother her. Now I suppose I wait.

My concern is that it has been cold! I don't know how long she has been sitting on these eggs, and I don't want to bug her to candle them (she tolerates me, but gets nervous when I poke around under her). For all I know they froze before she started sitting. She is only 10 months old, so it's her first time around, but I want to just let her be and see what happens. If the eggs don't hatch in 21 days, should I shoo her off the nest or will she just vacate on her own? This is my first time around, too! Any advice would be welcome!

 

[newtwinmom]

I have a broody question and thought I should try here first...

My broody FBCM had been earnestly sitting for three days. I moved her night before last to a private cardboard nest box loosely cordoned off with wire. She wasn't impressed and jail broke back to her previously chosen box so yesterday I put the cardboard nest into a dog crate and put her in there. She seemed very happy with this arrangement, so much so she stayed for over 24 hr without getting out to poop or eat and drink so today I forced her out for some water. Under her was a smashed egg. Thankfully, these are unfetalized 'tester' eggs so no great loss.

My question is, should this be a sign that I shouldn't place valuable eggs with her? I have 30 in the bator on day 13 and am hoping to stash five under her in the next few days.

 

[billyb]

Hi everyone!

My broody Millie Bantam, has been broody and I had set eggs under her since Saturday afternoon. So she is always sitting on them like a broody hen should, but if I try to candle the eggs or check she gets off gets a little water and food, and then today she was acting crazy! So then when I checked her later on there were 2 huge pieces of poo. And that's the second time since Saturday! And it stuck up the whole basement! But anyways she wouldn't go back and sit on them until an hour later when they were a bit cool. Is this normal? What should I do?

 

[Jharper]

Hi everyone!

My broody Millie Bantam, has been broody and I had set eggs under her since Saturday afternoon. So she is always sitting on them like a broody hen should, but if I try to candle the eggs or check she gets off gets a little water and food, and then today she was acting crazy! So then when I checked her later on there were 2 huge pieces of poo. And that's the second time since Saturday! And it stuck up the whole basement! But anyways she wouldn't go back and sit on them until an hour later when they were a bit cool. Is this normal? What should I do?

They should be fine just make sure she gets off the nest for a little bit to actually to do that. Haha no one likes accidents like that.