Broody Hen Thread!

[casportpony]

Gorgeous! I have been told game birds are the best broodies. What a bunch she has to brood!

Thanks! Right now she's out there with over twenty of them!

 

[mprivett]

Hey Everybody,

I have a broody that hatched her chicks about a week ago- they are all Dominiques and she hatched 12 babies!!

She has been a great mama so far teaching them everything and protecting them and all but she is SO bad and mean to us when we get close. She pecks and charges when we pick up the babies (because sometimes they get out of the brooder pen) to put them back in and she even tries to peck when I'm putting in fresh food and water! She doesn't like to be touched either.

I'm not sure why she views us as a threat as we've never done anything to hurt her. Of course she is teaching her babies the same thing as they are run away terrified of us. Is there any way to calm her down and reduce the pecking/protective instinct?

Here is a pic shortly after hatching:

 

[casportpony]

Hey Everybody,

I have a broody that hatched her chicks about a week ago- they are all Dominiques and she hatched 12 babies!!

She has been a great mama so far teaching them everything and protecting them and all but she is SO bad and mean to us when we get close. She pecks and charges when we pick up the babies (because sometimes they get out of the brooder pen) to put them back in and she even tries to peck when I'm putting in fresh food and water! She doesn't like to be touched either.

I'm not sure why she views us as a threat as we've never done anything to hurt her. Of course she is teaching her babies the same thing as they are run away terrified of us. Is there any way to calm her down and reduce the pecking/protective instinct?

Here is a pic shortly after hatching:

Very cute! You could try offering her and the chicks crickets or mealworms, maybe that would help her to relax around you?

 

[el pollo rey]

Gorgeous! I have been told game birds are the best broodies. What a bunch she has to brood!

. It's a motley crew for sure

 

[fisherlady]

Hey Everybody,

I have a broody that hatched her chicks about a week ago- they are all Dominiques and she hatched 12 babies!!

She has been a great mama so far teaching them everything and protecting them and all but she is SO bad and mean to us when we get close. She pecks and charges when we pick up the babies (because sometimes they get out of the brooder pen) to put them back in and she even tries to peck when I'm putting in fresh food and water! She doesn't like to be touched either.

I'm not sure why she views us as a threat as we've never done anything to hurt her. Of course she is teaching her babies the same thing as they are run away terrified of us. Is there any way to calm her down and reduce the pecking/protective instinct?

Here is a pic shortly after hatching:

If you have room to do it... get a baggy full of tiny treats and sit on the ground right in the run area. (I used an old towel folded up to sit on for this) it may take a half hour each day or multiple times a day of just sitting in there with them. Offer them treats when they come close and don't try to pick them up or anything but allow them to hop up onto your legs or lap if they want. Chicks are intensely curious and it may take a while but I think you will notice a difference. Even if mama is set in her ways the little ones may be cooperative eventually.
Even if the babies never become 'lap chickens' at least they will learn they don't have to run away from you either.

 

[Beginningbreede]

I have a hen who was sitting candled the eggs none were fertile weird because I have a very "active" rooster so I went out and got three white rocks and 3 EE chicks and pulled the old switchiroo and boom she raise them she's a very good mother

 

[kannna]

If you have room to do it... get a baggy full of tiny treats and sit on the ground right in the run area. (I used an old towel folded up to sit on for this) it may take a half hour each day or multiple times a day of just sitting in there with them. Offer them treats when they come close and don't try to pick them up or anything but allow them to hop up onto your legs or lap if they want. Chicks are intensely curious and it may take a while but I think you will notice a difference. Even if mama is set in her ways the little ones may be cooperative eventually.
Even if the babies never become 'lap chickens' at least they will learn they don't have to run away from you either.

Raisins work great for this

 

[cluck-cluck]

Well, this is where I should have hung out to talk about my broody! My Trader Joe's fertile egg hatched from the refrigerated section turned into a pretty white leghorn who went broody on me 3 or so weeks ago! I tried to kick her off the nest several times over several days but she was adamant that she was going to hatch her some eggs! So I collected some eggs from my one Crevecoeur pullet, and stuck them under her, added another nest box so the others had a place to lay, and let her go at it. Unfortunately, I added eggs to the batch over a period of time, and I think they have differing hatching dates. She has hatched two, one died of the heat, I think, I didn't even realize it was there until late morning yesterday (temp was 103 degrees), but the other one was fine, and is an active little sweetie. I'm pretty sure she hatched in the night, the night before last (so this is day 2 for her) There are 3 more eggs that my leghorn is still sitting on, with no pips (though I felt movement) Henny is still on them, I have food and water next to the nest for both my broody and her chick, plus a huge ice cube (liter bottle of water ice near by) to cool them off a bit (I hope). The little imp can jump right out of the nesting box, which has a 2" lip, and right back into it! It's amazing! The chick doesn't stay under my broody much, because it's so horribly hot, so it's running about having a grand old time, LOL, so dang cute! I just hope Henny Penny will hatch the rest and not give up on them. I'm hoping that if she sees her baby eating and drinking, and doesn't have to go far for her own food, that she won't feel pressure to leave the nest

 

[Jharper]

Well, this is where I should have hung out to talk about my broody!  My Trader Joe's fertile egg hatched from the refrigerated section turned into a pretty white leghorn who went broody on me 3 or so weeks ago!  I tried to kick her off the nest several times over several days but she was adamant that she was going to hatch her some eggs!  So I collected some eggs from my one Crevecoeur pullet, and stuck them under her, added another nest box so the others had a place to lay, and let her go at it.  Unfortunately, I added eggs to the batch over a period of time, and I think they have differing hatching dates.  She has hatched two, one died of the heat, I think, I didn't even realize it was there until late morning yesterday (temp was 103 degrees), but the other one was fine, and is an active little sweetie.  I'm pretty sure she hatched in the night, the night before last (so this is day 2 for her)  There are 3 more eggs that my leghorn is still sitting on, with no pips (though I felt movement)  Henny is still on them, I have food and water next to the nest for both my broody and her chick, plus a huge ice cube (liter bottle of water ice near by) to cool them off a bit (I hope).  The little imp can jump right out of the nesting box, which has a 2" lip, and right back into it!  It's amazing!  The chick doesn't stay under my broody much, because it's so horribly hot, so it's running about having a grand old time, LOL, so dang cute!  I just hope Henny Penny will hatch the rest and not give up on them.  I'm hoping that if she sees her baby eating and drinking, and doesn't have to go far for her own food, that she won't feel pressure to leave the nest

Where do you live?

 

[cluck-cluck]

The San Fernando Valley is part of Los Angeles, and is North of the main basin. I live in the South/West end of it