Broody Hen Thread!

[RickaRae]

Too funny! We say ours sounds like the one that spits black goo at Nedly. I forget what kind it is. You know, 'fetch the stick stupid.' That one. My son says to stand back!

That's hilarious! I think it was the velociraptor? My hubby decided it was ok for our girls to watch Jurassic Park a few years ago. My 12 year old still hates to even talk about it! :-/

 

[jammyjammy2112]

Yes, soft molts are natural in growing chicks as they will lose baby down for baby feathers, then lose those for teen feathers, then those for adult feathers. I will often see tiny little feathers here and there and the babies have loose fluff on them and some thinninsh spots here and there as down and sparse feathers cover an area. So they often look pretty scraggly from the time they lose the baby down fluff until they get in the teen feathers (like a really bad hair day). Roosters will look more scraggly than hens as hens grow their adult feathers faster (especially tail, back and wing areas). Faces, necks and chests seem to feather more slowly and can have some bare-ish spots.

However, if you are seeing big bald spots on your chicks with lots of feathers lost on the ground area, that may not be normal. I've never witnessed big bald spots (like a naked back) on my growing chicks from a hard molt. I've only had my older hens experience a hard molt like that. A hard molt in chicks could signal a dietary deficiency, too warm a brooder (heat lamps), or cramped quarters (stress).

Since you have chicks with a momma and all seem healthy, it is likely a soft molt as you don't seem startled that you have naked chicks.

BYC has a good molt article here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chickens-loosing-feathers-managing-your-flocks-molt

The Chicken Chick has a good article on causes of unhealthy feather loss here: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/03/chicken-feather-loss-cannibalism-causes.html

HTH
Lady of McCamley

the chicks are freeranging all day and with go into a separete pen at night they are fed growers peletes just off chick starter with about a week they are bald a bit underneath there bellys but ts growing back now slowly the mother is perfectly normal hasnt started molting yet thanks

 

[MzPlacedHippie]

My hens are loosing their minds! I had Tilly go broody, gave her 5 eggs; Little Hawk decided she was going to give it a try, gave her 3 (only one made it); then Peepers, who surprised me, and she only has one. And now my production red, of all things, has decided it's her turn. That leaves only two not acting fool! I said I wanted ONE broody hen! What have I done?? Oh the joys of turning into a chicken momma...

 

[Lady of McCamley]

My hens are loosing their minds! I had Tilly go broody, gave her 5 eggs; Little Hawk decided she was going to give it a try, gave her 3 (only one made it); then Peepers, who surprised me, and she only has one. And now my production red, of all things, has decided it's her turn. That leaves only two not acting fool! I said I wanted ONE broody hen! What have I done?? Oh the joys of turning into a chicken momma...

Yep...when one goes broody a lot of the others decide to go too....must be a hormone thing, ya think?

I had 3 piled into a nesting box trying to brood and one in the brooding hutch!

And I BOUGHT a broody because none of my hens were brooding!

Lady of McCamley

 

[Miss HennyPenny]

hello everyone I have 4 BSL hens that have been laying for a couple months. im going to build a tractor and buy a rooster to put in there...my question is if BSL usually go broody im not wanting to get involved in incubating right..

HI

I have 6 hens, 2 of each. Hylines, black stars and light Sussex. Out of all of them only the Sussex is supposed to be a broody type. I've had 2 broodys this year (my first year), 1 hyline and one black star. Both have hatched eggs. I think if they are going to go broody they will when they are ready.

 

[MzPlacedHippie]

Yep...when one goes broody a lot of the others decide to go too....must be a hormone thing, ya think? 

I had 3 piled into a nesting box trying to brood and one in the brooding hutch!

And I BOUGHT a broody because none of my hens were brooding!   

Lady of McCamley

It must be a hormone thing. If I had know just how big it would blossom tho I'd have done better population control and not given Tilly that many eggs. Her chicks are one from each of the other hens and at only 3 weeks or so I'm pretty sure one is a roo already. He's from my favorite red, she's so sweet and I hope he gets some of that. He's awfully pretty. Not a bit of black or brown on him which is kinda shocking since he's a mutt.

I am near the point of letting the chicks free-range too, since my big roo has decided they are part of his fold. Plus Peepers egg should hatch next week and I only have 2 brooding stalls rigged. Little Hawk and her chick are a week behind Tilly's. I have hoarding tendencies so they need to snap out of it! Tho I'm sure letting them free range could mean the weaker would be lost. I just hate the thought... Darn chicken math. I shoulda read more about THAT!

 

[foreverlearning]

Yep...when one goes broody a lot of the others decide to go too....must be a hormone thing, ya think?

I had 3 piled into a nesting box trying to brood and one in the brooding hutch!

And I BOUGHT a broody because none of my hens were brooding!

Lady of McCamley

I saw that the second day of my first going broody. I brought the most determined one inside and made sure the others didn't sit other than to lay. I was lucky, may not prevent too many broodies in all flocks.

 

[MzPlacedHippie]

Here is the little stinker I think is a roo:

 

[ocap]

I have not had time to read the entire thread and want to know if the broodiness trait is passed from the male or female?

 

[RouenDuck]

My hens are loosing their minds! I had Tilly go broody, gave her 5 eggs; Little Hawk decided she was going to give it a try, gave her 3 (only one made it); then Peepers, who surprised me, and she only has one. And now my production red, of all things, has decided it's her turn. That leaves only two not acting fool! I said I wanted ONE broody hen! What have I done?? Oh the joys of turning into a chicken momma...

I had a Partridge Cochin go broody and once she hatched her eggs, a Black Australorp, my Welsh Harlequin duck Isabelle, and a laying hen all went broody. Neither the Black Australorp or Isabelle managed to hatch any, but the laying hen hatched five eggs out of seven! However, she wasn't a very good mother, and two of the young ones died.