Broody Hen Thread!

[sonderah]

I have never had a broody hen. Just started last spring with some production reds. Decided I really like Buff Orpington, so I switched my flock over to them. Today, I'm thinking maybe its possible one is going broody. She has been in the nest all day, & I've tossed her out 3 times already. Once she ate a little first, but every time she has just went right back in. She hasn't laid an egg, doesn't feel egg bound, but keeps "growling" & screeching at me. When I keep her from going back in, for a few minutes, she makes really weird jabbering non stop sounds. Fingers crossed!!! I have eggs ready and waiting!!! As soon as I'm sure. Even though, idk what it'll take before I feel sure. Lol

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Our broody has been bringing the babies (now 2 weeks old) into the main coop area to mix with the flock.


Mindy's fluffy tail is a favorite play and scratching spot for the babies (and often mama hen also)


one of our roosters, Gabby, loves hanging out with the babies.... he has helped raise 4 or 5 clutches this past year.


He calls he babies over to share goodies he finds... (his comb has blu-kot on it from frostbite, that is why it looks black)
Rosie with 5 of her 6 chicks lined up, Mindy is watching #6 who is busy scratching behind the baby gate area...

Once again we find the babies hanging out with Mindy, mama hen has no problem with her, so the chicks act like she is just part of the coop. We had the main door open this day while I was cleaning the coop, it was 42*F outside (though the sun was nice) and the chicks are 15 days old and running all over the place without a care in the world.

Fisherlady...thank you for sharing your lovely photos. What a nice doggie. (My Sheltie still runs away from them).

Lady of McCamley

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I have never had a broody hen. Just started last spring with some production reds. Decided I really like Buff Orpington, so I switched my flock over to them. Today, I'm thinking maybe its possible one is going broody. She has been in the nest all day, & I've tossed her out 3 times already. Once she ate a little first, but every time she has just went right back in. She hasn't laid an egg, doesn't feel egg bound, but keeps "growling" & screeching at me. When I keep her from going back in, for a few minutes, she makes really weird jabbering non stop sounds. Fingers crossed!!! I have eggs ready and waiting!!! As soon as I'm sure. Even though, idk what it'll take before I feel sure. Lol

Yes...she is contemplating it. Leave her alone to sit in a nest on some dummy eggs or golf balls...or better yet move her to where you want her to brood so she doesn't clog up the main coop and so mom and babies have some privacy.

In a couple of days, if she is sitting determinedly on the "dummies," put your real eggs under her.

Most of all, if you want her to brood, stop taking her off the nest and blocking her from it...encourage the girl and you'll have a clutch of chicks in no time (actually about 21 days).

Good luck.
Lady of McCamley

EDITED TO ADD: you'll know for "sure" she is broody as she will sit on that nest of dummy eggs non-stop, getting up once, twice at most, for a very short time to stretch her legs, eat a little, drink a little, and give one very large stinky poo. Then she will go back, trance-like, onto the nest and stare into space. Her comb will get small and pale, she will grumble at anyone or anything that comes close to her on the nest, and resist with a vengeance anyone who attempts to move her. She's brooding.

 

[sonderah]

Yes...she is contemplating it. Leave her alone to sit in a nest on some dummy eggs or golf balls...or better yet move her to where you want her to brood so she doesn't clog up the main coop and so mom and babies have some privacy.

In a couple of days, if she is sitting determinedly on the "dummies," put your real eggs under her.

Most of all, if you want her to brood, stop taking her off the nest and blocking her from it...encourage the girl and you'll have a clutch of chicks in no time (actually about 21 days).

Good luck.
Lady of McCamley

EDITED TO ADD: you'll know for "sure" she is broody as she will sit on that nest of dummy eggs non-stop, getting up once, twice at most, for a very short time to stretch her legs, eat a little, drink a little, and give one very large stinky poo. Then she will go back, trance-like, onto the nest and stare into space. Her comb will get small and pale, she will grumble at anyone or anything that comes close to her on the nest, and resist with a vengeance anyone who attempts to move her. She's brooding.

Thanks! I don't have anything fake to put under her, and I'm snowed in for who knows how long, so I put some fertile mix eggs in the nest. I don't mind if she winds up leaving them. I was only collecting those because they had been wormed and the eggs weren't edible yet. Lol

 

[Hannahs Hollow]

Thanks! I don't have anything fake to put under her, and I'm snowed in for who knows how long, so I put some fertile mix eggs in the nest. I don't mind if she winds up leaving them. I was only collecting those because they had been wormed and the eggs weren't edible yet. Lol

There is an interesting conversation. I know in cows and goats worming can cause absorption of the fetus if not cause an all out miscarriage. Has anyone successfully hatched eggs from hens that had been wormed recently?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

There is an interesting conversation. I know in cows and goats worming can cause absorption of the fetus if not cause an all out miscarriage. Has anyone successfully hatched eggs from hens that had been wormed recently?

I was pondering this myself. I know a number of the wormers don't really cross over into the egg tract as they are poorly absorbed by the intestines...the -zoles and Hygromix in particular.

Flubendazole (according to its manufacturer Elanco) has done a study and shown there is no reduced hatchability in the fertile eggs.

The one I would be concerned about would be the -mectins (Ivermectin, Avermectin) as that is a neural inhibitor and has shown to cause problems in the very young (kittens for example).

If I come across anything on that, I'll post...but overall I think there is no evidence that the egg hatchability will be reduced.

A heavy wormload can reduce the fertility of the eggs, but usually just causes a low lay rate.

Lady of McCamley

 

[chicksurreal]

Our broody has been bringing the babies (now 2 weeks old) into the main coop area to mix with the flock.


Mindy's fluffy tail is a favorite play and scratching spot for the babies (and often mama hen also)


one of our roosters, Gabby, loves hanging out with the babies.... he has helped raise 4 or 5 clutches this past year.


He calls he babies over to share goodies he finds... (his comb has blu-kot on it from frostbite, that is why it looks black)
Rosie with 5 of her 6 chicks lined up, Mindy is watching #6 who is busy scratching behind the baby gate area...

Once again we find the babies hanging out with Mindy, mama hen has no problem with her, so the chicks act like she is just part of the coop. We had the main door open this day while I was cleaning the coop, it was 42*F outside (though the sun was nice) and the chicks are 15 days old and running all over the place without a care in the world.

OMG! So cute!!!

And your Mindy is adorable. What a lover!

 

[sonderah]

There is an interesting conversation. I know in cows and goats worming can cause absorption of the fetus if not cause an all out miscarriage. Has anyone successfully hatched eggs from hens that had been wormed recently?

I was pondering this myself. I know a number of the wormers don't really cross over into the egg tract as they are poorly absorbed by the intestines...the -zoles and Hygromix  in particular.

Flubendazole (according to its manufacturer Elanco) has done a study and shown there is no reduced hatchability in the fertile eggs.

The one I would be concerned about would be the -mectins (Ivermectin, Avermectin) as that is a neural inhibitor and has shown to cause problems in the very young (kittens for example).

If I come across anything on that, I'll post...but overall I think there is no evidence that the egg hatchability will be reduced. 

A heavy wormload can reduce the fertility of the eggs, but usually just causes a low lay rate.

Lady of McCamley

I was originally concerned myself. So I asked on the BO thread. I was told by several people that it was safe. I had used Wazine then 10 days later Safe-Guard, because I had some new older hens whom had never been wormed. I have several of their eggs in the bator now on day 12, & they seem to be developing well. Even saw some wiggles on day 10. Lol

 

[ocap]

There is an interesting conversation. I know in cows and goats worming can cause absorption of the fetus if not cause an all out miscarriage. Has anyone successfully hatched eggs from hens that had been wormed recently?

I was pondering this myself. I know a number of the wormers don't really cross over into the egg tract as they are poorly absorbed by the intestines...the -zoles and Hygromix in particular.

Flubendazole (according to its manufacturer Elanco) has done a study and shown there is no reduced hatchability in the fertile eggs.

The one I would be concerned about would be the -mectins (Ivermectin, Avermectin) as that is a neural inhibitor and has shown to cause problems in the very young (kittens for example).

If I come across anything on that, I'll post...but overall I think there is no evidence that the egg hatchability will be reduced.

A heavy wormload can reduce the fertility of the eggs, but usually just causes a low lay rate.

Lady of McCamley

This BYC member :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/u/120608/thedragonlady
mentions worming frequently in her management technique, invite her to comment here on this thread or look up her past posts.

 

[sonderah]

This BYC member :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/u/120608/thedragonlady
mentions worming frequently in her management technique, invite her to comment here on this thread or look up her past posts.

Funny! That's the lady I asked on the BO thread.