Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

Thanks so very much for the help! I'm excited, but nervous (like the mama hen??!!) I'll let you all know how things go...

Will look forward to hearing how it turns out... and how many days she hatches over.... Hope all goes well for her (and your nerves! LOL)

 

[Madforchickn]

Hello,

I have my first boody hen and I'm very excited about it she setting on her eggs been 3 days now, but I have not seen her come out to eat or drink, will she come out to eat and drink or will she starve her self? I hand fed her some food and offered some water but she did not want the water..... Do I just leave her to it?

 

[fisherlady]

Hello,

I have my first boody hen and I'm very excited about it she setting on her eggs

been 3 days now, but I have not seen her come out to eat or drink, will she come out to eat and drink or will she starve her self? I hand fed her some food and offered some water but she did not want the water..... Do I just leave her to it?

Leave food and water close enough the hen can see/reach it easily (but so water can't be tipped into nest).... broody hens often sneak out of the nest for a 5-25 minute break when no one is around, they can be very sneaky!

If she is in a restricted area you may notice an amazingly large pile of poo (known as a broody poo) which usually smells 5x worse than anything chickens normally do, but if she has access to outdoors you won't probably even notice that. If you notice a foul odor around her or the nest you may have to move her off of the nest to check it, some hens do foul the nest. Just be prepared with a cloth to wipe off any severely messed eggs and some clean bedding to replace anything which needs removed.

I have one hen who I move off of the nest about every other day or so... and it is not because she won't do it herself... I do it because she is low on the pecking order and I like being around to supervise her to make sure she isn't bothered by other flock members during her short R&R. If she is in an isolated broody area I don't move her though, I let her decide for herself.

 

[Madforchickn]

Leave food and water close enough the hen can see/reach it easily (but so water can't be tipped into nest).... broody hens often sneak out of the nest for a 5-25 minute break when no one is around, they can be very sneaky!

If she is in a restricted area you may notice an amazingly large pile of poo (known as a broody poo) which usually smells 5x worse than anything chickens normally do, but if she has access to outdoors you won't probably even notice that.  If you notice a foul odor around her or the nest you may have to move her off of the nest to check it, some hens do foul the nest.  Just be prepared with a cloth to wipe off any severely messed eggs and some clean bedding to replace anything which needs removed.

I have one hen who I move off of the nest about every other day or so... and it is not because she won't do it herself... I do it because she is low on the pecking order and I like being around to supervise her to make sure she isn't bothered by other flock members during her short R&R.  If she is in an isolated broody area I don't move her though, I let her decide for herself.

Hello thank you for your reply she has. Coop to her self within my flock I'm fortunate to have 4 chicken houses so if one gets unwell or needs time to her self it can be easily done, so in this instants I have attached the run to the house where I have put food and water so she she can come out see the other girls through the wire and stretch her legs but most of all to still be included in the flock and no other hens to interfere with her eggs! although this coop is the favorate nest that all my girls like! But the other girls have options to lag else where so they just need to get used to that, but earlier I went in the coop unscrewed the divider so the nest area is bigger for me to place a bowel to water and food next to her and at that point she got up and eat and fed out side, it took her about an hour before she sat again on the eggs, so time will tell x

 

[AVintageLife]

It's Day 21 for Rosalinn, my little black silkie. I took a peek this morning and it's still just eggs. It's so hard to wait.....

 

[Phoenixxx]

I've been waiting for a broody for ever! It's supposed to be spring but it's still more like winter. Plus I had a really bad dog attack in the coop 2 days ago. I do have some "broody breeds", some less than a year old and the rest between 2-4 years. Anyone have any idea how much longer I might be waiting?

 

[netty74]

Can you put 2 broody hens in a broody breaker ??

 

[Hannahs Hollow]

Can you put 2 broody hens in a broody breaker ??

Lol. Good question! I've never had to. I can see pros and cons doing so. Never hurts to try. They may commiserate and conspire against you tho! Good luck and keep us informed on how it goes.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Can you put 2 broody hens in a broody breaker ??

I wouldn't. It is stressful enough on the bird without having another one there too. I find birds can fight or the dominant one peck on the less doinant when stressed especially in confined quarters.

Must you break? This is the broody hen thread, afterall. Most of us would throw some eggs under them and see what hatches.

Lady of McCamley

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I've been waiting for a broody for ever! It's supposed to be spring but it's still more like winter. Plus I had a really bad dog attack in the coop 2 days ago. I do have some "broody breeds", some less than a year old and the rest between 2-4 years. Anyone have any idea how much longer I might be waiting?

You will need some longer days to trigger laying, if they haven't been through the winter. Their laying hormones and brooding hormones, I've read, are connected...the bird needs to feel there is enough warmth, and food, to warrant bringing in chicks to feed.

You might want to increase the protein intake, make sure they have quiet, dark, and cushy dry nests, and leave some fake eggs for a good clutch. The hormones are kicked in by warmth (simulating spring time) and the pressure of eggs on their breast (simulating laying a full clutch).

While I have had my very broody prone Silkie brood through any and all seasons, my large fowl broodies generally go broody around May/June. That is a common time.

Hopefully as the days lengthen and warm, encouraging the hormones, and maybe a few enticements, your birds will decide to brood.

Lady of McCamley