Broody Hen Thread!

[abserbean]

I finally found some eggs for my broody! I'm picking them up this afternoon,three OEs, three EEs, and three BLRWs, I'm so excited! Should I put them under her as soon as I get home, or wait until nighttime? She is fairly easy going, I can get eggs out from under her without a problem, so I thought I would just go ahead and stick them in.

 

[fisherlady]

I finally found some eggs for my broody! I'm picking them up this afternoon,three OEs, three EEs, and three BLRWs, I'm so excited! Should I put them under her as soon as I get home, or wait until nighttime? She is fairly easy going, I can get eggs out from under her without a problem, so I thought I would just go ahead and stick them in.

I would take them home and let them set for at least an hour or two on your table so they come up to 'room temperature'... then slip them under the broody whenever convenient. Mine don't care what time of day they get eggs. Actually, I frequently remove any dud eggs they are setting on, then place the good hatching eggs in front of the hen and allow them to drag them under. themselves and position them where they want. But my hens are pretty easy going and are used to me offering eggs to them like this even when they aren't broody, so it isn't strange to them.
Often when I am in the coop and a hen is in an egg box just to lay an egg I will take an egg from another box to offer it to her, it is just cute to watch them drag them under themselves and it gets them used to me messing around with them and their eggs.

 

[Dknichelson]

My broody is on day 15 on her eggs and she's moving less and less. I was able to get her up a few days ago to mark her eggs, but I haven't seen her move since. As she approaches hatch day, will she get up less? I assume she's getting up at some point during the day and I'm just seeing it less...

 

[fisherlady]

My broody is on day 15 on her eggs and she's moving less and less. I was able to get her up a few days ago to mark her eggs, but I haven't seen her move since. As she approaches hatch day, will she get up less? I assume she's getting up at some point during the day and I'm just seeing it less...

Yes, they rarely get up the last few days, and it is only for shorter times. They are sneaky about it and we rarely see it, though if she is in a confined area you may see evidence of it (broody poo) or disturbance of food or water.

 

[Basil G]

I take my broody outside for 5 minutes everyday so she can do her broody poop outside. Her eggs start hatching on Friday!! So excited

 

[abserbean]

I would take them home and let them set for at least an hour or two on your table so they come up to 'room temperature'... then slip them under the broody whenever convenient. Mine don't care what time of day they get eggs. Actually, I frequently remove any dud eggs they are setting on, then place the good hatching eggs in front of the hen and allow them to drag them under. themselves and position them where they want. But my hens are pretty easy going and are used to me offering eggs to them like this even when they aren't broody, so it isn't strange to them.
Often when I am in the coop and a hen is in an egg box just to lay an egg I will take an egg from another box to offer it to her, it is just cute to watch them drag them under themselves and it gets them used to me messing around with them and their eggs.

So how do you know they are duds? Do you candle them? I was just going to let her do her thing, but I don't want any duds to rot and explode. I am getting fresh, local eggs, so I'm hoping for a good hatch rate, but I know at least a few of them will not work. I'm hoping she is a good mom, she is kind of a neurotic chicken who thinks she is a dog. I rescued her about a year ago b/c she was broody for over four months and was getting thin/sick. She was an only chicken from hatch, and I was never able to integrate her with my mini flock. So I bought her a friend, and they have their own coop. Since I knew she was so determined last time, and she is all business this broody spell, I thought letting her hatch would be the best idea. I guess I need to move her buddy over to the flock, so she won't hurt the chicks. Hoping this goes well!

 

[fisherlady]

Quote:
If I have a broody waiting to have hatching eggs I give them other 'sacrificial eggs' to set on till I get the good ones, I call them 'fake eggs' or duds. By this, I mean I just take normal coop eggs and allow the hen to have them to set on while waiting. I switch out the 'sacrificial eggs' every other day or so and just sacrifice them to make scrambled eggs which I feed back to the birds.

If your hen has been setting on eggs for a few days while you were searching for the good hatching eggs you will have to remove them before giving her the new eggs, if you don't you will have problems in a few weeks when her first eggs hatch but the new ones aren't ready yet. Having a staggered hatch over 2 days or so it isn't a big deal, but if there is a 4 or 5 day lag, or more, then the hen may abandon late hatching eggs to take care of the earlier hatched chicks.

So if she is already setting on some eggs you will need to make a decision... sacrifice those eggs and just remove and pitch them.... remove them and place them into an incubator to finish or leave them in place and risk the problems associated with a staggered hatch. The best answer depends on how many days they have already been under her, if you have an incubator available and if you have an area you can brood them yourself.

 

[abserbean]

Oh, that makes sense. She has been sitting on an empty nest, or on one that her coop mate lays that I remove each day. So, nothing to worry about there. I just gave her the eggs, and after a quick perusal she settled right down. Fingers crossed!

 

[elliechooks]

I think I have a broody brahma
I have two nest boxes, side by side, raised off the floor about 18". I put some marked eggs in one on 1st April, one disappeared without a trace, one turned up on the floor with a large hole in it and contents all gone, then today I noticed this brahma has been in the other nest box all day, and has one of the marked eggs under her. Question is, how did she move it from one nest to the other?
Local poultry auction tomorrow, I'll see if I can pick up some interesting eggs for her.

 

[sonderah]

My turkey hen is ready!!!! She's set well over 24 hrs, with some sort of break I'm sure although I haven't seen her out. Checked on her earlier to see if she was still laying & she has plucked her belly clean!!!!! Gonna set the eggs tonight when I have extra hands available!!!! Giving her 8 of her own and 7 Buff Orp eggs, that have all been incubated and are all due to hatch on the 25th! I will take the chicks when they hatch to sell, but leave her poults with her to raise. (BTW. No issues with blackhead in my county!) so excited!!