Broody Hen Thread!

[fisherlady]

Another question --

My broody hatched 2 chicks, 2 days ago, and as far as I can tell she is showing no interest in leading them off the nest. I've been leaving the door to her dog carrier open, for a hour or two at time morning and afternoon, to give her a chance, but no interest.

There is water and food inside the carrier, placed so mom can eat/drink without leaving the nest, and that's what she has been doing. I assume/hoping the chicks are getting some too, but not sure, since they are too small to reach it without climbing out of the nest.

Yesterday I removed the 2 unhatched eggs from the nest, hoping that would change things. When I was removing the eggs I had to lift mom off the nest. She briefly shot outside the coop to take a huge poop and then raced back in.

I'm reluctant to leave the kennel door open when I'm not around, as I fear other chickens cramming themselves into the kennel to get to the chick food and squashing the new ones.

Not sure what to do. Remove nest box from kennel and place it in a corner of the coop? Leave door to kennel open all the time and hope for the best? Keep doing what I'm doing? They need to get out of that kennel at some point so mom can start teaching them chicken business.

2 days on the nest after hatch isn't unusual... try placing the carrier into a corner where you can place a fence the whole way around it, then leave it open to allow her to come and go. If the carrier is too big to move you can simply do as you said and place the nest box into a corner and isolate it with chicken wire or something similar for the first few days...

 

[chickenlickin8]

Question...2 eggs are still peeping and mom has left the nest with the chicks that all hatched yesterday. This is Day 21 but the others hatched on Day 20. I just set up the incubator and put them in there. They felt cool but peeping is strong. They haven't pipped yet...will they still hatch ok? Then I can integrate with mom, correct?

 

[Morrigan]

2 days on the nest after hatch isn't unusual... try placing the carrier into a corner where you can place a fence the whole way around it, then leave it open to allow her to come and go. If the carrier is too big to move you can simply do as you said and place the nest box into a corner and isolate it with chicken wire or something similar for the first few days...

Thanks so much! After she gets comfortable going on and off the nest, my thought would be to take down the temporary fencing, so mom can start showing the chicks around outside. Sound right to you?

 

[DarynA146]

I think my silkies have a sort of insects on them, what can i do to take the insects away to make them and their coop clean. thanks

 

[PortlandHen]

I couldn't resist 1 more pic....

That's pretty cute.

 

[abserbean]

Do you have room to try setting an alternative nest box in beside where your broody is? My hens love to use a cat carrier for laying, something like that, set very close to the broody's nest, with a couple of golf balls in it might get the other hen to try the new spot. Turn the new box in such a way that the broody doesn't see the golf balls.

Thank you for your advice fisherlady! Even though I've had my hens for a while, I'm new to hatching. I did try setting her up an alternative nest, and she just climbed on top of my broody and attempted to lay while sitting on her. I removed her and put her in with the other girls. They actually are getting along fairly well for new flock mates, but she won't lay in their nest boxes. I hope she isn't trying to go broody too, would that make her super attached to a nest? She was broody last year in her pullet year, but didn't hatch any eggs. My other girls have never gone broody, but they are all hatchery birds and have probably had it bred out of them. My broody hen is a barnyard mutt, but I think she may be a cochin mix, which would explain her broodiness. Her coop mate is a heritage barred rock/welsummer cross (welbar), I don't know if they are a particularly broody as a type, but she was pretty determined to hatch eggs last year. If she goes broody before Lillie is done, we are going to have a mess!

 

[fisherlady]

Question...2 eggs are still peeping and mom has left the nest with the chicks that all hatched yesterday. This is Day 21 but the others hatched on Day 20. I just set up the incubator and put them in there. They felt cool but peeping is strong. They haven't pipped yet...will they still hatch ok? Then I can integrate with mom, correct?

Many folks have good luck getting incubator hatchers back with the broody (after they dry) if it is within a couple of days.... it is your best option at this point, though you may want to gather items for a brooder if you need it.

 

[fisherlady]

Thanks so much! After she gets comfortable going on and off the nest, my thought would be to take down the temporary fencing, so mom can start showing the chicks around outside. Sound right to you?

Yes, I like to let the chicks get used to mom's vocalizations for a couple of days, then play it by ear based on the broody's actions and watch how the flock reacts to her and the chicks so you can intervene for chick safety if needed. There will be some pecking and cheeping the first day or so after the chicks are amongst the flock, but they quickly learn which hens to avoid. If any hen is particularly aggressive toward broody or chicks you can address just that bird.

 

[fisherlady]

I think my silkies have a sort of insects on them, what can i do to take the insects away to make them and their coop clean. thanks

You may want to post your question in the emergencies forums. Use the search tool above also and look up 'treatment for lice' and 'treatment for mites'

 

[fisherlady]

Thank you for your advice fisherlady! Even though I've had my hens for a while, I'm new to hatching. I did try setting her up an alternative nest, and she just climbed on top of my broody and attempted to lay while sitting on her. I removed her and put her in with the other girls. They actually are getting along fairly well for new flock mates, but she won't lay in their nest boxes. I hope she isn't trying to go broody too, would that make her super attached to a nest? She was broody last year in her pullet year, but didn't hatch any eggs. My other girls have never gone broody, but they are all hatchery birds and have probably had it bred out of them. My broody hen is a barnyard mutt, but I think she may be a cochin mix, which would explain her broodiness. Her coop mate is a heritage barred rock/welsummer cross (welbar), I don't know if they are a particularly broody as a type, but she was pretty determined to hatch eggs last year. If she goes broody before Lillie is done, we are going to have a mess!

I don't know that she is going broody, but she probably is just a creature of habit and doesn't like her routine being messed with. She will eventually pick a new nest box to use in the other coop. She doesn't have much choice. Even if she does go broody you can make her wait an extra week or so to keep the hatches separated a bit, or set her up in another broody area. It may take some creative organization though... In February of this year I had 4 broodies at one time... it got to be a bit of a real headache to give them their own spots for a few days, then we got lucky and two decided to raise their chicks together, and a week later when a 3 hatched hers out she was able to join the other two... so we had 3 hens raising 11 chicks together. It made our lives much easier on figuring out coop organization!