Broody Hen Thread!

[emmimini1212]

When recently dealing with my first assisted hatch, I learned that I could have also laid moist paper towels over it to help it not dry out. You might consider that too. (Although I've never tried it.)

Just watch to make sure the membranes are not drying out, and the temp stays at the appropriate 100 degrees or so (I think 102 is ideal???)...I don't incubator hatch much as I prefer broodies so my skills are rusty...but my incubator instructions said 102 was ideal.

Good luck!

Lady of McCamley

Yes everyone is thriving! I'm misting them with a bottle every 5 minutes so nothing is drying out! I now have 4 external pipers who are very vocal

 

[frg34]

I put a 1 liter soda type bottle with a chicken nipple in it so my broody has water at the nest, no need to get up to hydrate. She gets up to eat & dust bathe about once a day, although I feed her little treats at the nest in the morning (cherry sans pit today, a few blueberries yesterday). Make sure she has food and water close by so she can access it easily is my best advice.

Do you do this just the last few days or the whole time she is on the nest?
Mine has been broody for about 9 days, but only through day 3 on eggs. I moved out 3 top of pecking order hens to another pen and she is just in with her 2 sisters and a silkie rooster. I feed them in the run in the morning and she doesnt get up for that. I also give them a snack in the run in the early evening and she has gotten up for that the last 4 days, but I havent witnessed her drinking water in these last 4 days.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Yes everyone is thriving! I'm misting them with a bottle every 5 minutes so nothing is drying out! I now have 4 external pipers who are very vocal

I'm so happy...hope all hatch with vim and vigor. Post photos when you can.
Lady of McCamley

 

[Dumb Kluck]

Do you do this just the last few days or the whole time she is on the nest?
Mine has been broody for about 9 days, but only through day 3 on eggs. I moved out 3 top of pecking order hens to another pen and she is just in with her 2 sisters and a silkie rooster. I feed them in the run in the morning and she doesnt get up for that. I also give them a snack in the run in the early evening and she has gotten up for that the last 4 days, but I havent witnessed her drinking water in these last 4 days.

I set her up with the water bottle as soon as I noticed she went broody (within two days). The food is not as important as water in this heat (getting to the 90s &100s in my area), but I do keep food near her, some folks will even tuck a small dish of crumble in the nest, I put my girls crumble about 2 ft away inside the broody pen, but I do hand feed her some each morning and give her a pet (hoping she will remain friendly throughout the hatch).

GOOD LUCK!

 

[annanimal]

Can anyone help me out with my broody? https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/890719/staggered-hatch

 

[stonecoldchey]

This morning I marked all the eggs under my broody hens. My black copper maran has 12 eggs under her and my blrw has 10.
Can anyone help me with how to keep my other hens (mainly my barred rocks) from kicking my black copper maran out of her nest?
my black copper maran has been sitting for 9 days now and my blrw has been sitting for 7 days today.

 

[annanimal]

I would suggest you move them to their own separate brooding pen where they can spend their three weeks brooding so that they arent bothered, do this at night so you dont disturb them so much.

 

[JenniferP5970]

Ok, So I have my first broody hen. My beautiful splash silkie Fifi. Well she has not left her nest in three days. At first she was in the coop with the other hens and they were climbing on top of her to lay their eggs as well. As she was not letting me have any of the eggs and I know they are not fertile as I do not have a rooster. I took her, nesting box and all out the coop and put her in a dog crate in the garage with some food and water so that she would not be disturbed by the other hens. Well I could not tell that she has left her nest at all for food and water which concerned me. So I put a fresh cut tomato in with her and purchased her 3 fertile eggs to hatch, hoping it would help her through this. Am I doing the right thing? I can't put fresh tomato in with her everyday. How long will she sit on that nest without getting up to feed or drink? And is it safe for her to do so?

Thanks for any input,
Jennifer P.,

 

[frg34]

This morning I marked all the eggs under my broody hens. My black copper maran has 12 eggs under her and my blrw has 10.
Can anyone help me with how to keep my other hens (mainly my barred rocks) from kicking my black copper maran out of her nest?
my black copper maran has been sitting for 9 days now and my blrw has been sitting for 7 days today.

You can make sure other nests look attractive for the layers. Make sure it is comfortable and put some fake eggs/golf balls there too so the others think they are safe spots too. My hens have stopped pushing my broody since I added the golf balls.

 

[dandylion1]

Hi! So this is the second day one of my hens has been sitting on her nest. However, i already have three three week old chicks and not enough room to let her hatch chicks. Do you think she would accept the three week old chicks? I know you should wait a few days to make sure the broody is commited but by then the chicks would be almost four weeks old. And she has already seen them( i put them in their own run for a little bit since it was warm out). So do you guys think she would take them in? Thanks for any imput.