Broody Hen Thread!

[sonderah]

My blue slate turkey this year was my 1st ever broody. She did awesome! Then I had a Silkie go broody, awesome! Now my royal palm turkey is due to hatch on Monday, & she is GROSS!!! She keeps pooping on her eggs!! I don't have much faith in her!!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Here's a pick of my broody girl. She just keeps cooing away at the moment sitting on diddly squat! Well apart from her bedding

Oh she's beautiful! What breed is she? Yep...definitely broody. LOL.

 

[PookieMavis]

Thanks She's a sablepoot bantam. We've had her for about a year and she's a minx for going broody.

 

[Romoshka]

I have a community house with 13 black Australorp hens and 1 rooster. The hens are over 3 years old but several weeks ago 4 of them went broody. 2 hens are actually sitting one nest. Hatching started yesterday and ive seen 2 chicks so far. My question is can I leave them in this community house or do I need to worry about the chicks getting beat up by the other hens/rooster? Should I relocate the moms and chicks? Ive got an open tractor that I could move the other 9 hens and rooster into for a bit. Ive always incubated and broodered my chicks so this broody thing was a shock and I allowed it to become an experiment. Also the other hens have continued to lay in the boxes with the broody hens so I have eggs of all ages in there. After the hens leave the nest I intend to transfer unhatched eggs to incubator and give em a few more days. So...leave the situation as it is? Move the adults? Move mom and chicks after hatch completes?

 

[TiaRC]

I have a community house with 13 black Australorp hens and 1 rooster. The hens are over 3 years old but several weeks ago 4 of them went broody. 2 hens are actually sitting one nest. Hatching started yesterday and ive seen 2 chicks so far. My question is can I leave them in this community house or do I need to worry about the chicks getting beat up by the other hens/rooster? Should I relocate the moms and chicks? Ive got an open tractor that I could move the other 9 hens and rooster into for a bit. Ive always incubated and broodered my chicks so this broody thing was a shock and I allowed it to become an experiment. Also the other hens have continued to lay in the boxes with the broody hens so I have eggs of all ages in there. After the hens leave the nest I intend to transfer unhatched eggs to incubator and give em a few more days. So...leave the situation as it is? Move the adults? Move mom and chicks after hatch completes?

I have an array of chickens including one coop with 12 hens and 2 roos. I've always left my chicks alone and just watched in case of issues. Either it be a weak chick or mean room mate. But so far I've had no problems. Mama hens have always been best and their "family" is always curious to see the new babies but never have harmed them.

 

[emmimini1212]

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

Oh I'm so happy! Your advice saved those chicks I swear. Three of them hatched that day and then the rest are still incubating but internally pipping.. How long will they internally pip because they have been at it since Monday?

 

[sunnyraven]

A few days ago one of my hens started brooding out of the blue...well actually I didn't collect eggs one day so don't know if that did it

anyway, I have a rooster by accident, supposed to be a hen, and kept him cuz hes beautiful, well mannered and I was hoping he would protect the hens. They free range during the day. I just marked the eggs today bc I didn't realize about the sneaking and stealing of eggs. Will she brood for several days once the first eggs start to hatch? Also, she is nesting in a coop 3 feet off the ground. What happens when the chicks hatch? Can they navigate the plank?
Thanks in advance!!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Oh I'm so happy! Your advice saved those chicks I swear. Three of them hatched that day and then the rest are still incubating but internally pipping.. How long will they internally pip because they have been at it since Monday?

I'm glad 3 hatched immediately. Normal pipping can take up to 24 hours after the initial, however longer than that has indicated failure for me. There is a lot that has to happen for a chick to successfully hatch both internally as well as structurally with the shell and hatch position. I lean to not helping as nature's course (and loss) is usually the best unless there was an environmental interruption that could interfere with the process...which you stepped in with.

As these were staggered you will have staggered hatching, but any one egg shouldn't take more than 24 hours typically. Keep the humidity moist to keep the membranes moist but not so moist as to risk a chick drowning. Bacterial infection will be the next risk as I have recently learned for which you can do nothing for at this point...at least within my feeble incubator skills (which is why I use hens.)

Hopefuuly the rest will hatch in short order. Be prepared you will likely have some failure due to the interruption and less than perfect conditions.

Lady of McCamley

 

[Romoshka]

Hey TiaRC, thanks for the quick response. I will leave the "family" intact and watch for trouble. Now how long after hatching does the hen leave the nest? There are eggs of progressive ages in all three nest boxes so potentially there could be hatches every day for the next 20 days.

 

[frg34]

So, my other hens have been doing a good job of not laying in the broody's nest. However, today, after eating, the broody got in the wrong nest. She was probably in the wrong one for 5 hours (on day 5). I moved her back, covered the rest of the nests with cardboard and moved the other chickens to another pen. I am leaving town in a few days for 10 days, so this is probably best since there won't be an attentive watcher for that period.