Broody Hen Thread!

[sonderah]

Mommy and her itty bitty week olds!! So TUTE!!!

 

[quailtrail]

Well going on 10 days now. She is nonstop sitting. Finally caught her outside and snuck over to the coop to see how many she is sitting on (4 other hens
and maybe an egg a day the past week) thought maybe she was hoarding or others just laid next to her...anyways open the nesting box door to find a babysitter! !! Another hen sitting on her eggs. I was sweet talking her trying to peek a look and she freaked! !!! My roo came running and my broody hen came running in feathers flared I swear she looked puffed up as big as a turkey. What a commotion! !!! Lol!!!

 

[SilkieHenHoney]

Mommy and her itty bitty week olds!! So TUTE!!!

Aww! They're soooooooooo cute!

 

[ChickyChickens]

8/11 of my eggs are cheeping! The other three are still alive but not pipping yet!

 

[luvmypets]

Good good!

 

[Hennyetta]

So I stopped gathering my faverolles eggs in hopes one of them would see the eggs piling up and go broody. Well, one evening my husband went out to shut the chickens in the coop, and he said that the door had blown shut, and the roo and two hens were huddled underneath the house, so he put them in, but couldn't find the other hen. We found her the next morning sitting on the eggs (which are in a different building. My chickens are free-range) but later that day she got off to join the other chickens. I guess she changed her mind, or had just been sitting on the eggs because it was someplace to sleep!

Anyway, the next evening, a different hen had decided to sit on the eggs. The other chickens went in the coop, and she didn't go with them but stayed on the nest. So, I figured she must for sure have gone broody. I got a box with some straw, put the eggs in there, and put the hen, box, and all into a cage. The building where they lay their eggs is open, so anything could just come in and snatch her off the next and I didn't want that to happen. Well, the box offended her and it was against her policies to sit in it, and the next morning she was off. I took eggs out of the box, put the straw on the floor of the cage and put eggs in it. That was right up her alley, and she is now very obviously broody, and very dedicated in sitting on her eggs now.

My question is, is there any hope of them hatching, after being sat on... not sat on... and sat on and not sat on again? I'm really hoping they'll hatch, but I have my doubts!

 

[luvmypets]

Candle... Depending on climate effects and turning they may or may not hatch...

 

[Hennyetta]

I'll candle in a few days... she's only been sitting full time for about 3 days now. I was hoping someone would pipe up and say, "Oh, yeah, they'll be fine, happens all the time!"

 

[luvmypets]

They probably will be and if their not then you can give her new eggs.

 

[Hamstery]

The chicks had their first outing today. All went well. Momma is very protective. Is it typical for that hen to become top of pecking order even after chicks are grown ? She sure is doing a good job of putting the others in their place right now. And she was never aggressive before. Thoughts?