Broody Hen Thread!

[Gardenlady2]

I have a Welsummer sitting on 4 eggs. Monday was day 20, and I was away from home all day. I went out Tuesday morning, day 21, and found a tiny black head peaking out from underneath mama hen's feathers!!!! I haven't seen any others yet. I'm afraid to move her to check in case others are trying to hatch. This is my first broody so I'm excited & nervous!
When is it okay to move her? Today is day 22. The one I've seen likely hatched on day 20 or very early on day 21. She's in a nest box 2ft above ground so I have a box ready to set up on the floor for her & the chicks.

 

[Back2Roots]

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Thanks for the tip! I bought 6 hatching eggs for my broody hen which I will be putting in with her tonight, so maybe I should keep one back?

 

[Back2Roots]

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Thanks for your thoughtful reply, fisherlady. My broody is in the community nestbox in the coop, which is in the run, where the other hens are kept during the day while we are at work. So, yes, she's still in with the flock, even if she spends her day alone in the coop. I make a point of taking her out every day; when I get home I bring fermented feed (and a few extra goodies that I have on hand sometimes, like fruit or greens) out to the run for all the ladies, so she eats with the them. I take her out of the nestbox every day in order to make sure that she eats, drinks and poops at least once a day. She also has feed and water in the coop, but I have no idea if she gets either while I'm not there. As for #2, she is not a relentless bully; she just doesn't want the younger girls to get any treats that she *might* want. Other than the food possessiveness and that she doesn't want them up on the roost next to her at night, they all seem to get along amicably enough in the run. It's quite a large area with lots of room to get away and plenty of places to hide if necessary, but I have never seen any overt attacks. In fact, when the young girls take their afternoon siesta together, #2 hen sits nearby. I do have a dog crate at the ready if I do notice any change in behaviour, but so far, so good. I'm relieved that the eggs my #2 hen lays will still be good for eating as long as I remove them once a day, because when I take my broody hen out to stretch her legs etc., I remove any egg that my #2 hen has laid that day and it goes straight into the fridge. It's fascinating to watch my broody's behaviour when I put her out in the run. She has a good appetite, she drinks well, she deposits her broody poop, she pecks around a bit and usually even has a dust bath. Then after 20 minutes, it's like she hears a timer going off, because she goes charging back to her nest, full-tilt. I think she's awesome.

 

[jajeanpierre]

As for #2, she is not a relentless bully; she just doesn't want the younger girls to get any treats that she *might* want. Other than the food possessiveness and that she doesn't want them up on the roost next to her at night, they all seem to get along amicably enough in the run. It's quite a large area with lots of room to get away and plenty of places to hide if necessary, but I have never seen any overt attacks.

The behavior sounds like normal chicken social interactions. There is a decided hierarchy in chickens. Older animals have a higher status than younger ones.

 

[aprildyer9678]

I am going to be receiving my eggs in a couple of days! I have 2 broody silkies and they stay on the floor of the coop. Is this going to be a problem? I tried to move them into the laying boxes and they jump right out and go back to their floor I don't want to move them to many times because I am afraid they will not stay broody. I have read that you should isolate them away from the other chickens? I am feeling concerned because I do not have a incubator so if I make them stop being broody then my eggs will just go bad. Does anybody have suggestions? Should I just put the eggs under her right on the floor?
Thanks for any ideas! -April

 

[jajeanpierre]

Thanks for the tip! I bought 6 hatching eggs for my broody hen which I will be putting in with her tonight, so maybe I should keep one back?

I'm no expert in hatching eggs, but my answer would be "it depends." If it is a large fowl chicken I would think no problem. It if is a bantam on LF eggs, it might be problematic.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I am going to be receiving my eggs in a couple of days! I have 2 broody silkies and they stay on the floor of the coop. Is this going to be a problem? I tried to move them into the laying boxes and they jump right out and go back to their floor I don't want to move them to many times because I am afraid they will not stay broody. I have read that you should isolate them away from the other chickens? I am feeling concerned because I do not have a incubator so if I make them stop being broody then my eggs will just go bad. Does anybody have suggestions? Should I just put the eggs under her right on the floor?
Thanks for any ideas! -April

You can remove any perches overhead so they will be clean, lay down hay or straw, make a "nest" and put some fake eggs in it, I wouldn't worry about them brooding on the floor as long as it isn't where they will be trampled. I once found a ping-pong ball sized rock in my nest box. The chicken--a Silkie of course--carried it up a ramp and into the nest box. My Silkies all tried to hatch the eggs I put in for one to hatch. The nest box became a game of musical broodies, with sometimes three in the box on the eggs (or newly hatched chick) at once. Silkies will often brood as a group and raise the chicks as a group.

 

[Back2Roots]

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That's what I think too. Thanks for the second opinion - I appreciate validation from experienced chicken keepers!

 

[Back2Roots]

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Yes, that's why I think I should leave one egg back: she's a white Silkie hen, so bantam sized. Now I just have to pick which one doesn't get included ... decisions, decisions.

 

[aprildyer9678]

That is adorable! Thanks. I am very excited about this (kind of like Christmas morning) I ordered 6+ cochin bantam eggs and I was just reading above the post about how many eggs to place under the broody hen. Do you think 6 is ok?