Broody Hen Thread!

[ChickyChickens]

I have a Red Sex Link hen who went broody a week ago. I have heard of more than one RSL going broody. Are they OK mothers?

I don't know what others think but my RSL was a very god broody/mother!

 

[ChickyChickens]

YAY....I have another broody. She has 15 eggs and her name is Sparkle!!!

You can kind of see why her name is Sparkle!

She went broody in an old rabbit hutch right next to the Mothers Run!


15 beautiful eggs!

Cant wait for them all to hatch!!!!

 

[TwistedFeathers]

One of my little bantam pullets has decided to have a go at being broody for the first time. She's just sitting on fake eggs at the mo, but i'm hoping to put some fertile eggs under soon It's very exciting. Really hope she stays sitting.

 

[mandtroof]

My girls aren't laying yet, but if I do get a broody chicken, how long does it take for her to hatch the eggs. We do have a Roo, will all the eggs laced be fertile? If not, how do you know which eggs will hatch, or go bad? I don't have a incubator, but it would be nice to get some chicks out of my ladies.

 

[fisherlady]

My girls aren't laying yet, but if I do get a broody chicken, how long does it take for her to hatch the eggs. We do have a Roo, will all the eggs laced be fertile? If not, how do you know which eggs will hatch, or go bad? I don't have a incubator, but it would be nice to get some chicks out of my ladies.

welcome to the broody thread.... in short, many eggs may be fertile, but no way to tell until after a few days of incubation to show development, some roosters are effective in covering 3 hens with good fertility rates, and some can cover 8 or 10, so no way to tell till you begin the process.... average time to hatch is 21 days, but not unusual to hatch on day 20 or even as long as day 24 or 25, depending on environmental factors.

the good news is that you have plenty of time to research and plan for how to handle a broody, where to allow her to brood, how many eggs, how to keep the chicks after hatch (within the flock or in a separate area)... my best advice would be to go back about 4 months or so in this thread and the 'old fashioned broody hatch along' thread and start reading... it will provide you with a wealth of information and maybe answer some questions before you even know you have them.

 

[fisherlady]

One of my little bantam pullets has decided to have a go at being broody for the first time. She's just sitting on fake eggs at the mo, but i'm hoping to put some fertile eggs under soon It's very exciting. Really hope she stays sitting.

Congrats on the broody! Hopefully she sticks tight for you and you get some chicks in a few weeks!

 

[carcar80]

I ended up taking the last eggs from my broody on hatch day because she was up for a snack and I saw an ant on one that was pipped. Long story short, it would have been fine probably but I panicked. (don't the KNOW about lockdown!?)

Anywho, she was relentless in her broodiness SO I broke down and gave her seven more eggs a couple days later.. Which she very eagerly accepted, and I will NOT be taking these away short of her abandoning them.

I am now cooking an egg for her daily, and mixing with some feed, raisins, green beans and her favorite greenery from just outside the coop. I knew they lose condition while brooding but was shocked when I picked her up the other day just how much!

So hopefully in a few weeks she will have the babies she longs for.

 

[mandtroof]

welcome to the broody thread.... in short, many eggs may be fertile, but no way to tell until after a few days of incubation to show development, some roosters are effective in covering 3 hens with good fertility rates, and some can cover 8 or 10, so no way to tell till you begin the process.... average time to hatch is 21 days, but not unusual to hatch on day 20 or even as long as day 24 or 25, depending on environmental factors.

the good news is that you have plenty of time to research and plan for how to handle a broody, where to allow her to brood, how many eggs, how to keep the chicks after hatch (within the flock or in a separate area)... my best advice would be to go back about 4 months or so in this thread and the 'old fashioned broody hatch along' thread and start reading... it will provide you with a wealth of information and maybe answer some questions before you even know you have them.

Thanks fisher lady! Will do. I love this site!

 

[jajeanpierre]

YAY....I have another broody. She has 15 eggs and her name is Sparkle!!!

You can kind of see why her name is Sparkle!

She went broody in an old rabbit hutch right next to the Mothers Run!


15 beautiful eggs!

Cant wait for them all to hatch!!!!

Is that nest box outside? Are you sure there is enough ventilation, especially in the summer? Chickens throw off a lot of heat, even in well ventilated coops and nest boxes.

 

[ChickyChickens]

Is that nest box outside? Are you sure there is enough ventilation, especially in the summer? Chickens throw off a lot of heat, even in well ventilated coops and nest boxes.

We are in the middle of winter here and it never really gets warmer than 15-20 degrees Celsius! Yes the nest box is outside????
I cant really move her (if you say I still need to move her) 'cause I already tries and she is on of those "I want "that" nest box chooks" but I still love her!