Broody Hen Thread!

[redpennies15]

Quote: I can only answer Question #1: In my experience...if she wants to sit on those eggs, she will! If you touch her or the eggs she may get annoyed, but she will stubbornly continue to sit on her eggs. Which is something I like, because I don't have an incubator, and I like chicks

My most recent broody hen got a little confused and began sitting in the wrong nest....my mom moved all the eggs back under her and she continued to sit. Half of her eggs hatched. So, I think if you moved the eggs to candle them...you'll probably be ok? I hope someone has more to add on that note...

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

As soon as I know my hen is broody, and is going to sit for the long haul, I have food & water within reach of where she is nesting. My problem is, my hen set her eggs under the stairs of our deck, and they are so far back, I can not reach her or the eggs. She did this the last week of May, I did not know how many eggs or if she had any eggs under her. At the time, I only had one other hen laying eggs, so I knew who's eggs were who's. Fast forward to the present, and she has gone broody again, and in the same spot. Now I have 5 EE who are now laying. I see one egg that has been kicked out, just have not been able to reach it. Mama came out for a few minutes today & our head roo nailed her. and then back to her eggs she went. So now I have to fence off the area under the stairs, so that the other hens do not try to continue to lay eggs near her or try to disturb her. I have put a possible start date on my calendar, so if she does not leave the nest in the next few days, I will know that she is in full broody mode. So Sept 4th or a day or so before, I will start looking for chicks.

 

[Flutterbee]

My hen has been sitting on eggs for god knows how long (minimum fifteen days, maximum eighteen-I was house-sitting for someone). And because of this, I have been candling every other day-only a few eggs though, maximum three for thirty seconds at most. I just wanted to make sure that I haven't done them any harm being do this. Also if someone could help tell me about how far along my eggs are, I posted a diagram, I'd REALLY appreciate it because they are dark brown and it's so hard to tell: (I had a thread but I never had anyone answer)

 

[dsbailey70]

I started raising chickens a couple of months ago. Yesterday, I bought two Partridge Silkie hens, about 1 and 2 years old. When I got home, I had to finish cleaning up the coop, so I put them in a wire kennel in the yard. At some point, the 1yo started singing the Egg Song, and I got my first egg a little while later. After collecting the egg, the 2yo started singing. She continued off-and-on the rest of the evening. As of this evening, she still hasn't layed an egg. Last night, after cleaning the coop, I put them into the roost. They were still in it at about 10am this morning. I picked them up, and put them at the roost's doorway; they didn't go down the ramp, so I put one about halfway down the ramp. 20-30 minutes later, one was still sitting on the ramp, and the other was still by the doorway. I put them down in the run, under the roost. Aside from some initial adjustments, they went into a corner and stayed there the rest of the day. From inside the den, I saw them occasionally around the middle of that run. Idk whether they ate or drank, but I did put out food and water. This evening, they still wanted to stay in the corner; I used a small stick to guide them close enough to be able to grab one. I held them each for a little bit, to get them used to being held. I noticed that when I say the 1yo down, she almost bumped her beak on the ground; it was as if she was immediately sitting down. I put them each on the ramp, but they had to be nudged into the roost. As of this post, the 1yo is sitting on the roost pan, and the 2yo is on the roost.

1. Is this behavior just adjustment to a new home, or broodiness? If broodiness, I need to get started on breaking it.

2. Regarding the 2yo, should I be concerned that she hasn't layed yet? I forgot to ask what her usual time was between singing and laying.

 

[kkenney]

I believe it's just an adjustment period. When I introduced my three new birds this year to my preexisting flock mine did the same thing. Just give them a little time to adjust. It took my little ones a good week to get out and romp around in the pen with the others. I would go in mid day (when everyone else was outside playing)and give them some food and water just to make sure they were getting nutrients. What seemed to help mine were snack temptations! They eventually came out for snack time with the others and then gradually stayed out longer and longer.

 

[dsbailey70]

Thank you! I've already found that love fresh corn on the cob. As with my first ones, I'll buy 3-4 ears of fresh corn at HEB, then every day or every other day, I'll give them about a 1/4 ear (per two chickens). I go back later, and the cob had been stripped bare...lol trying to get them used to dried mealworms too.

 

[kkenney]

Mine all love dried mealworms. They also love hard boiled eggs that I let cool and then crumble up for them or watermelon rinds. They'll really eat just about anything but when I make meals I keep my chicken snack bowl near by and toss lettuce and veggie pieces in there along with fruits and such. Now when they see us walk outside with that bowl they all go nuts and line up along the side of the chicken pen waiting for their snacks!

 

[StarMeKritten]

I started raising chickens a couple of months ago. Yesterday, I bought two Partridge Silkie hens, about 1 and 2 years old. When I got home, I had to finish cleaning up the coop, so I put them in a wire kennel in the yard. At some point, the 1yo started singing the Egg Song, and I got my first egg a little while later. After collecting the egg, the 2yo started singing. She continued off-and-on the rest of the evening. As of this evening, she still hasn't layed an egg. Last night, after cleaning the coop, I put them into the roost. They were still in it at about 10am this morning. I picked them up, and put them at the roost's doorway; they didn't go down the ramp, so I put one about halfway down the ramp. 20-30 minutes later, one was still sitting on the ramp, and the other was still by the doorway. I put them down in the run, under the roost. Aside from some initial adjustments, they went into a corner and stayed there the rest of the day. From inside the den, I saw them occasionally around the middle of that run. Idk whether they ate or drank, but I did put out food and water. This evening, they still wanted to stay in the corner; I used a small stick to guide them close enough to be able to grab one. I held them each for a little bit, to get them used to being held. I noticed that when I say the 1yo down, she almost bumped her beak on the ground; it was as if she was immediately sitting down. I put them each on the ramp, but they had to be nudged into the roost. As of this post, the 1yo is sitting on the roost pan, and the 2yo is on the roost.

1. Is this behavior just adjustment to a new home, or broodiness? If broodiness, I need to get started on breaking it.

2. Regarding the 2yo, should I be concerned that she hasn't layed yet? I forgot to ask what her usual time was between singing and laying.

Some will just take a little while to adjust and start laying again after moving. It took my silkie awhile to get used to the ramp too. I had to pick him up and put him in the coop every night for a few weeks. He did finally figure it out. He still won't usually sleep on the roost with everyone else though. He usually sleeps in the doorway of the coop until I close the door. Then he goes and snuggles up in a nest box.

 

[dsbailey70]

Thank you! Ok, so singing w/o laying shouldn't worry me yet. I meant to say that about the 1yo, she slept (and has been sleeping) in the inner doorway.

 

[Penny Hen]

My second broodie has a chick! Hopefully more to follow from the remaining 9 eggs.