Broody Hen Thread!

[Pure Poultry]

Here is mama with her 2 day old chicks and she has now left the nest leaving the 10 remaining eggs. We didn't have a great survival rate with 14 eggs at the start, 2 hatch and live, 1 hatched and didn't make it and 10 left. 1 just went missing in action but oh well

 

[ChickyChickens]

Here is Spot!! The latest and last broody for a while!!!

 

[Fentress]

@fentress It sounds like a setup that should work well. Did the eggs not develop at all or did they "quit" ?

Also, where did you get the straw. I dont know if chemical residue would affect hatches but it could be a factor. We stopped using straw bedding on out acreage because we found our dog was allergic to some chemicals. At least we figured it was a certain chemical because it was only certain straw that he reacted to.

Good luck!

Thanks, I will check into the chemicals. This was done outside, so the bales were rather tight/wet, but it was probably the inexperienced broodies, thanks again to you and the Lady. Needed a little validation that 2 by 3 is an adequate size.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thanks, I will check into the chemicals. This was done outside, so the bales were rather tight/wet, but it was probably the inexperienced broodies, thanks again to you and the Lady. Needed a little validation that 2 by 3 is an adequate size.

If the bales were good and dry on the inside around the nest area, that probably is just fine...if the bales got wet through and through, that would be pretty moist and have mold potential which could affect things...at least where I live...but I live in NW Oregon and if it stays wet it molds. (Fact of life here).

But if the wooden nest box and straw were nice and dry, and the inside bale nice and dry, there shouldn't have been a problem from the location.

LofMc

 

[fisherlady]

How important is air flow around and underneath a nest? Last year, I made some enclosures with stacked straw bales and ply board for a roof. One end was left open, but covered with a screen to separate the nest from the rest of the flock. I used a drawer, with straw inside for the nest. The interior measured almost 2' by 3', a little tight, but it seemed adequate to me. My hatch rates in this type of setup was poor. It could have been the two inexperienced pullets that were setting, the lack of space or maybe a lack of air flow. Is air flow even relevant.? I like doing this, but not if it is fundamentally flawed. This year I might try it again, but make the space a little bigger and use something that is up off the ground for a nest. I have heard of people using drawers before, so that may not be the problem. Any thoughts are appreciated.

The only other thing I can think of which could cause a problem with your set up is ground temperatures. If there is direct contact between the drawer and the ground the cold (and even excessive moisture) can radiate up and cause the hen to have more trouble keeping the temps consistent in the nest. You could try doing the same set up again but elevate the drawer box up off of the ground a few inches, you could cut a pallet in half and use it, the spacing would be good. Another option is using a few bricks or even some chunks of scrap 2x4s to create the elevation.

Edit to add.... I just reread the original post and realized I missed the time frame and Virginia thing, so temps shouldn't have been extreme enough to create an issue... I would still try the set up again though, because it sounds like it should work and maybe it was just a matter of the inexperienced broodies.

 

[Henerz101]

This is Lucy I bought her with 5 chicks 2 maran looking 2 light sussex looking and one light sussex cockerel I bought her in august and has laid every day exept when she was broody and 8 days I'm so proud

These are them in November and the cockerel sold for £5 light sussex sold £5 each (my friend bought them) and the Marans sold for £9 each and I've still got the hen laying now!!!

 

[PD-Riverman]

This is Lucy I bought her with 5 chicks 2 maran looking 2 light sussex looking and one light sussex cockerel I bought her in august and has laid every day exept when she was broody and 8 days I'm so proud




These are them in November and the cockerel sold for £5 light sussex sold £5 each (my friend bought them) and the Marans sold for £9 each and I've still got the hen laying now!!!

I am curious about the almost single chicken per cage set-up?? Is this where the chickens live? How do you go about cleaning---looks like each cage is sitting on plywood?

 

[Henerz101]

They were getting sold on that day they were all mine including the barnevelders but I dint have the red ones but they were at an auction getting sold

 

[Lutz Farms]

Ok, have about 10 E1 eggs under my BA hen who has been religiously sitting and now I have another BA hen joining her and taking the eggs and only 3 days left. Ugh. A bit frustrated as this is my first hen raising chicks so not so knowledgeable on how to handle. Also have turkey sitting on E1 chicken eggs beautifully which leaves 2 nesting boxes for other hens who want to now sit on top or under sitting and/or. broody hens. Any advise is greatly appreciated. I wld love to add nests but how do I attractive the girls to lay in them.

What do you think if I took both BA hen and the eggs inside....they wldnt be alone and they r sharing the nest?! I'm in Wisconsin btw....brrr..

 

[fisherlady]

Ok, have about 10 E1 eggs under my BA hen who has been religiously sitting and now I have another BA hen joining her and taking the eggs and only 3 days left. Ugh. A bit frustrated as this is my first hen raising chicks so not so knowledgeable on how to handle. Also have turkey sitting on E1 chicken eggs beautifully which leaves 2 nesting boxes for other hens who want to now sit on top or under sitting and/or. broody hens. Any advise is greatly appreciated. I wld love to add nests but how do I attractive the girls to lay in them.

What do you think if I took both BA hen and the eggs inside....they wldnt be alone and they r sharing the nest?! I'm in Wisconsin btw....brrr..

With only 3 days left I would not move her. The time to move broodies is either very early in the brood or preferably before you even give her the eggs you want her to hatch.
You can fence off the boxes the broodies are in and let them out once or twice a day, once they hatch out 2 or 3 chicks then they can be moved to a more suitable location.
If you can also add a new nesting box or 2 then do so and you can place ceramic eggs or white golf balls in the new nests to encourage the other hens to use them.