Broody Hen Thread!

[JoPop]

Welcome to the site!

Your hen sounds like she is starting to be broody but hasn't become dedicated yet.... so now is definitely the time to start collecting eggs. You will want to remove them daily (preferably within a reasonable time of being laid) and store them with round (air) end up in an egg box which you tip slightly side to side a couple of times a day. Store them in a cool place such as a dark closet or basement stairwell.
You should give her back the eggs as a complete clutch after she has spent a couple of days sitting both day and night in the nest. You can give her fake eggs to keep her interested while you are collecting the eggs you want her to hatch.
You may not get very many more eggs from her before she goes totally broody and quits laying, depending on how many you want her to hatch you may want to find another source to get a few fertile eggs, especially if there is another breed you are interested in.

Many folks choose to separate the broody to avoid competition with laying hens for nest space and the risk of broken eggs or even the hen getting confused and getting back into the wrong nest box after being out for her daily break.... separating her would remove these common coop risks. Other folks choose to leave the hen brood where she chooses and they accept the risks already mentioned. This can succeed quite well when the coop attitude is laid back, the broody is near top in the pecking order and/or/if there are plenty of nest boxes to avoid competition for nest space.
I usually have my experienced broodies and top hens hatch in the coop, I move them to a secure corner for a couple of days after hatch so the little ones get some bonding time with mama and then open up their space to allow the mama to introduce them to the rest of the coop.

Choosing whether to let her brood where she is or move her to separate quarters is up to you... your set up doesn't sound very high risk but I would definitely still mark her hatching eggs and watch daily for signs of any competition issues or signs the hen is easily confused about what nest she should use. If there is only one nest box then that eliminates the wrong nest issue and if no other hens are laying you can even block off any other nests with chicken wire to eliminate them from causing confusion also. You can even do this before you give her any good hatching eggs...
Good luck and hopefully we will be seeing some pics in a few weeks!

Thank you for the advice! I've removed her eggs and am using fake ones (well, store-bought eggs that I don't plan to hatch). I've decided to go with a separate broody box since it will be much easier to monitor than our coop, and my pullets are definitely nearing their first lay which might be stressful for everyone.

BUT, I'm still seeing only partial broodiness from my hen -- she spends most of the day outside in the run, but is sleeping on the eggs in the nesting box rather than her usual roost (with all the telltale puffing and growling). There was no egg laid today. Is this phase typical before going totally broody, or is it possible that she is already abandoning the nest? Will she eventually decide to sit full-time, or is it still too early to tell? Thanks again

 

[PD-Riverman]

My broody is due to hatch Saturday.
I have kept her with the flock and she is left alone for the most part. She's head hen and I divided the coop. While Waiting for my husband to get home and build a broody coop.

The coop is built and ready for her to be moved. In the same nesting box she has been in.

Since the date is coming soon! Saturday- is it to late to move her?I'm worried she will abandon the clutch. However, I want her and the babies safe. Just bad timing! I wasn't ready for a broody but welcome this experience!
She's been a good broody! Only off the nest once a day. I brought her out twice this weekend to give her treats and check her weight.
I feel she will freak out! Assuming it's not to late too move her. How long should I let her freak out intel I put her back with the flock ?

Being the hatch date is so close---I personally would leave her where she is till she hatches-----you can move her after she comes off the nest with the chicks if you want.

 

[Angie16hearts]

Being the hatch date is so close---I personally would leave her where she is till she hatches-----you can move her after she comes off the nest with the chicks if you want.

Thank you for answering. Would you move her after she hatches ? Just curious

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thank you for answering. Would you move her after she hatches ? Just curious

Move her and the chicks after they have hatched and dried out...within the first day or two after everybody's out...it is very easy to move mom and chicks at that point.
LofMc

 

[fisherlady]

Thank you for the advice! I've removed her eggs and am using fake ones (well, store-bought eggs that I don't plan to hatch). I've decided to go with a separate broody box since it will be much easier to monitor than our coop, and my pullets are definitely nearing their first lay which might be stressful for everyone.

BUT, I'm still seeing only partial broodiness from my hen -- she spends most of the day outside in the run, but is sleeping on the eggs in the nesting box rather than her usual roost (with all the telltale puffing and growling). There was no egg laid today. Is this phase typical before going totally broody, or is it possible that she is already abandoning the nest? Will she eventually decide to sit full-time, or is it still too early to tell? Thanks again

She may just be practicing... some hens are moody about it and take a while to decide what they want to do... others are normal acting one day and are full out broody and parked within 2 or 3 days. It sounds like she is just taking her time. Don't put good eggs under her until she is parked for at least 3 entire days and by parked I mean parked in the location you want her to brood. If she seems to park in the regular coop then you need to move her (at night) into the nest you want her to brood in and then give her a couple of days to make sure she doesn't change her mind.

Some broodies are just easy, others are difficult enough to make you want to tear your hair out!

.... hopefully your girl settles in and becomes one of the easy ones!

 

[fisherlady]

Move her and the chicks after they have hatched and dried out...within the first day or two after everybody's out...it is very easy to move mom and chicks at that point.
LofMc

x2! I have never had a broody fuss about being moved after she has a chick or two to fuss over. We even have moved many hens after the first few hatch and are dry and move unhatched eggs with them, but moving the unhatched eggs is very, very touchy.... you must be absolutely sure you keep the same side up and same position for the egg in the new nest and we don't move any at all if signs of pipping.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Thank you for answering. Would you move her after she hatches ? Just curious

I would have moved her in the beginning---LOL. Yes "I" would move her and the chicks ""after"" she Comes off the nest with them. No Disrespect to anyone meant here but "I" would Never lift a hen off her unhatched eggs that are about to hatch----just like "I" would never open the incubator during lock-down-------doing either causes the eggs to loose the moisture needed to hatch-----doing this in my area creates problems-----other area's----I can not answer.

I have stated before on here----I lost to many chicks leaving them in the same pen with the grown chickens and have had my mother hen to get in so many fights protecting them. If you plan to put them all together later then I would put her and chicks in a cage where they are next to the other chickens----where they can see each other all the time----put feed next to the edge of the pen---inside and out where they all can eat with their heads almost touching through the wire-----then when you turn them out in a few weeks---they will be use to each other. Good Luck!

 

[SusanPC]

Hi. I've posted some of my experience on another thread in a different forum but realize this is the perfect place. My adventure began whe my BO went broody about 10 days ago. She is one of four hens in my first flock which I raised from chicks last Feb. My coworker brought in fertile eggs and the fun began! I placed 7 eggs under her and unfortunately after about 4 days there was egg carnage. I hadn't separated her and we are fairly certain that another hen or a scuffle caused 4 eggs to be smashed to bits. After a bath for Daisy and a rinsing of the remaining eggs, we housed her and her 3 remaining eggs overnight in a plastic dog crate in the house.

The next day was a move back out to the coop and nest box. Currently things are status quo. Daisy only has one growing embryo egg, so we removed the duds. She is 7 days into her hatch. We have built a partition to keep her and the other hens separate. We let her out into the bigger run area once a day to stretch her wings, eat, drink, poop, and generally fuss at the other hens. Hopefully she will be able to hatch a chick. If so, we are debating whether to add a second chick under her at that time. Also, if the egg hatch fails, we are considering giving her two chicks one night. I feel like the broody pen is small, but it should serve the purpose until the chick is a few weeks old. It leaves the other hens with two nest boxes and their sleeping roost. Everyone seems to be adjusting well. Daisy's brooding drive is strong. She has cared for her eggs through the egg break, with the move to a dog crate, and back to the nest box. Chickens are amazing!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Hi. I've posted some of my experience on another thread in a different forum but realize this is the perfect place. My adventure began whe my BO went broody about 10 days ago. She is one of four hens in my first flock which I raised from chicks last Feb. My coworker brought in fertile eggs and the fun began! I placed 7 eggs under her and unfortunately after about 4 days there was egg carnage. I hadn't separated her and we are fairly certain that another hen or a scuffle caused 4 eggs to be smashed to bits. After a bath for Daisy and a rinsing of the remaining eggs, we housed her and her 3 remaining eggs overnight in a plastic dog crate in the house.

The next day was a move back out to the coop and nest box. Currently things are status quo. Daisy only has one growing embryo egg, so we removed the duds. She is 7 days into her hatch. We have built a partition to keep her and the other hens separate. We let her out into the bigger run area once a day to stretch her wings, eat, drink, poop, and generally fuss at the other hens. Hopefully she will be able to hatch a chick. If so, we are debating whether to add a second chick under her at that time. Also, if the egg hatch fails, we are considering giving her two chicks one night. I feel like the broody pen is small, but it should serve the purpose until the chick is a few weeks old. It leaves the other hens with two nest boxes and their sleeping roost. Everyone seems to be adjusting well. Daisy's brooding drive is strong. She has cared for her eggs through the egg break, with the move to a dog crate, and back to the nest box. Chickens are amazing!

Nice subdivide. That will work well for the first week, especially if it is cold weather, momma won't be roaming too far that first week.

Yes, unfortunately what you experienced is what many of us experience when attempting to communal brood. The only thing I would have done differently is avoiding washing the hen as you can easily break a brood that way...most hens clean themselves up amazingly well, as well as the nest when an egg breaks. Fortunately Daisy is a stalwart girl. And I would have gently dabbed the eggs dry or gently buffed with dried soft hay/cloth or left them alone. Washing them actually removes the protective flora on the egg and generally is not a good idea for hatching eggs.

But I have found the embryos can be amazingly hardy....I "spun dried" one when an incubator dropped and it still hatched!

My best wishes to Daisy and the hatch of her little chick.

LofMc

 

[holm25]

You all are so lucky I have been dying to get a broody but not one of our 57 girls will go broody. I have noticed now that the days are getting longer a few hens have started pulling there breast feathers!!!