Broody Hen Thread!

[16 paws]

This Friday I am getting my BO some baby chicks from my local feed store! We useually have our BA raise the chicks so this will be her first time!
Any chick breed suggestions?

Do you know which breeds they are offering? There are so many great ones it would be hard to say. What breeds do you have so far? And by the way what is a BA?
Marie

 

[16 paws]

I think Nessie needs a more calm situation. She decided to go broody in the largest and, of course, most popular nesting box. Now that I know she's serious about hatching some babies (plucked out feathers from breast to belly), she needs to go somewhere that isn't being disturbed by numerous other hens on a daily basis, not to mention they are adding eggs to her clutch every day.

We have a partitioned area in the coop, but I'm jut wondering how she'll take to being moved inside for that long. Our coop is raised up off the ground so it won't be easy for her to go outside and come back in at will. Maybe I should put up a temporary fence around the nesting box she's in (it stands alone). Any ideas or suggestions?

Our run for them is about 2500 square feet, so the other chickens won't be crowded or anything if I fence off a part of it. Plus, they free range for a portion of every day.

I think I would put a temporary fence around her. In my experience it is better not to move them once they get settled in. There is always a chance she will break her broodiness if you move her. Do you have a picture of your set-up?
Marie

 

[Jaybeetee]

Do you know which breeds they are offering? There are so many great ones it would be hard to say. What breeds do you have so far? And by the way what is a BA?
Marie

No I don't, but I'm going to go check out the store tomorrow, and then I'll update you
A BA is a black australorp, they make great moms
We have BA's BO's, speckled Sussex, laced Wyandotte, Plymoth barred rock, EE/americaunas, Rhode Island reds, and New Hampshire reds. And 1 mixed breed of our own creation and I think that's it

 

[16 paws]

No I don't, but I'm going to go check out the store tomorrow, and then I'll update you

A BA is a black australorp, they make great moms
We have BA's BO's, speckled Sussex, laced Wyandotte, Plymoth barred rock, EE/americaunas, Rhode Island reds, and New Hampshire reds. And 1 mixed breed of our own creation and I think that's it

I just added Cuckoo Maran chicks from the feed store to my broody cochin frizzle. I wanted some chocolate colored eggs. I really am fond of Jersey Giants if they have any. Penny is an amazing chicken. I also have 2 Russian Orloffs that are great breeds. Its hard because they all seem to have their own personality even within the same breed.

My most mellow chicken by far was kind of a mistake from the feed store. I picked out 5 silkies and one of them turned out to be a Sultan. She is so loving, lets you cuddle her just like a kitten. She stays entirely to herself but when I go down to the coop she follows me around like I am her mother. She is all white and we named her Powder.
Marie

 

[Jaybeetee]

I just added Cuckoo Maran chicks from the feed store to my broody cochin frizzle. I wanted some chocolate  colored eggs. I really am fond of Jersey Giants if they have any. Penny is an amazing chicken. I also have 2 Russian Orloffs that are great breeds. Its hard because they all seem to have their own personality even within the same breed. 

My most mellow chicken by far was kind of a mistake from the feed store. I picked out 5 silkies and one of them turned out to be a Sultan. She is so loving, lets you cuddle her just like a kitten. She stays entirely to herself but when I go down to the coop she follows me around like I am her mother. She is all white and we named her Powder.
Marie

Thank you! I am thinking about getting some silkies, cause I've heard they are great chickens. I'm hoping they have some. I believe that some of our BA's are jersey Giants, but we aren't sure, our feed store makes lots of mistakes. But anyway, hopefully I can find some sultans, thanks for the suggestions

 

[chicksurreal]

I think I would put a temporary fence around her. In my experience it is better not to move them once they get settled in. There is always a chance she will break her broodiness if you move her. Do you have a picture of your set-up?
Marie

Hi Marie,

I don't have a picture of where she's at, but I can take one. It's basically a large dog kennel covered with a tarp (it was a quickie answer to the need for more nesting boxes).

I'm inclined to agree with your assessment, I've never had a broody before, but it makes sense to leave them where they started out if at all possible. She was freaking out today when everyone was trying to get in there to lay.

 

[n3kms]

Okay what's your feelings about this? Eggs in incubator and two of them placed under broody 3 days ago. Expected a 21 day incubation but one pipped last night, beginning of day 19, and is zipping now, two others pipped this morning. I was kind of hoping that the broody eggs would hatch first and I could see how Anastasia was handling it and then add these babies. I think I'll lift her up when the day gets warmer and check. Do you think hers will be with these or later? I'm just so anxious about how she will do. She is a cranky girl but is diigently sitting. She has not been off the nest since I moved her. At least I assume since there is no poop in the coop. I have offered her a spoon with ferment feed on it and she always takes just a couple of small bites. She turns down water though. Oh and to add, I spent all days yesterday building a grow out coop for the brooder chicks and I need to finish it today but it is hard to leave the incubator.

 

[Jaybeetee]

Okay what's your feelings about this? Eggs in incubator and two of them placed under broody 3 days ago. Expected a 21 day incubation but one pipped last night, beginning of day 19, and is zipping now, two others pipped this morning. I was kind of hoping that the broody eggs would hatch first and I could see how Anastasia was handling it and then add these babies. I think I'll lift her up when the day gets warmer and check. Do you think hers will be with these or later? I'm just so anxious about how she will do. She is a cranky girl but is diigently sitting. She has not been off the nest since I moved her. At least I assume since there is no poop in the coop. I have offered her a spoon with ferment feed on it and she always takes just a couple of small bites. She turns down water though. Oh and to add, I spent all days yesterday building a grow out coop for the brooder chicks and I need to finish it today but it is hard to leave the incubator.

Well it depends, how many eggs do you have in the incubator? Either way I think mom will do fine, cause it's best not to wait to put the chicks under momma, and there's a better chance she'll Accept them if you put them under her about an hour or two after they hatch. So I think the mom will do fine with the bator chicks

-Judy

 

[lazy gardener]

I'd leave mama broody to her business until all of your chicks are hatched. She may have chicklets under her by then. (You gave her eggs from the clutch that are in the bator?) Then, if hers aren't out by the time the bator chicks are done, you could slip a couple of your bator chicks under her at night, and bring her nest eggs in to finish off in the bator. See how she does with those, and if she's a good mama, you can give her the rest the next night. Thankfully, chickens can't count, and if she's got raging broody hormones going on, she'd accept just about anything you put under her. Most recommendations are to let a broody set for a couple of weeks before trying to foster chicks to her. But, you'll have to roll with your current time line and hope for the best.

 

[n3kms]

I'd leave mama broody to her business until all of your chicks are hatched.  She may have chicklets under her by then.  (You gave her eggs from the clutch that are in the bator?)  Then, if hers aren't out by the time the bator chicks are done, you could slip a couple of your bator chicks under her at night, and bring her nest eggs in to finish off in the bator.  See how she does with those, and if she's a good mama, you can give her the rest the next night.  Thankfully, chickens can't count, and if she's got raging broody hormones going on, she'd accept just about anything you put under her.  Most recommendations are to let a broody set for a couple of weeks before trying to foster chicks to her.  But, you'll have to roll with your current time line and hope for the best.

Glad I ask. I never thought of a switch out of chicks and eggs. She has been sitting for 2 weeks. So she was on 2 eggs that are a week behind these. But before I moved her she went to the wrong nest box twice so I don't know if they are good. I went out and peeked a bit ago and neither of the ones I added from the incubator has pipped. And there was an egg under her I didn't know about. Must have been there when I moved her. She had been so steady at running off the other girls I didn't think to check.