Broody Hen Thread!

[TXchickenchick]

I came very close to losing the sweetest hen I have a couple of years ago because I didn't have a rooster and I just couldn't break her from being broody. She is the type that has to be forced to get a drink or eat when broody. After about 3 months I finally bought her some chicks. I didn't even sneak them under her. I just plopped them down and she started clucking and gathering them to her. She weighed almost nothing, was so weak and so pale. It can get pretty scary.

 

[chickens r life]

I came very close to losing the sweetest hen I have a couple of years ago because I didn't have a rooster and I just couldn't break her from being broody. She is the type that has to be forced to get a drink or eat when broody. After about 3 months I finally bought her some chicks. I didn't even sneak them under her. I just plopped them down and she started clucking and gathering them to her. She weighed almost nothing, was so weak and so pale. It can get pretty scary.

Good to know thx

 

[Sonya9]

Good to know thx

The sooner you break them the better. If they are broody for a couple of days (with no rooster) it is a good idea to make a decision, either break them or plan to get fertile eggs/chicks for them.

If/when my broody stops getting off the nest to eat I usually bring her a very small dish of moist food and put it in the nest with her once a day (then remove it so it can't attract ants).

 

[aart]

I've got another broody too, I think. Same one I broke last summer was in the nest last night.
I put her on the roost but she's back in the nest this morning.

Tsk, tsk...old girl is actually on the slaughter list, maybe she knows, haha.
Geez I'm trying to reduce the flock of old hens so the new chicks fit in the coop, I don't need more chicks.

Been using the broody breaker crate to transfer birds for slaughter, after I do the extra cockerels tomorrow, in she goes....maybe straight to the abattoir.

 

[TiaRC]

I've got another broody too, I think. Same one I broke last summer was in the nest last night.
I put her on the roost but she's back in the nest this morning.

Tsk, tsk...old girl is actually on the slaughter list, maybe she knows, haha.
 Geez I'm trying to reduce the flock of old hens so the new chicks fit in the coop, I don't need more chicks.

Been using the broody breaker crate to transfer birds for slaughter, after I do the extra cockerels tomorrow, in she goes....maybe straight to the abattoir.  

Awe how heart breaking. I wish I was close I would take her. I adore chicks. And I haven't had a broody. Wru located?

 

[aart]

Quote: Yeah kinda....it's part of raising birds for food tho.
If you look under my avatar and at my signature, you'll see where I live and what my take on chicken math is.

 

[Angie16hearts]

I know what you mean about those little birds, so smart and pretty! I can also sympathize about them being taken by predators, last year my girls hatched out a batch of 6 bantam chicks and all were taken by a rat snake when they were 6-8 weeks old. Truly heartbreaking. These chicks are from my bb red hen and she is the sassiest and friendliest of the bunch. The broody is an oegb quail hen. As you can see sexing these two was very easy, if the eggs weren't from my own bantam I would wonder if they were even full siblings.

She's very pretty! and I love the eye liner look. Darling chicks! I have two days left or she does

That's so sad! We just built 3 broody boxes next to each other . You have me thinking now about all the brush behind the fence line. I'll have to have my hubby clean it up.

 

[TiaRC]

Yeah kinda....it's part of raising birds for food tho.
If you look under my avatar and at my signature, you'll see where I live and what my take on chicken math is.

Ahh I see, absolutely amazing coop you have btw

 

[Dar Scott]

I have a very broody buff. I continue to take her out of the coop but she looses her mind and I'm loosing mine the poor girl. So here's my question I dint have a Roo but do have access to some hatchling eggs I had 3 hens but the neighbors dog got to her. Should I get her an egg to hatch and if I do does this stop the brooding Once the egg hatches??

 

[blkjak]

So I have a Extreme Broody Party going on. I have a seperate room in my coop for my silkies and cochins. 14 hens with 3 roos. At the moment there are 2 hens with chicks and 7 hens sitting on eggs. I decided that I was fighting a losing battle in trying to minimize the broodiness. I decided to just let them go. Most of them are sitting on my big chicken eggs. They are funny, if 1 gets off to eat someone else may steal their nest and they have to go to another nest. Other than a few broken eggs it seems to be working well but we will see in the end.